I’m always interested in reading about writers discussing their craft. Elizabeth George has written best selling British mysteries even though she’s an American and lives in California. In 2004, Elizabeth George wrote this writing manual. She believes writing can be taught (many writers think it can’t be taught). I was captivated by George’s thoughts on how Agatha Christie would plant a clue in a scene (Christie would also plant a red herring in the same scene–I never realized this). I found George’s thoughts on dialogue refreshing. George’s taste in writers is also eclectic. If you’re as enthralled by the writing process as I am, you’ll find a lot of Elizabeth George’s notions about writing worth pondering. Are you a fan of Elizabeth George’s mysteries? GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface ix
Part I An Overview of the Craft
1 Story Is Character 3
2 Setting Is Story 17
3 Nothing Without Landscape 29
4 Plotting: “It Is the Cause, My Soul” 39
Part II The Basics
5 Yes, There’s More About Plot. But First… 47
6 Onward from Idea 53
7 The Start: Decisions, Decisions 65
8 As There Is Viewpoint, So Is There Voice 76
9 Voice: You Gotta Have ‘Tude 97
10 Dialogue: Speak the Speech, If You Will 106
11 Tricks of the Dialogue Trade 119
12 The Scene: Okay, So It Is Rocket Science 129
Part III Technique
13 Knowledge Is Power, Technique Is Glory 157
14 Loose Ends 167
Part IV Process
15 Baby Steps First 177
16 The Value of Bum Glue 190
17 Tidbits from Q & A 198
Part V Examples and Guides
18 Gimme a Map, Please 207
19 All About Character 216
20 Turning Places into Settings 230
21 Final Words 253
22 The Process in a Nutshell 255
Notes 258
Index 261
She’s always hot or cold for me. Some of her books—CARELESS IN RED, for example—make me sit up all night reading, even when I know I have to get up for work in a few hours. Others—PLAYING FOR THE ASHES is one that leaps to mind—are so tedious, I put them down and never pick them back up again. Also, her books tend to be massive and they sprawl so much that the main thread of the mystery gets lost in all the subplots. And speaking of subplots, one of her books —THIS BODY OF DEATH, iirc—obviously uses the tragic, real-life murder of toddler Jamie Bulger as a subplot point, which I found unconscionable. So yeah—she’s a mixed bag for me—and, also, as when I read Deborah Crombie—I’m always aware when I’m reading Elizabeth George that she’s an American writing in an English idiom.
Deb, I’ve had a similar reaction to Elizabeth George’s work as you have. Her 500+ page books can test my patience especially with all the digressions. But, when Elizabeth George is on her game, her books can be compelling.
This one sounds interesting – that Christie tidbit, for example – but as far as George goes, I have to say that I’ve never read her. Her books always seemed way too long and angst-ridden to interest me. Crombie, on the other hand, I have read, though not in the last number of years. I think she pretty much gets in right – she did live in Britain for a number of years – and I only remember catching a mistake in American/British usage once in her books, though there might have been others I missed.
Welcome home! Glad you enjoyed the Vineyard.
Jeff, I’ll be posting a description of our Martha’s Vineyard adventure in a few days. We have a mountain of mail to go through today (and I didn’t order anything from AMAZON for two weeks before the trip!).
Her books are too long. Although the ones I have read have usually been worth it. I think I read this one but can’t find it on my shelves.
Patti, I haven’t watched the BBC version of Elizabeth George’s books but I have heard Good Things about the series.
We’ve seen one or two of them. Not bad. Certainly easier than reading 500 pages.
Jeff, I just a positive review of the BBC series in MYSTERY SCENE.
Barbara read the cover article on her in Mystery Scene and decided to try her books. Since the library didn’t have the first Lynley, she got the second and enjoyed it. I’ve since found the first and third books on Paperback BookSwap and she’s now almost finished the first in the series, also enjoying it very much.
This book sounds interesting, I’ll check it out.
Rick, I’ve been picking up Elizabeth George’s books for years. I have a tottering stack of them waiting to be read. Sometimes, the length of her books is daunting. WRITE AWAY provides insight into George’s writing process (which I found interesting) and her literary influences.