ljwrites85's review against another edition
4.0
I write mostly mystery but I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with fantasy but I thought there was no way I could write something like that so I was interested to see what A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook had to offer.
Written in a friendly conversational style, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook offers advice on characters, world building and even editing.
Don’t be put off by the title A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook because there are plenty of practical tips on things like characters and plotting that are helpful to any wannabe author no matter the genre.
What made this standout for me was not only was there loads of writing advice, there were suggestions of extra reading on writing and editing which I really appreciated.
Like most writing advice books, not everything will work for you but writing is a learning curve afterall!
A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook is a well written and helpful book that I’m glad I’ve got a copy of on my kindle shelf for when I want to tackle a fantasy story in the future.
Written in a friendly conversational style, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook offers advice on characters, world building and even editing.
Don’t be put off by the title A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook because there are plenty of practical tips on things like characters and plotting that are helpful to any wannabe author no matter the genre.
What made this standout for me was not only was there loads of writing advice, there were suggestions of extra reading on writing and editing which I really appreciated.
Like most writing advice books, not everything will work for you but writing is a learning curve afterall!
A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook is a well written and helpful book that I’m glad I’ve got a copy of on my kindle shelf for when I want to tackle a fantasy story in the future.
pizzamcpin3ppl3's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
mistrum_crowe's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastically written guide to writing Fantasy. The first part is the most "readable" of the three by far, but the second and third parts will probably be the ones that I return to time and again because they are such useful references, although I imagine that the third part will be subject to change as the publishing landscape changes. The only thing that bothered me reading this was that the ebook that I got wasn't formatted particularly well, so bullet points were often cut off by the edge of the page. Ideally I would have liked for that to be cleaned up before it got to the distribution stage.
sarahlillianbooks's review against another edition
5.0
A Fantasy Writers' Handbook, which was kindly sent to me for an honest review! Thank you Richie Billing for sending me an advanced copy! A Fantasy Writers' Handbook was released just yesterday, June 12th, 2019! Not only did I want to accept the book for myself in the hopes of bettering my writing, but also my brother who has always wanted to be a writer and doesn't know how to start.
I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this since this is the first book I've read on writing for any genre. Sure, I've read a few articles, but not a novel. I'm floored by how accessible the book is. There's personality in a how-to book, which I so greatly appreciate. It's very well structured where it flows into each new chapter. From reading this handbook, I have found other books on writing and editing that I feel confident in because Billing's recommendation.
There is so many topics covered in here, but doesn't take away from the easiness of reading his word. Topics include sub-genres, fighting, landscape, senses, and more. Things that I never have thought about in writing, but it stands out even more now in books I have read, for example, Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James where the sense of smell had such a huge part in the book that I haven't seen before. I can appreciate these details even more based on my new understanding of what goes into writing.
I loved how Billing included examples and advice from other authors like one of my favourites, Brandon Sanderson. The whole book felt like I was peering behind the curtain, and it was a great experience!
I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this since this is the first book I've read on writing for any genre. Sure, I've read a few articles, but not a novel. I'm floored by how accessible the book is. There's personality in a how-to book, which I so greatly appreciate. It's very well structured where it flows into each new chapter. From reading this handbook, I have found other books on writing and editing that I feel confident in because Billing's recommendation.
There is so many topics covered in here, but doesn't take away from the easiness of reading his word. Topics include sub-genres, fighting, landscape, senses, and more. Things that I never have thought about in writing, but it stands out even more now in books I have read, for example, Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James where the sense of smell had such a huge part in the book that I haven't seen before. I can appreciate these details even more based on my new understanding of what goes into writing.
I loved how Billing included examples and advice from other authors like one of my favourites, Brandon Sanderson. The whole book felt like I was peering behind the curtain, and it was a great experience!
stephbookshine's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This book is a really good starting point for anyone wanting to write fiction in the fantasy genre.
Split into three large sections, each broken into smaller chunks for easier reference, the book covers everything from the basics of writing a good story through to the after-work of publishing and marketing.
Richie Billing introduces the subject by first talking the reader through some reader turn-offs he has gathered in the course of his research. He then offers tips and advice on everything from character, plot and premise, to dialogue, viewpoint and editing. In each section he draws on relevant theories from authors on writing such as Brandon Sanderson and Sol Stein, and examples from well-known fantasy works: J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Jordan, George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. Martin and even other fantasy media such as Star Wars.
After the more general advice, Billing goes on to more fantasy-specific advice such as sub-genres, fantasy names (places and people), maps, magic and monsters. Most of this will be quite familiar to those who are already fans of the genre, but it does help to have it gathered in one place for ease of reference. ‘The Middle Ages’ gets a chunky section all to itself here, as a staple of the genre!
The final section focuses on marketing techniques and the publishing process (in various forms) and is invaluable to the debut writer looking to launch his/her story into the public eye. Also handy in this respect are the various opinion polls that Billing conducted on social media over the course of writing the handbook, and the tips and advice from others in the field: publishers, authors, readers, bloggers and editors. These lend the weight of popular opinion and relevant experience respectively to each subject under discussion, and are also a fun way to break up the explanatory text. Towards the end of this final section are also some extremely useful resources for the new writer, such as lists of fantasy-specific publishers, and templates for cover letters.
This is an ideal, accessible source for tips and advice, and practical resources for the aspiring fantasy author. It has even tempted me to have a little try for myself, although with the siren call of my TBR pile I don’t imagine I will get too far towards adding my own efforts to the genre. I will probably just stick to reading it!
They say write the book you want to read. When I first started writing fiction, with nothing but ideas and enthusiasm and an ignorance of the elements of storytelling, this is the book I would have wanted as my guide.
– Richie Billing, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-richie-billing/
This book is a really good starting point for anyone wanting to write fiction in the fantasy genre.
Split into three large sections, each broken into smaller chunks for easier reference, the book covers everything from the basics of writing a good story through to the after-work of publishing and marketing.
Richie Billing introduces the subject by first talking the reader through some reader turn-offs he has gathered in the course of his research. He then offers tips and advice on everything from character, plot and premise, to dialogue, viewpoint and editing. In each section he draws on relevant theories from authors on writing such as Brandon Sanderson and Sol Stein, and examples from well-known fantasy works: J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Jordan, George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. Martin and even other fantasy media such as Star Wars.
After the more general advice, Billing goes on to more fantasy-specific advice such as sub-genres, fantasy names (places and people), maps, magic and monsters. Most of this will be quite familiar to those who are already fans of the genre, but it does help to have it gathered in one place for ease of reference. ‘The Middle Ages’ gets a chunky section all to itself here, as a staple of the genre!
The final section focuses on marketing techniques and the publishing process (in various forms) and is invaluable to the debut writer looking to launch his/her story into the public eye. Also handy in this respect are the various opinion polls that Billing conducted on social media over the course of writing the handbook, and the tips and advice from others in the field: publishers, authors, readers, bloggers and editors. These lend the weight of popular opinion and relevant experience respectively to each subject under discussion, and are also a fun way to break up the explanatory text. Towards the end of this final section are also some extremely useful resources for the new writer, such as lists of fantasy-specific publishers, and templates for cover letters.
This is an ideal, accessible source for tips and advice, and practical resources for the aspiring fantasy author. It has even tempted me to have a little try for myself, although with the siren call of my TBR pile I don’t imagine I will get too far towards adding my own efforts to the genre. I will probably just stick to reading it!
They say write the book you want to read. When I first started writing fiction, with nothing but ideas and enthusiasm and an ignorance of the elements of storytelling, this is the book I would have wanted as my guide.
– Richie Billing, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-richie-billing/
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This book is a really good starting point for anyone wanting to write fiction in the fantasy genre.
Split into three large sections, each broken into smaller chunks for easier reference, the book covers everything from the basics of writing a good story through to the after-work of publishing and marketing.
Richie Billing introduces the subject by first talking the reader through some reader turn-offs he has gathered in the course of his research. He then offers tips and advice on everything from character, plot and premise, to dialogue, viewpoint and editing. In each section he draws on relevant theories from authors on writing such as Brandon Sanderson and Sol Stein, and examples from well-known fantasy works: J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Jordan, George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. Martin and even other fantasy media such as Star Wars.
After the more general advice, Billing goes on to more fantasy-specific advice such as sub-genres, fantasy names (places and people), maps, magic and monsters. Most of this will be quite familiar to those who are already fans of the genre, but it does help to have it gathered in one place for ease of reference. ‘The Middle Ages’ gets a chunky section all to itself here, as a staple of the genre!
The final section focuses on marketing techniques and the publishing process (in various forms) and is invaluable to the debut writer looking to launch his/her story into the public eye. Also handy in this respect are the various opinion polls that Billing conducted on social media over the course of writing the handbook, and the tips and advice from others in the field: publishers, authors, readers, bloggers and editors. These lend the weight of popular opinion and relevant experience respectively to each subject under discussion, and are also a fun way to break up the explanatory text. Towards the end of this final section are also some extremely useful resources for the new writer, such as lists of fantasy-specific publishers, and templates for cover letters.
This is an ideal, accessible source for tips and advice, and practical resources for the aspiring fantasy author. It has even tempted me to have a little try for myself, although with the siren call of my TBR pile I don’t imagine I will get too far towards adding my own efforts to the genre. I will probably just stick to reading it!
They say write the book you want to read. When I first started writing fiction, with nothing but ideas and enthusiasm and an ignorance of the elements of storytelling, this is the book I would have wanted as my guide.
– Richie Billing, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-richie-billing/
This book is a really good starting point for anyone wanting to write fiction in the fantasy genre.
Split into three large sections, each broken into smaller chunks for easier reference, the book covers everything from the basics of writing a good story through to the after-work of publishing and marketing.
Richie Billing introduces the subject by first talking the reader through some reader turn-offs he has gathered in the course of his research. He then offers tips and advice on everything from character, plot and premise, to dialogue, viewpoint and editing. In each section he draws on relevant theories from authors on writing such as Brandon Sanderson and Sol Stein, and examples from well-known fantasy works: J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Jordan, George R. R. MartinGeorge R. R. Martin and even other fantasy media such as Star Wars.
After the more general advice, Billing goes on to more fantasy-specific advice such as sub-genres, fantasy names (places and people), maps, magic and monsters. Most of this will be quite familiar to those who are already fans of the genre, but it does help to have it gathered in one place for ease of reference. ‘The Middle Ages’ gets a chunky section all to itself here, as a staple of the genre!
The final section focuses on marketing techniques and the publishing process (in various forms) and is invaluable to the debut writer looking to launch his/her story into the public eye. Also handy in this respect are the various opinion polls that Billing conducted on social media over the course of writing the handbook, and the tips and advice from others in the field: publishers, authors, readers, bloggers and editors. These lend the weight of popular opinion and relevant experience respectively to each subject under discussion, and are also a fun way to break up the explanatory text. Towards the end of this final section are also some extremely useful resources for the new writer, such as lists of fantasy-specific publishers, and templates for cover letters.
This is an ideal, accessible source for tips and advice, and practical resources for the aspiring fantasy author. It has even tempted me to have a little try for myself, although with the siren call of my TBR pile I don’t imagine I will get too far towards adding my own efforts to the genre. I will probably just stick to reading it!
They say write the book you want to read. When I first started writing fiction, with nothing but ideas and enthusiasm and an ignorance of the elements of storytelling, this is the book I would have wanted as my guide.
– Richie Billing, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-richie-billing/
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