Best Writing Book

The Best Writing Book I've Ever Read

"Make [your] characters want something right away—even if it’s only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time."
~ Kurt Vonnegut

"‘The cat sat on the mat’ is not the beginning of a story, but ‘the cat sat on the dog’s mat’ is."
~ John Le Carré

"An extraordinarily comprehensive and practical work by a master craftsman and a master analyst of the craft."
~ Madison Smartt Bell, author of All Souls’ Rising and Anything Goes

"Stephen Koch was my teacher long ago. Now he is everyone’s teacher, indelibly. This is a book not just for the beginning writer but for every writer."
Martha McPhee, author of the National Book Award nominee Gorgeous Lies

"The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop is a treasure trove of wisdom, both immensely practical and philosophical, entertaining and thought-provoking. Koch takes us inside the writing process, and it is impossible not to emerge transformed." ~ Joanna Hershon, author of Swimming