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The Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction: Volume 1: Building Blocks Hardcover – Download: Adobe Reader, November 24, 2006

3.8 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

Survey Our Literary Landscape From the Open Window of Glimmer Train

Many writing books offer instruction and inspiration, but never before has one pulled back the curtain and laid bare before you the joys, frustrations, struggles, and achievements of the literary life–as experienced by more than one hundred accomplished writers. In excerpts from interviews conducted over a sixteen-year period and preserved by the editors of the highly respected literary quarterly Glimmer Train Stories and its supplement Writers Ask, contemporary writers who rarely discuss their craft present you with eye-opening techniques, diverse perspectives, and genuine encouragement–the kind of wisdom earned only from years at the writing desk.

Julia Alvarez, Edwidge Danticat, Robert Olen Butler, Sandra Cisneros, Andre Dubus, Ernest Gaines, Jamaica Kincaid, Antonya Nelson, Tim O'Brien, Ann Patchett, Annie Proulx, Tobias Wolff

The voices of these authors and many others resonate from the pages–sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, but always illuminating. A thorough treatment of craft and accessibility to engaging authors make Building Blocks–the first volume in this exquisite new series–the perfect guidebook for your writing life.

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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Writer's Digest Books
  4. Publication date
    November 24, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1582974462
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1582974460
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Burmeister-Brown and her sister, Linda B. Swanson-Davies, are the editors of the literary short-fiction quarterly Glimmer Train Stories, the newsletter Writers Ask, and the story collections Mother Knows: 24 Tales of Motherhood and Where Love Is Found. They live in Portland, Oregon with their families.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Writer's Digest Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2006
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1582974462
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1582974460
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.36 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.25 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Chris Jay Becker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not a How-To Guide
    Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book and the second volume as well, thinking that they would give me some insight or even instruction on how to write a proper literary short story in the style of Glimmer Train. If that's what you're hoping as well, don't buy these books. There's nothing of that nature here. These books are worth reading for what they are: compendiums of quotes from dozens of great writers about The Writing Life, the Writing Process, etc.. The list of authors is astounding, including Amy Bloom, Dan Chaon, Margaret Atwood, Philip Levine, Thom Jones, Ron Carlson, and dozens more, and their answers to various questions about writing are fascinating. But they won't teach you how to write for Glimmer Train. For that, I suggest something like: "Ron Carlson Writes A Story" by Ron Carlson,
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  • Fan Mail
    5.0 out of 5 stars Help to make your way
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2007
    I have read many books on writing fiction, mostly because I am inspired by reading about the creative process. The reason I love this book is that its breadth and variety provide a hundred little windows into the craft of story-telling. Somehow, it's refreshing to see that the experience of writing fiction is wildly different for different people; there's simply not a right or wrong way to approach the work.

    As other reviews have said, this would be a terrific book both for students of fiction and for practicing writers who need occasional fresh perspectives. I've shared my copy with my daughter, a teenage writer who is absorbing all she can about the nuts and bolts of writing stories; we both enjoy reading it in bits.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • B. Justice
    4.0 out of 5 stars "Glimmer Tain" Glitters!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Consists of interviews with successful writers. They offer years of experience and expertise that no writing class could offer.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Daylight Reviews
    2.0 out of 5 stars Philosophical not technical
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2009
    The subtitle ("Guide to Writing Fiction") is a bit deceiving, because this led me to believe that the book was technically oriented, when it is actually emotionally oriented.

    If you're a writer, you've probably discovered that all writing problems can be placed into one of two main categories:
    1 - Emotional
    2 - Technical

    Emotional problems are things like, "I can't write and I want to. I need to find time, but I can't. What should I write about? Should I use a #2 pencil and a legal pad, or a word processor?"

    Books can't help with much of this, but a lot of writing books try to, and they usually fall flat.

    Technical problems are problems related to understanding what to write, when you want to show that your character is angry. How to plot a twelve chapter book. What details do you show or not show and how do you determine which is which.

    I was expecting this book to be more of a technical treatise, but it fell flat for me, because it was more about the emtions of how a specific (interviewee) author felt when he wrote something that went on to be published. Does that really help me? No.

    The entire book is made up of interviews (originally published in glimmer train's magazine for writers). However, to break up the book into "story elements" - setting, character, viewpoint, etc - the authors had to break up the interviews, so only the piece speaking of character are found in that chapter. So, often, you find one piece of the interview in chapter 1 and another piece in chapter 4 and yet another in chapter 5. Terribly disjointed and makes the reading quite boring.

    One last thing. Many times I failed to even find the element (character, setting, viewpoint) exposed in the pieces.

    Here's a example of what the book is like. If the item is supposed to be about viewpoint, the interviewer would say something like:
    "What made you choose 1st person for this story?"
    The answer would come something like:
    "Well, I was in the bathroom shaving and the light bulb blew. As I turned to leave and get a new bulb I slipped and bumped my head on the toilet. That's when I knew I had to write this story from my point of view."

    Uh, yeah. That's a ton of help.
    I'm looking for something that teaches writing.
    I'd see an answer like:
    "This character was so quirky that I wanted the reader to be inside his head 100% of the time. I wanted to challenge the reader to see that the 1st person character was actually a bit lopsided, something like The Catcher in The Rye. It works because we see the world through his eyes and everything seems right, until we find out he is a bit imbalanced."
    And then some teaching on how to do first-person.
    Maybe something like: Have the character see his reflection in a pond. Have someone say something to the character about his blue eyes seeming brighter on a specific day.

    Here are some books that do teach this way:
    Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)

    Make Your Words Work: Proven Techniques for Effective Writing-For Fiction and Nonfiction
    22 people found this helpful
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  • NaughtiLiterati
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't look any further, this book has it all!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2007
    What an AMAZING reference. I bought this and the second book within days of each other because I could not get over the amount of GEMS the first one contained, and knew I was in for more literary treasure!

    I don't think there is ANY book out there like these, the very best info, insight and wisdom from the very best authors, compiled together in over 400 pages? I love how their opinions often vary but you turn each page completely enthralled with it all.

    I can't stop raving about this series and even asked one of the editors about the third book because I am already fiending for it!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Dabby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to writing fiction! A Must Have!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2006
    I am absolutely thrilled with my copy of The Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction! To see "inside the head" for so many esteemed writers is valuable beyond words. The back cover says, "Many writing books offer instruction and inspiration, but never before has one pulled back the curtain and laid bare before you the joys, frustrations, struggles, and achievements of the literary life -- as experienced by more than one hundred accomplished writers." How very true! Anyone who is a writer, aspires to be a writer, and anyone who just plain enjoys reading will find this book to be a treasure. This book is a definite "must have!"
    9 people found this helpful
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