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Loading... Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction (2013)by Jeff VanderMeer
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Fun artwork and some useful information, but it fluctuates between being engaging and dull. I think it would have been a stronger book if about half of it had been cut. ( ) 3.5 stars. I read most of this book in the fall of ‘21, but just finished the final chapter on revision and the lengthy Appendix. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed what at first seemed like a gimmicky book. There’s a lot going on in it, which sometimes distracts from the core text of each chapter. It has a lot of the same writing advice you’d find anywhere, but it presents more immersive examples of said advice. I liked Vandermeer’s bullet/numbered lists that he uses regularly for all topics — actionable questions/tips/ideas to apply to one’s own writing. I liked the many short essays by established writers on their process, for the same reason I like to read the Paris Review. A lot of the visual material is used as potential generative exercises, which I might return to. There are a lot of prompts and exercises hidden throughout that make it worthwhile to keep on the shelf for inspiration. It definitely makes the creative struggle feel more fun. It’s a great resource to find new “weird lit” or speculative fiction to read. Nearly every page is bursting with references to stories, authors, novels I’d never heard of. 3.5 stars. I read most of this book in the fall of ‘21, but just finished the final chapter on revision and the lengthy Appendix. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed what at first seemed like a gimmicky book. There’s a lot going on in it, which sometimes distracts from the core text of each chapter. It has a lot of the same writing advice you’d find anywhere, but it presents more immersive examples of said advice. I liked Vandermeer’s bullet/numbered lists that he uses regularly for all topics — actionable questions/tips/ideas to apply to one’s own writing. I liked the many short essays by established writers on their process, for the same reason I like to read the Paris Review. A lot of the visual material is used as potential generative exercises, which I might return to. There are a lot of prompts and exercises hidden throughout that make it worthwhile to keep on the shelf for inspiration. It definitely makes the creative struggle feel more fun. It’s a great resource to find new “weird lit” or speculative fiction to read. Nearly every page is bursting with references to stories, authors, novels I’d never heard of. no reviews | add a review
"This all-new definitive guide to writing imaginative fiction takes a completely novel approach and fully exploits the visual nature of fantasy through original drawings, maps, renderings, and exercises to create a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring object. Employing an accessible, example-rich approach, Wonderbook energizes and motivates while also providing practical, nuts-and-bolts information needed to improve as a writer. Aimed at aspiring and intermediate-level writers, Wonderbook includes helpful sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names in fantasy today, such as George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Catherynne M. Valente, and Karen Joy Fowler, to name a few"-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresNo genres Melvil Decimal System (DDC)808.3Literature By Topic Rhetoric and anthologies Rhetoric of fictionLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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