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Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

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Published:
Random House Worlds 2003
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
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Available from OverDrive
Description
“Terry Brooks is adamant about dedicating oneself to the craft, while showing awe and humility for the creative process. . . . Every serious writer should refer to this book regularly for inspiration as well as solid crafting advice.”—Elizabeth Engstrom Cratty, Director of Maui Writers Retreat
In Sometimes the Magic Works, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made in creating the beloved Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Word and The Void trilogy, and the bestselling Star Wars novel The Phantom Menace.
In addition to being a writing guide, Sometimes the Magic Works is Terry Brooks’s self-portrait of the artist. “If you don’t think there is magic in writing, you probably won’t write anything magical,” says Brooks. This book offers a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of (and learn a trick or two from) one of fantasy fiction’s preeminent magicians.
Praise for Sometimes the Magic Works
“A marvelously pragmatic initiation to the art of writing.”—Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina

“[A] succinct and warmhearted autobiographical meditation on the writing life.”—Publishers Weekly

“A wise, warm-hearted book—part autobiography, part how-to-do-it manual, with some amazingly candid behind-the-scenes material . . . Fantasy fans, novice writers, and even veteran pros will learn plenty from it.”—Robert Silverberg, award-winning author of the Majipoor Chronicles
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More Details
Street Date:
03/04/2003
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780345463586
ASIN:
B000FBFN4C
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Terry Brooks. (2003). Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life. Random House Worlds.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Terry Brooks. 2003. Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life. Random House Worlds.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Terry Brooks, Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life. Random House Worlds, 2003.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Terry Brooks. Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life. Random House Worlds, 2003.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Anne Arundel County Public Library11
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Grouped Work ID:
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Date Added:
Sep 06, 2018 10:21:10
Date Updated:
Dec 08, 2020 23:12:49
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Mar 24, 2024 06:50:14
Last Metadata Change:
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Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
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      • role: Author
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      • bioText: Terry Brooks has thrilled readers for decades with his powers of imagination and storytelling. He is the author of more than thirty books, most of which have been New York Times bestsellers. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.
      • name: Terry Brooks
imprint
Del Rey
publishDate
2003-03-04T00:00:00-05:00
isOwnedByCollections
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title
Sometimes the Magic Works
fullDescription
“Terry Brooks is adamant about dedicating oneself to the craft, while showing awe and humility for the creative process. . . . Every serious writer should refer to this book regularly for inspiration as well as solid crafting advice.”—Elizabeth Engstrom Cratty, Director of Maui Writers Retreat
In Sometimes the Magic Works, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made in creating the beloved Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Word and The Void trilogy, and the bestselling Star Wars novel The Phantom Menace.
In addition to being a writing guide, Sometimes the Magic Works is Terry Brooks’s self-portrait of the artist. “If you don’t think there is magic in writing, you probably won’t write anything magical,” says Brooks. This book offers a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of (and learn a trick or two from) one of fantasy fiction’s preeminent magicians.
Praise for Sometimes the Magic Works
“A marvelously pragmatic initiation to the art of writing.”—Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina

“[A] succinct and warmhearted autobiographical meditation on the writing life.”—Publishers Weekly

“A wise, warm-hearted book—part autobiography, part how-to-do-it manual, with some amazingly candid behind-the-scenes material . . . Fantasy fans, novice writers, and even veteran pros will learn plenty from it.”—Robert Silverberg, award-winning author of the Majipoor Chronicles
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: DOROTHY ALLISON
        Author of Bastard Out of Carolina
      • content: "A MARVELOUSLY PRAGMATIC INITIATION TO THE ART OF WRITING."
      • premium: False
      • source: ELIZABETH ENGSTROM CRATTY
        Director, Maui Writers Retreat
      • content: "Terry Brooks is adamant about dedicating oneself to the craft, while showing awe and humility for the creative process. . . . Every serious writer should refer to this book regularly for inspiration as well as solid crafting advice."
      • premium: False
      • source: ROBERT SILVERBERG
        Award-winning author of
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      • content: "A wise, warm-hearted book--part autobiography, part how-to-do-it manual, with some amazingly candid behind-the-scenes material . . . Fantasy fans, novice writers, and even veteran pros will learn plenty from it."
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        December 16, 2002
        "If you don't think there is magic in writing, you probably won't write anything magical," Brooks asserts in this succinct and warmhearted autobiographical meditation on the writing life. He views his success as a miracle and credits editor Lester del Rey ("What he had given me was the kind of education young writers can only dream about") for his discovery and Tolkien for the inspiration that drove him to choose fantasy adventure as his medium. Brooks, who practiced law before becoming a full-time author, stills finds himself amazed that his The Sword of Shannara
        "sold in record numbers and changed the face of publishing," becoming the first fiction title to land on the New York Times
        trade paperback bestseller list. He still marvels that del Rey chose his first novel to prove that post-Tolkien epic fantasy could sell in vast numbers and that it launched a new generation of fantasy authors. Brooks often refers to his old mentor's sage advice ("Thinking about a book before you wrote it was as important as the writing itself") and promotes outlines ("You can either do the hard work up front or do it at the end"). He also discusses the disappointments encountered in a 30-plus-year career that has seen struggles with a novelization (Hook) and less than stellar sales for some works not connected to the Shannara empire; yet he keeps a positive attitude about the writer's never-ending quest, which requires "determination, instinct, and passion."

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        November 1, 2002
        Brooks tells us everything he has learned about writing after giving up lawyering to write sf hits like The Sword of Shannara.

        Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        January 1, 2003
        This semi-autobiographical volume by the creator of the Shannara fantasy saga is more a collection of essays than a connected narrative, and some essays are more worth reading than others. The two parts of "Maud Manx" recapitulate conventional wisdom only " rather" wittily, and Brooks glances at his Magic Kingdom books in a manner that readers who think them his best stuff may feel is somewhat cursory. On the other hand, the movie tie-ins "Hook," a horror story about a comedy, and "The Phantom Menace," which connects with the new Star Wars triptych quite agreeably, add considerably to several bodies of knowledge besides that concerned with Brooks' career. "The World according to Hunter," another two-parter, is a sentimental but informative tribute to a child's sense of wonder (Hunter is Brooks' grandson). Elsewhere, he discusses Tolkien's influence on his work and paints memorable portraits of the late publishers Lester and Judy Lynn Del Rey. Brooks' big name among fantasy fans ensures widespread library-patron interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        December 1, 2002
        Fans of Brooks's fantasy titles (e.g., The Sword of Shannara) may be fascinated by this insider's account of how a book gets written, what thoughts and insecurities the author has, and the unique challenges faced by writers of fantasy fiction. Brooks indeed provides insights into how he names fantasy characters and creates realistic fantasy worlds. Unfortunately, those not familiar with his writings might find that he violates the best advice he gives in this short book: don't bore the reader. Only occasionally does Brooks linger long enough on a topic to provide valuable tips, and so much of this narrative is relevant to his experience alone that creative writing students might have difficulty applying his advice to their own struggles with craft, technique, and the creative writing process. Recommended for large fantasy collections only.-Herbert E. Shapiro, Empire State Coll., SUNY, Rochester

        Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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In Sometimes the Magic Works, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made in creating the beloved Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Word and The Void trilogy, and the bestselling Star Wars novel The Phantom Menace.
In addition to...
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