Steele A. (Ed.) Gotham Writers' Workshop Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York's Acclaimed Creative

Bloomsbury, 2003. — 304 p. — ISBN 1-58234-330-6, 978-1-58234-330-3.Gotham Writers’ Workshop began with a single class taught in a living room on the Upper West Side of New York City. The class was free. After three hours, everyone had a choice. They could leave, or, if they felt they had learned something worthwhile, they could pay for the rest of the course. Everyone decided to stay, and the first semester at Gotham Writers’ Workshop had begun.
We believe anyone can write. We believe writing is a craft that can be taught. True, talent cannot be taught, only nurtured, but the craft of writing can be taught. We’re devoted to teaching the craft in a way that is so clear, direct, and applicable that our students begin growing as writers during their very first class.
There’s no easy formula for creating great fiction, but a fundamental knowledge of writing craft is, more than anything, what will allow your talent to blossom on the page. Such knowledge is what we offered in that first class, and it’s what our teachers — who are all writing and teaching professionals — continue to offer every one of our students.
Now we’ve put the Gotham style of teaching into a book. The ability to write — to write with excellence — is in your hands.Fiction: The What, How, and Why of it
Character: Casting Shadows
Plot: A Question of Focus
Point of View: The complete Menu
Description: To Picture in Words
Dialogue: Talking it Up
Setting and Pacing: I’m Here Therefore i am
Voice: The Sound of a Story
Theme: So What’s Your Story Really About?
Revision: Real Writers Revise
The Business of Writing: Driving Yourself Nuts for Fun and Profit
Cheat Sheet
Appendix: “Cathedral”