On Writing and Worldbuilding
By Timothy Hickson
(233 pages, nonfiction, 2019)
If you’re looking to up your writing game, this book is great for learning more advanced techniques.
You may know how to craft character and plot already, but find out how your characters affect plot and vice versa. Learn how to use exposition in a way that will make your writing look like the pros. Explore the link between your characters and conflict that’ll make the difference between a bestseller and one that never sees the light of day. Understand what it takes to make foreshadowing believable, resulting in a huge payoff for your reader.
For fantasy writers, this book does have a heavy focus on magic and crafting a magic system. Find out what differentiates a passive magic system from a hard one, and which one you should use for your story. The author has a lot of knowledge you won’t find on the internet. Like a comprehensive yet quick guide on how to build, run, and crumble and empire. So if you’re writing about revolutions or a polytheistic empire, then this book is a tool you’ll want to utilize.
If you’re like me and have read every book you can find on writing, you’ll love the fresh conversation in this book. You’ll definitely learn new ways to execute your writing that’ll leave you pondering the possibilities. This book gives you guidance about how parts of a story work together, but leaves the information up to you to determine how you use it. There’s also lots of handy examples, but it doesn’t dwell too long on them. You’ll get a clear idea of the point being illustrated very quickly. So do your story a favor and peek inside this book.
Visit Concord Public Library online at concordpubliclibrary.net.
Amy Cornwell
