Writing Popular Fiction

"Speaking from experience, I can tell you there isn't a muse and if there is, she's already dating someone else." If there isn't a muse, as you'll read in this invaluable book for writers, MANY GENRES ONE CRAFT is surely the next best thing. No matter what you want to learn--from choosing the point of view for a scene, from getting the most out of a critique group to fine-tuning your final draft, from approaching a literary agent to promoting your published book in print or electronically or both--it's all there. The contributors know their stuff, and what they're teaching applies to writing at any age. MANY GENRES ONE CRAFT covers all the bases superbly, including issues I haven't seen addressed anywhere else in today's rapidly shifting publishing landscape.

--Renni Browne, co-author of SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS

Saturday, August 4, 2012

MGOC Contributor: Steven Piziks


STEVEN PIZIKS

EXCERPT from "A Primer for Writing Media Tie-ins" by Steven Piziks in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Two weeks before Christmas, 2002, my agent Lucienne called me out of the blue. Like most authors, I love it when my agent calls me out of the blue. It means good news. When it’s bad news, agents send e-mail.

“I have a proposal for you,” Lucienne said. “Have you heard of John Cusack?”

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

“He’s doing a thriller called Identity, and Pocket Books acquired the rights to publish the novel based on the movie. The editor called me to ask if I knew anyone who wanted to write it. The movie deals with multiple personality disorder, and since your first novel was all about MPD, I thought of you. Interested? They’re offering ten thousand dollars.”

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Steven Piziks currently teaches English in southeast Michigan. When not writing, he plays the folk harp, dabbles in oral storytelling, and spends more time on-line than is probably good for him. Visit his web page at http://spiziks.livejournal.com or find him on Twitter as @StevenPiziks.

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