How to Write Your Best Story Advice for Writers on Spinning an Enchanting Tale

¿I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one.¿ ¿ Flannery O¿Connor Beginning writers often mistakenly believe that plot, or character development, or some structural element is the secret to getting their fiction published. This book looks at what really makes good fiction work: the story. ¿A good writer is basically a storyteller,¿ said Isaac Bashevis Singer, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. However, good storytelling techniques are seldom addressed in fiction-writing instruction. This booklet explores the magic of story and proposes attention to a simple set of three things ¿ intriguing eccentricity, delightful details, and satisfying surprises. This slim volume will help writers everywhere create better stories, more likely to get published and appeal to readers. Philip Martin is an award-winning author, editor, and writing coach. Previously acquisitions editor for The Writer Books, affiliated with The Writer magazine, he has also written books on traditional folklore and A Guide to Fantasy Literature. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisc.