Write Horror Fiction in 5 Simple Steps

November 1, 2012

Gr 5 Up-Quotations and examples from authors such as J.K. Rowling, Christopher Paolini, Stephen King, Stan Lee, and others make this series stand out. Separated into five chapters, each volume begins with a section about inspiration and ends with information about getting published. Lists of contemporary and classic literature, as well as movies, give readers plenty of models to help them create their pieces. The organizational strategies and writing exercises are user-friendly. The books are narrated in such a way that readers are treated like real writers no matter their age. Sidebars tackle additional topics. Unfortunately, there are no illustrations, only the occasional design element. Resources specific to each genre and places for writers to look into publishing are given. The age-level appropriateness varies by title; Romance and Horror contain disclaimers at the top of their recommended genre reading lists.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 Though the Creative Writing in 5 Simple Steps series may sound as if it's promising shortcuts, it makes no bones about the hard work required to become an author. Litwin proves to be an honest fan of the genre, beginning with a fantastic intro about Stephen King's one-time job at a laundry and how it later inspired him. Naturally, the five steps are not genre specificfinding inspiration, planning, organizing, writing, and publishingbut Litwin offers up writing prompts creepy enough for R. L. Stine and proves to be a capable fiction writer with examples of eerie atmosphere and unnerving characters. Side boxes list key novels and films (for some reason a bit light on modern works), formatting your manuscript, and more. There's virtually no design to speak of here, but the content is killer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)