Writing Book Reviews
by Editor
Telling the Tale: The African-American Fiction Writer's Guide by Angela Benson
Berkley, May 2000.Paperback, 212 pages.
ISBN: 0425170543
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
This learning tool for fiction writers
focuses on building your craft. The book focuses
specifically on the work of African-American
writers and instruction from
successful author Angela Benson.
Fiction writing topics covered include: plot, creating
believable characters,
researching, point of view, dialogue,
monologue, scenes and revision.
Benson's book focuses on the
"learning by doing" method -- Benson insists that
writers rigorously practice their craft.
As the author tells writers, "You
don't learn to write by reading;
you learn to write by writing."
To help writers practice, she
provides lots of helpful writing exercises.
Also included are detailed character
profile worksheets and a revision
checklist. Benson's writing advice applies
to all types of writing, but she primarily
uses examples from the work of black writers
in television, films and books to illustrate
her points. She also provides inspiring
success stories from several black authors including
Terry McMillan, Evelyn Coleman,
and Walter Mosley to show
beginning writers how
it takes hard work to succeed
in the writing world.
Angela Benson is a successful romance novelist whose work includes romances for Harlequin and Tyndale House; she has given numerous workshops and presentations on writing. Her writing advice is constructive and sincere; writers would be well-advised to follow her advice and practice their craft by completing the exercises in the book. Benson knows her stuff, and her wonderful reference book for African-American fiction writers would be equally useful to writers of any ethnicity.
Return to the June 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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