My editor suggested I read this book. I am glad I did. I learned a lot about writing that I never learned from a regular University degree. A must read for any author looking to improve their writing to sell on the commercial market. ( )

One of many writing books I read over three months. I thought this one quite useful. ( )

The short answer: There are many better books, period. This is the only book that I've ever returned.

[b:Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies|186004|Stein On Writing A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies|Sol Stein|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388291952s/186004.jpg|179798] is Comprehensive and detailed with a plethora of examples. Two techniques, which I haven't seen described in this useful and epiphanic way in any other book, stand out: particularity and triage revising. (See my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2100163563)

This book is more succinct and achieves better clarity:
[b:GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction|370005|GMC Goal, Motivation and Conflict The Building Blocks of Good Fiction|Debra Dixon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469900087s/370005.jpg|359980]

Jim Butcher's Live Journal advice on writing also describes the scene-sequel technique (and tags, the 2-sentence story question, ) that "techniques of the selling writer" formulates, but it explains the concepts more effectively and succinctly:

http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/

Note: You have to read the entries from the bottom of the page up.

[b:The Elements of Style|33514|The Elements of Style|William Strunk Jr.|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393947922s/33514.jpg|35832] is much better for mechanics and composition.

You'll also find that whereas "techniques of the selling writer" predominantly uses sexist examples and exemplifies a privileged world view, these books provide a much more enlightened view to writing.

Edit (15 October 2017): Added Stein on Writing. ( )

Techniques of the Selling Writer, as the name suggests, is written for writers who want to be published. It will provide you with the best tried and tested techniques for selling your work.

The Bad Stuff: To be honest, there is nothing bad about this book in my mind.

The Good Stuff: This book is packed with useful information for new writers and those longer term, yet to be established writers.

I found this to be a very good and informative book. I would recommend it to any writers starting out or trying to develop their skills further. In fact, I would go as far as saying that this is one of the books on my 'must have' list. I give it 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks. ( )

Although Dwight V. Swain's Techniques of the Selling Writer is older than I am (which is pretty darn old), it stands the test of time and remains a valuable read for writers, especially beginners and those still striving to perfect their craft. So, you may be asking, why bother reviewing a 49-year old book? Fair question. It's one of the most cited and referenced books on writing I've encountered, and after reading it, I can understand why. If you haven't heard of it, or given it a try, I'll attempt to convince you.

Techniques of the Selling Writer focuses on the premise of understanding your reader’s motivation for reading. With that goal in mind, the book then provides instructions on how to successfully assemble your story to give your readers a powerful emotional experience. Dwight V. Swain's book can be thought of as a builder's manual for crafting a satisfying and rewarding story.

Possibly the most well-known concept Swain presents in this book is the Motivation-Reaction Unit (MRU). The core building block of storytelling, MRUs are comprised of something that your point-of-view (POV) character experiences (sees, hears, thinks, or even tastes or smells), which motivates him/her to react to. At its basic level, a story consists of a character experiencing life (and its inevitable conflict) and reacting to it, over and over again. Techniques of the Selling Writer explains MRUs in fine detail and provides a plethora of examples. Swain then shows you how to take MRUs and use them to build scenes and sequels using structure and simple patterns, which in turn comprise chapters, and, ultimately, your novel.

Swain's scene pattern consists of Goal-Conflict-Disaster combinations, followed by a corresponding sequel, which is comprised of a Reaction-Dilemma-Decision trio. If this process seems formulaic and too structured for your taste, understand there is nearly an infinite amount of flexibility in how you can apply and interpret these suggestions. They are guidelines to help you build your story without gaps that leave your reader confused.

For me, Techniques of the Selling Writer was not a quick read, as the concepts and multitude of examples required time to digest, and I found myself reading much slower than I do with a fiction novel, for fear of skimming through something important.

And, as nothing is perfect, I found a few issues that could be potentially off-putting. I think the book offers more examples than most people probably need. I felt like I understood Swain's points after reading about half of the provided examples. In addition, as can be expected with a book published in 1965, some portions are outdated, based on today's technology, markets, and culture. I would recommend focusing on the storytelling advice and not worrying about the dated content (it comprises only a small part of the book). ( )