Craft in the real world : rethinking fiction writing and workshopping /
Matthew Salesses
- New York : Catapult, 2021
- xxiii, 228 pages ; 22cm.
a Part 1: Fiction in the real world. "Pure craft" is a lie -- What is craft? 25 thoughts -- Audience, theme, and purpose -- Redefining craft terms ; ...Tone ; ...Plot ; ...Conflict ; ...Character arc and story arc ; ...Characterization ; ...Relatability ; ...Believability ; ...Vulnerability ; ...Setting ; ...Pacing ; ...Structure -- An example from East Asian and Asian American literature -- Part 2: Workshop in the real world. "The reader" vs. POC -- Who is at the center of workshop and who should be? -- Alternative workshops -- Syllabus example -- Workshopping incomplete drafts -- Against page limits -- Four things to grade -- Appendix: Exercises. Purpose-oriented writing exercises -- 34 revision exercises.
"A groundbreaking resource for fiction writers, teachers, and students, this manifesto and practical guide challenges current models of craft and the writing workshop by showing how they fail marginalized writers, and how cultural expectations inform storytelling