A Long Game

Warm, wise and full of practical tips, this book is the ideal guide to every writing life 'Amazingly freeing' Guardian 'For anyone who wants to write a novel, or for anyone who loves reading novels… A Long Game is a joy’ Sunday Times Write every day Show, don’t tell Write what you know Kill Your Darlings These are some of the most popular nuggets of advice given to writers, universally agreed to be true. They are all pieces of writing advice that Elizabeth McCracken expertly and persuasively shoots down in A Long Game . McCracken has been writing for most of her life. Here, she shares insights gleaned along the way, deconstructing received wisdom whilst playfully tackling the mysteries that are inherent to writing and creativity. A book about the life of an artist and a guide to fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource and will lead all writers, at any stage of their career, back to the page. 'Lovely and energising' Megan Nolan, Observer 'Wonderful tough love, direct, and very funny advice on how to be the writer you want to be' Ann Patchett ‘A cheering companion that makes writing a less lonely business’ Yiyun Li 'Elizabeth McCracken is one of America's finest writers' Garth Greenwell 'I would encourage every writer to read it' Rebecca Ivory

Warm, wise and full of practical tips, this book is the ideal guide to every writing life 'Amazingly freeing' Guardian 'For anyone who wants to write a novel, or for anyone who loves reading novels… A Long Game is a joy’ Sunday Times Write every day Show, don’t tell Write what you know Kill Your Darlings These are some of the most popular nuggets of advice given to writers, universally agreed to be true. They are all pieces of writing advice that Elizabeth McCracken expertly and persuasively shoots down in A Long Game . McCracken has been writing for most of her life. Here, she shares insights gleaned along the way, deconstructing received wisdom whilst playfully tackling the mysteries that are inherent to writing and creativity. A book about the life of an artist and a guide to fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource and will lead all writers, at any stage of their career, back to the page. 'Lovely and energising' Megan Nolan, Observer 'Wonderful tough love, direct, and very funny advice on how to be the writer you want to be' Ann Patchett ‘A cheering companion that makes writing a less lonely business’ Yiyun Li 'Elizabeth McCracken is one of America's finest writers' Garth Greenwell 'I would encourage every writer to read it' Rebecca Ivory

From bestselling and award-winning author and professor Elizabeth McCracken comes an irresistible look at the art of writing. Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels, National Book Award long-listed story collections, and a highly praised memoir, has been teaching for more than thirty-five years, guiding her many students through their own answers. In A Long Game , she shares insights gleaned along the way, offering practical tips and incisive thoughts about her own work as an artist. Writing "is a long game," she notes. "What matters is that you learn to get work done in the way that is possible for you, through consistency or panic. Through self-recrimination or self-delusion or self-forgiveness: every life needs all three." As much a book about the life of a working artist as it is a guide to thinking about fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource for any writer.

From bestselling and award-winning author and professor Elizabeth McCracken comes an irresistible look at the art of writing. Writing can feel like an endless series of decisions. How does one face the blank page? Move a character around a room? Deal with time? Undertake revision? The good and bad news is that in fiction writing, there are no definitive answers to such questions: writers must come up with their own. Elizabeth McCracken, author of bestselling novels, National Book Award long-listed story collections, and a highly praised memoir, has been teaching for more than thirty-five years, guiding her many students through their own answers. In A Long Game , she shares insights gleaned along the way, offering practical tips and incisive thoughts about her own work as an artist. Writing "is a long game," she notes. "What matters is that you learn to get work done in the way that is possible for you, through consistency or panic. Through self-recrimination or self-delusion or self-forgiveness: every life needs all three." As much a book about the life of a working artist as it is a guide to thinking about fiction, A Long Game is a revelatory and indispensable resource for any writer.