Foto de l'autor

Ansen Dibell (1942–2006)

Autor/a de How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

16 obres 2,773 Membres 40 Ressenyes

Sobre l'autor

Nota de desambiguació:

(eng) Ansen Dibell is the pen name of Nancy Ann Dibble (1942-2006).

Sèrie

Obres de Ansen Dibell

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy (1990) — Editor — 1,748 exemplars
Plot (1988) 620 exemplars
Pursuit of the Screamer (1978) 139 exemplars
Circle, Crescent, Star (1981) 99 exemplars
Summer Fair (1982) 68 exemplars
How to Write a Mi££ion (1995) 51 exemplars
Stormvloedgrens (1983) 16 exemplars
Gift van de Shai (1985) 12 exemplars
La Chasse au hurleur (1978) 1 exemplars
La Fête de l'été (1982) 1 exemplars

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Nom normalitzat
Dibell, Ansen
Nom oficial
Dibble, Nancy Ann
Altres noms
Dibblie, Nan
Data de naixement
1942-09-08
Data de defunció
2006-03-07
Gènere
female
Nacionalitat
USA
Nota de desambiguació
Ansen Dibell is the pen name of Nancy Ann Dibble (1942-2006).

Membres

Ressenyes

When I first dabbled in this book, years ago, I remember placing it in lineage with so many others, an endless parade of books which all say more or less the same thing when it comes to that most workaday aspect of storytelling, the plot. Campbell is invoked, the hero’s journey extolled, and careful and precise subdivisions of what makes a plot are enumerated. If you watched Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society this would be the point to rip up the book in question and proclaim it “Excrement!” I wonder sometimes if the reason for so many bad movies and books now isn’t due to the readers of these books growing into their own and writing the way they’ve been taught; badly, I mean, using shortcut and formula instead of craft and artistry. I’m a different, older writer now, and whereas before I missed them, the nuance and wisdom of Dibell’s book and how it stands out from these other books became apparent with this latest reading.

Myself, I think focusing on plot is putting the cart before the horse and something like Dibbel’s book would better serve a book’s second draft, but better writers than I — which is to say writers who have actually finished a book — would disagree. There’s more than enough pantsing/plotting debate going around, though. I’m of the mind that we don’t go to story to find out what what happens, but rather seek to find out what happens in order to have an excuse to immerse ourselves in story.

At one point Dibell says
As I've said before, stories—especially live, convincing stories—will change under your hands. That's the reason I've never been persuaded of the usefulness of outlines. By other writers' experience and my own, I judge that you generally won't know how a story's going to go until you get close to the place where something is just about to happen. It will take its own shape and tell you how it wants to go, if you listen and watch attentively for the ways it's telling you.

At another point she says that “plot is a verb.” I think this is very much true and Dibell’s use of this axiom to spine the book is what makes it worth reading.
… (més)
 
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MichaelDavidMullins | Hi ha 6 ressenyes més | Oct 17, 2023 |
There's one useful chapter in this book, and it's the one about the MICE quotient/story structure analysis/planning tool. Other than that, I think Brandon Sanderson's YouTube writing lectures are far more informative (and up to date) than this.
 
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AKBWrites | Hi ha 28 ressenyes més | Jul 19, 2022 |
Escribir para el público de la ciencia-ficción y la fantasía puede ser la aventura más apasionante para un escritor como tú. Estos lectores desean que los transportes más allá de los terrenos conocidos, y que los ayudes a explorar las fronteras infinitas de los mundos que has creado. En este manual ganador del prestigioso premio Hugo, el maestro de la ciencia-ficción Orson Scott Card nos ofrece su conocimiento experto de estos géneros. Con él aprenderás: -Qué es y qué no es ciencia-ficción y fantasía, y según qué estándares, así como dónde encaja tu propia obra. -Cómo construir, poblar y dar vida a mundos creíbles y vívidos que tus lectores puedan visitar. -Cómo usar el cociente MIPA (medio, idea, personaje y acontecimiento) para estructurar con éxito cualquier historia. -Cuál es la situación de los mercados y cómo acceder a ellos para ser publicado.… (més)
 
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Natt90 | Hi ha 28 ressenyes més | Jul 5, 2022 |
I've had this on my to-read list since high school. Clearly my dedication to the craft is as hard as plasteel.

It's a quick read, not only because it's short but also because of Card's breezy and (somewhat) informal style. As promised in the introduction, he sticks mostly to genre-specific elements of writing, such as world building, creating rules for science/magic (or both...), and so forth. He skips or glosses over aspects that apply to all writing, and even fiction writing specifically.

As you might imagine, Card refers to a lot of works, both by himself and others, to illustrate the points he is making. The examples were generally well chosen, but it had the dubious effect of making me aware of more things I want to read.

For me, the best part of the book was the last chapter, which discusses the life and business of writing. Card slips a little in his intent here by giving more general advice, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, since it's good advice. In particular, he gives voice to the conflicting viewpoints that an author must take of his or her own work:

Writers have to simultaneously believe the following two things:


  1. The story I am now working on is the greatest work of genius ever written in English.

  2. The story I am working on is worthless drivel.




He goes on to explain how to handle these antipodal viewpoints without going mad ("but that, too," he says, "can be an asset to the writer").

It's not a life-changing book, but there's some good tips along with a fair amount of humor and "huh" moments. If you want to feel like you got to pick the brain of a premier science fiction author about his craft, then sit down and read this.

(For the record, I mean "pick the brain" in a metaphorical sense, not a literal, scientific one.)
… (més)
 
Marcat
octoberdad | Hi ha 28 ressenyes més | Dec 16, 2020 |

Premis

Potser també t'agrada

Autors associats

Ben Bova Foreword
Karim Chergui Traduction
Gino D'Achille Cover artist
Carl Lundgren Cover artist
Walter B. Relsky Translator

Estadístiques

Obres
16
Membres
2,773
Popularitat
#9,259
Valoració
½ 3.7
Ressenyes
40
ISBN
26
Llengües
3

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