Telling Lies for Fun & Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers

I don't write fiction, but I do read a lot of it. Lawrence Block is one of my favorite writers and when I stumbled across his book of advice to fiction writers, I figured it would be an interesting read. How does the master do it? What are his tricks? I wasn't disappointed. "Telling Lies" is a compilation of column's Block wrote for Writer's Digest magazine. Block doesn't really have anything new to say about the craft of writing fiction, but he does say it in interesting ways. His writing style is as smooth and refreshing as in any of his novels as he guides the aspiring writer to success. Ultimately the advice is what you'd expect. Write, write, write. Rewrite and write some more. Okay, he covers more territory than this, like the importance of story and surprise and character development. But the essential message is never stop writing: write every day, whether you fell like it or not. Tell your story. Overall an entertaining and enlightening diversion for the fiction fan. Kind of an inside look from a true master. Jerry

There are two books on writing that I always keep on hand: this one and Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I can always depend on them to inspire me to write more when my momentum has flagged for whatever reason, usually insecurity.I really like Block's conversational style. I know this is cliche, but I often feel as if he could be speaking directly to me and addressing my own problems. I find this, among other things, to be very comforting, thus allowing me to let go and just write.He presents simple solutions to common problems, also inspiring me to go try them out, having never approached the problem in that way before. I find this book to be very useful in my quest to be a writer, as he seems to have had the same problems I do. This sends the positive message that these problems are universal, and all you have to do is work your way through them, because ALL writers have the same issues to deal with. Also very comforting.I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with the need to write but not finding the nerve to just settle down and do it; and also for anyone else just needing a little boost.

Very simply, anyone who wishes to write professionally should read --and preferably, commit to memory-- every page of this collection of both practical how-to advice and sage philosophizing on the art of storytelling.  Sue Grafton says she re-reads this book before commencing work on her next novel; better advice would be hard to come by for anyone who dares to commit fiction-writing.I stumbled on the Block's book as I was writing my first two novels, FLU SEASON and LIKE DISTANT CITIES BURNING (...)It's no stretch to say he probably deserves a co-byline on both my books, though I'll deny everything if he takes me to court. Still, Block provides any writer with advice and insight one can actually USE.To quote from the jacket: "Characters refusing to talk? Plot plodding along? Where do good ideas come from, anyway? In this wonderfully practical volume, two-time Edgar Award-winning novelist Lawrence Block takes an inside look at writing as a craft and as a career. "From studying the market to mastering self-discipline and 'creative procrastination' through copying with rejections, Telling Lies For Fun & Profit is an invaluable sourcebook of information..." The book itself is a collection of the fiction columns Block did for Writer's Digest in between penning more than 30 books, many of them bestsellers. I learned something new on almost every page, and something valuable even more often. (...) --Earl Merkel

I bought this book at the advice of a successful writer friend, who said it was the best book he'd read on how to write a novel. And it does have good advice on writing a novel. But I found it was more about being a writer writing a novel than on the actual contents of the novel. Hmmm. That may not be very clear. This book is loaded with wonderful, practical, inspiring anecdotes and snippets of experience on writing. But it does not tell you about story construction, which was what I was looking for. Reading the book did help keep me motivated and added some clarity to my impression of the novel writing world. But I found books by Frey, McKee, Vogler, Lew Hunter, Syd Field and James Bonnet much more helpful when it came to the nitty gritty of creating stories. So.... if you are looking for practical information about the writing life, about the process of writing-- this book is a gem. If you want details on story structure, character development, etc., check out some of the above mentioned authors.

Reading "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit" is the same as having a best friend who's a successful novelist. Lawrence Block's collection of essays gives the inside scoop on both the mechanics of writing as well as the mechanics of being a writer. A must for any writer's library, whether just starting out or already successful.