These four volumes offer concrete, clearly written introductions to literary methods, helping readers craft stories with well-rounded characters, descriptive images, carefully chosen words, and considered point of view. Passages by authors from the literary canon provide examples. Useful "think like a writer" exercises are appended. The well-designed pages include an eclectic array of art and photographs. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

BODDEN, Valerie . Painting the Picture: Imagery and Description ISBN 978-1-58341-623-5 . LC 2007018964. BODDEN, Valerie . Setting the Style: Wording and Tone ISBN 978-1-58341-625-9 . LC 2007019609. BODDEN, Valerie . Telling the Tale: Narration and Point of View ISBN 978-1-58341-624-2 . LC 2007004198. ea vol: 48p. (The Art of Creative Prose Series). illus. photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. CIP. Creative Education Fall 2008. PLB $22.95. Gr 7 Up Young writers of fiction can build their skills with the helpful advice and exercises in these books. Each title introduces the basics of one or two aspects of writing, followed by illustrative passages from literature. Most examples are taken from classics, but some come from contemporary authors such as J.K. Rowling and Barbara Kingsolver. In Dialogue , young authors learn the importance of showing, rather than telling, when developing a character, as well as creating well-developed protagonists and antagonists, memorable minor characters, and natural-sounding dialogue. Crafting a vivid fictional world is the focus of Imagery , which highlights the use of images that appeal to the senses, word choice, and figurative language. Wording encourages authors to find their own voice, explaining the difference between literary and direct styles and detailing the importance of rhythm, tone, and atmosphere in fiction writing. Narration covers the choice of a narrator and viewpoint, including multiple and unreliable narrators. Each volume concludes with several suggested exercises. Bodden's clear, readable texts turn what could be dry topics into engaging narratives. Although the stock photos and clip-art illustrations are unlikely to draw browsers, young writers who pick up these works will find valuable guidance. English teachers may also wish to utilize the series; the exercises are ideal for classroom use, and the information on writing fundamentals is as helpful to readers as it is to authors.

Taken as a whole, this series is a concise introduction to fiction writing for any aspiring author. The text is aimed at fifth graders and above, although high school students would probably find the large format books a bit childish. Those who can look past the format will still find valuable information and useful writing exercises within the four-volume set. Each book focuses on a different aspect of writing, and then uses both descriptive narrative and examples from famous works to illustrate those skills. Most of the examples are from classic worksùan Arthur Conan Doyle scene describing Moriarty shows an antagonistÆs virtues; another from Tale of Two Cities shows parallel construction and antithesis. Modern works are also cited. Excerpts from Barbara KingsolverÆs Poisonwood Bible illustrate multiple viewpoint narration, and Dennis LehaneÆs Mystic River illustrates the importance of word choice. Bodden has a clear writing style that applies her own fiction writing advice to nonfiction. Her tone is informative, and her books feel like a very popular high school English class. Even her suggested exercises that appear at the end of each volume would fit in such a class. These conversational paragraphs make even analyzing text sound like a unique assignment. And what aspiring writer would not be at least intrigued by the idea of writing Cinderella from a stepsisterÆs point of view? These four volumes are a costly set. If the content had been contained in one volume with fewer pictures, it could have been less expensive and attracted an older readership as well. If your middle school library has money and a lot of future writers, this set may be a worthy purchase.ùBeth Karpas.