Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"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." Booklist
Review
"In a breezy, congenial tone, Brooks combines autobiography and advice....[A]spiring writers will learn much from the author's generous advice about both writing and the difficult world of publishing." VOYA
Review
"[S]o much of this narrative is relevant to [Brooks's] experience alone that creative writing students might have difficulty applying his advice to their own struggles with craft, technique, and the creative writing process." Library Journal
Review
"[Brooks's] love for the writing craft glimmers like a diamond throughout the book....[A] fitting tribute to his life's passion." BookReporter.com
Review
"A marvelously pragmatic initiation to the art of writing." Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina
Review
"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
Review
"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 the Maui Writers Retreat
About the Author
Terry Brooks is the author, most recently, of
Voyage of the Jerle Shannara:
Morgawr, his twentieth
New York Times bestseller. His novels
Running with the Demon and
A Knight of the Word were selected by the
Rocky Mountain News as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the twentieth century. He is a regular teacher at the prestigious Maui Writers Conference and lives in Seattle and Hawaii.
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