Reviewed by:
Melissa Wellington

In A Field of Words introduces readers to all three genres of creative writing: fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Elements of each of these types of writing are described, and then stories that illustrate these elements are provided. The stories are generally accompanied by questions designed to provoke thought regarding the element of writing they represent and followed by a series of writing exercises. Extra writing exercises, some of which are designed to be used by groups and some of which are individual exercises, are available in chapter 7. The book also covers often-neglected topics like journal keeping, experimental fiction, and even (in appendices) publishing and the Internet.

The plethora of exercises (they seem almost never-ending) is one of the greatest strengths of this book, emphasizing that the best way of learning to write is to write. But the stories given as examples are also worth extra attention because, while many writing texts focus on well-known and often-anthologized pieces, Estess and McCann have chosen less popular stories that readers are less likely to be familiar with. Unfamiliar stories are more likely to be read closely, thus enabling readers to better concentrate on the element of writing under consideration. The appendices are particularly useful, especially the first one, “Publishing in Journals.” Although intended for beginners, In A Field of Words is equally useful for my experienced writers because it offers so much more in terms of variety than most texts are able to provide.

More Reviews of This Book:

Estess, Sybill and Janet McCann. In a Field of Words. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
      Prentice Hall, 2002.