Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Writing Books I've Read
Review: As a professional writer for over 25 years, I've read many writing books. The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch is one of the best I've read. Although the subtitle of the book is A Guide to the Craft of Fiction, this is a book every writer who is serious about writing needs to read. Story is a critical element of nonfiction as well as fiction. Unlike many how-to-write authors, Koch avoids taking the superficial, fill-in-the blank approach. His chapters include Beginnings, The Writing Life, Shaping the Story, Making Characters Live, Inventing Your Style, the Story of the Self, Working and Reworking, and Finishing. The pages of this book are filled with ideas that helped me to look at my writing with new insight. If you can afford only one writing book, this is the one to buy.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Writing Books I've Read
Review: As a professional writer for over 25 years, I've read many writing books. The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch is one of the best I've read. Although the subtitle of the book is A Guide to the Craft of Fiction, this is a book every writer who is serious about writing needs to read. Story is a critical element of nonfiction as well as fiction. Unlike many how-to-write authors, Koch avoids taking the superficial, fill-in-the blank approach. His chapters include Beginnings, The Writing Life, Shaping the Story, Making Characters Live, Inventing Your Style, the Story of the Self, Working and Reworking, and Finishing. The pages of this book are filled with ideas that helped me to look at my writing with new insight. If you can afford only one writing book, this is the one to buy.
Rating:
Summary: A book of great usefulness
Review: I am one of those people who has been writing things for years but never got serious enough to write an actual story. Well, recently I got serious enough. I checked out a stack of writing books from the library as well as pulled out what I already had at home. There was a lot of good advice in these books. But Koch's book described the inner problems I had that were preventing me from progressing, and did so consistenly. It's one of those books that you read and find yourself nodding in agreement as a grin spreads across your face. This book has done more for me in a shorter period of time than any other writing book I've read. My weaknesses were exposed as a common problem of would-be writers, not something wrong with me alone. Though there is no magic formula (and Koch offers none) to apply it's good to know that if you apply yourself diligently enough there is no reason why you can't write that great piece.
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Creative Writing Course Between Covers
Review: I doubt that any university program offers a creative writing course as interesting, comprehensive, and heartfelt as what Professor Koch has given us between covers here. This is a truly outstanding book. If you're thinking about writing fiction, don't hesitate to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Useful and Usable Technical Advice!
Review: I've read many other books on creative writing, and this one seems to be the easiest to follow with usable and useful technical advice that I can implement. It speaks to the heart of the problems that writers may confront and suggests ways that one could do in order to emerge from the mess.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: In the course of writing a novel, as yet unpublished, I read many books about how to do it. Mr. Koch's book is better than any of them, with the possible exception of Stephen King's "On Writing," a book Mr. Koch praises lavishly. He gives practical advice, covering such matters as whether a writer should write every day. Having struggled with many of these matters myself, I can vouch for the usefulness of his advice. His method is unique: as he discusses each issue, he quotes what one or more famous writers have had to say about it. So you do not have to trust Mr. Koch's opinion, because you can read what Garcia Marquez or Somerset Maugham (for example) has to say about it. Sometimes he quotes writers whose advice conflicts, leaving it to you to decide between them. The book is not, however, merely a string of quotations. He blends the quotes into the exposition, averaging perhaps one per page. Some of the advice I have never read before: a warning about the usefulness of Strunk & White, for example.
Rating:
Summary: Best I've read on subject
Review: Like another reviewer, I too am working on a novel, unpublished, and have read many, many "how-to" writing books, not to mention all the writing conferences and classes. This is undoubtedly the best published source by far. Why? Because instead of just giving the general basics of the craft: Plot, character, voice, etc., he gets into the gray areas in a very unique way. The real difference between story and the dreaded plot, for example, or learning how famous authors manage the tough stuff. Reading this book inspires IMMEDIATELY. I jumped up to grab a pencil and paper so many times while reading it to jot down ideas and notes. If you're only going to buy one writing book, BUY THIS ONE. :) (p.s.--I usually don't feel compelled to write these reviews. For this book I made the exception).
Rating:
Summary: Best I've read on subject
Review: Like another reviewer, I too am working on a novel, unpublished, and have read many, many "how-to" writing books, not to mention all the writing conferences and classes. This is undoubtedly the best published source by far. Why? Because instead of just giving the general basics of the craft: Plot, character, voice, etc., he gets into the gray areas in a very unique way. The real difference between story and the dreaded plot, for example, or learning how famous authors manage the tough stuff. Reading this book inspires IMMEDIATELY. I jumped up to grab a pencil and paper so many times while reading it to jot down ideas and notes. If you're only going to buy one writing book, BUY THIS ONE. :) (p.s.--I usually don't feel compelled to write these reviews. For this book I made the exception).
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars...Not as Dry as You Might Think
Review: Stephen Koch is an accomplished writer and teacher, but, if you expect the candor of Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird," this book will disappoint. Conversely, if you wish for something thoughtful, lucid and tangible, "A Guide to the Craft of Fiction" is just that.For me, the book seemed pretentious at first. As I delved deeper, I discovered a refreshing wit and honesty hidden among wonderful quotes and pearls of wisdom. Koch does not feign to understand everything about writing, and he does not try to fit everything into tidy little sayings for the wannabe bestselling writer. No, he plows through the aches and pains and occasional joys of the fiction-writing process. This book may benefit those early in the learning curve, though I suspect it offers even more tangible truths to those who have already persevered through the writing of at least one substantial work. Either way, Koch provides tools for wordsmiths at any level.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books out there on the craft of writing
Review: This book is more comparable to, say, an English class than a writers' workshop. As an English class, the author relies mostly on classic works to cite examples of good writing - rather than taking the writers' workshop approach that is usually more hands-on. For this book to be effective, you'll need a good understanding of which method works best for you. The material offers a very basic introduction, much of which has been covered in other books of equal or better quality over the past few years.
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