An excellent walk through of story structure. Concise, thorough and honest. Certainly worth a second read (and a third). ( )

Very decent guide to writing both novels and short fiction. It reminds me of a great deal I should always keep in mind while reading, as well. My appreciation for novels might just improve some more with these kinds of reminders. :) ( )

Nancy Kress's Beginnings, Middles & Ends, part of the Elements of Fiction series, is an excellent reference tool for writers, as it clearly and concisely explains the hows and whys of effective story structure. The author breaks down the importance of each of the three sections for both novels and short stories, and shows, through examples and exercises, how the parts interrelate and are ultimately crafted into an effective narrative. Kress appropriately weaves in discussion of character, point of view, and motivation. Highly recommended for both the budding author and those more experienced who may need an occasional boost. ( )

“The story that comes out on the page isn’t the same as the story in your head,” Nancy Kress says on the very first page. I know this feeling intimately, and from this moment on I was hooked.

I’m very serious about writing, and I also have a tendency to research things I’m interested in very thoroughly. I’ve done this with every RPG and MMO I’ve ever played. I’ve done it with shows that have complex mythologies. So, it probably comes as no surprise that I’ve read quite a few books about writing. As of this review I’ve finished five, including this book, and I am working on three more. So far no book has helped me as much as this one. I took notes on this book, of every chapter. The chapter with the least notes clocks in at 200 words. The chapter with the most clocks in at over 800. That’s how packed full of useful information this book is.

So what makes this book so great? Kress goes over every topic a new writer needs to write credible, publishable prose, and to structure a satisfying story, and she does it in a way that immediately makes sense. She also does something I’ve yet to see other writing books do, which is to take into account every type of writer. Every new lesson acknowledges the differences between novelists and short story writers—outliners and discovery writers, and it offers specific advice for each. As someone who is just starting out, I write a lot of short stories simply because they’re faster and easier to finish. Finding information specific to short stories in this book was an unexpected but welcome surprise.

Long story short, this is one of the best books about the technical side of writing fiction. Period. If you need tips, advice, structure, direction, buy this book. If you are instead looking for inspiration, you won’t find much of it here, but one book can’t have everything, now can it? ( )

This is a very good primer for beginning authors on the art and craft of fiction writing. ( )