Title Added to Bookshelf

"... while writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey that aligns with your character's struggles, discoveries, and triumphs. This is where The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in..." - from the back of the book

I was ecstatic when this book first came out. I had decided several years ago that the reader journey was even more important than the character journey. But I had trouble finding craft books that addressed it. The best book I'd found was for screenwriters and while that one is a very good book... film ultimately deals with moving pictures rather than printed words. So I'd been bumbling around on my own, trying to figure out ways to get the reader to feel both with the character and beyond the character. Donald Mass nails it.

That said, this is not a light, fast read. It can get technical. It can get philosophical. It is a very practical book but he is a craftsman teaching a new use for familiar tools. He breezes through the basics but delves deeply into the ramifications. Filled with writing exercises and prompts, this is not a "5 Easy Steps" blueprint but a way to deepen and broaden your understanding of one vital element in the craft of writing.