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Creating Stories
Do you have a story in you?Do you know how to write it or how to tell it?Creating Stories has the answers. Hank Quense, the author of more than twenty books, tells you how to do it. He believes that stories come from the melding of three getting ideas, story design and story-telling. Ideas have to come from the author. Creating Stories covers the last two. The book concentrates on developing characters including such rarely discussed requirements such as a dominant reader emotion and the character's biography.Plots are also covered in depth and a number of graphics are included to illustrate complex points. Another topic discusses subplots and how to utilize them and how to nest them within the main plot.A separate chapter discusses the relationship between the plot and the emotional arcs.Other topics covered character arcs, scene design, point-of-view, writing voice.
- GenresNonfictionWriting
104 pages, Paperback
Published April 28, 2018
About the author
Hank Quense
78 books217 followersHank Quense writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi.
Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.
He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, thecenter of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.
For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.
Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.
Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.
He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, thecenter of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.
For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.
Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 3, 2017
This writing manual is about making stories; the creative process and the practical work involved in getting the story from mind to page.
As a fairly ancient and experienced writer, I’ve come across quite a few books about writing, so it’s difficult for an author to present something new for me. In this volume, Hank Quense uses his own experience to develop ideas on a way of approaching the issue of actually creating a story that readers will want to read. He presents his subject matter in accessible and easily understood terms. Each section of the book deals with one or more of the hurdles and challenges that come with writing a story. He uses straightforward language to describe often technically challenging topics and gives advice in an easy to follow form.
The book is divided into four parts; Setting and Characters, Plotting, Story-telling, and More Stuff. Each part is subdivided into chapters, presenting the matter in easily consumed bites. It’s intended to help authors writing in all styles and for all genres, as he approaches the subject from the storytelling point of view, which, of course, relates to all types of writing.
I write as a pantster, so plotting is of secondary importance to me; it comes late in the process. But many writers, and especially those starting out, need to plot in order to get the story in some sort of order. This book sets out that process in a simple form that covers all aspects and explains the importance of planning.
Character drives my work, and the author here explains why character is important, indeed essential, to a good story. He provides ways and means to develop characters, keep track of them, use them to good effect and make them matter to the reader. A story where no character is of interest to the reader is, after all, not going to work on any level.
Setting is a vital element, but so often oversold by writers, both new and experienced. It takes a lot of effort to develop a world from imagination and there’s a great temptation to provide the reader with every detail of that construction. But, in the way that a house owner doesn’t need the plans of his house to enjoy living there, the author here explains that the reader doesn’t need to know every last detail of the invented world to enjoy the story. In fact, such detail can bring the story to a halt and lose the reader.
Storytelling is at the heart of this book and Hank guides the reader through the process using charts, examples and simple narrative to illustrate what makes a good story. He also explains what prevents a good story from being told in a form that readers will find engaging.
The final section deals with the thorny subject of humour in stories and how to create it. He also looks at subjects like copyright, the fear of manuscript theft and other practical issues that cause anxiety or concern for new writers. It’s a complete manual for the subject.
As an experienced writer, I found new ways of thinking about the process of writing a book, ideas that will inform and help my future writing. For the new writer, there is much to absorb here, but its friendly style and ease of delivery makes the learning process that much more enjoyable. A useful addition to the canon of books on writing.
As a fairly ancient and experienced writer, I’ve come across quite a few books about writing, so it’s difficult for an author to present something new for me. In this volume, Hank Quense uses his own experience to develop ideas on a way of approaching the issue of actually creating a story that readers will want to read. He presents his subject matter in accessible and easily understood terms. Each section of the book deals with one or more of the hurdles and challenges that come with writing a story. He uses straightforward language to describe often technically challenging topics and gives advice in an easy to follow form.
The book is divided into four parts; Setting and Characters, Plotting, Story-telling, and More Stuff. Each part is subdivided into chapters, presenting the matter in easily consumed bites. It’s intended to help authors writing in all styles and for all genres, as he approaches the subject from the storytelling point of view, which, of course, relates to all types of writing.
I write as a pantster, so plotting is of secondary importance to me; it comes late in the process. But many writers, and especially those starting out, need to plot in order to get the story in some sort of order. This book sets out that process in a simple form that covers all aspects and explains the importance of planning.
Character drives my work, and the author here explains why character is important, indeed essential, to a good story. He provides ways and means to develop characters, keep track of them, use them to good effect and make them matter to the reader. A story where no character is of interest to the reader is, after all, not going to work on any level.
Setting is a vital element, but so often oversold by writers, both new and experienced. It takes a lot of effort to develop a world from imagination and there’s a great temptation to provide the reader with every detail of that construction. But, in the way that a house owner doesn’t need the plans of his house to enjoy living there, the author here explains that the reader doesn’t need to know every last detail of the invented world to enjoy the story. In fact, such detail can bring the story to a halt and lose the reader.
Storytelling is at the heart of this book and Hank guides the reader through the process using charts, examples and simple narrative to illustrate what makes a good story. He also explains what prevents a good story from being told in a form that readers will find engaging.
The final section deals with the thorny subject of humour in stories and how to create it. He also looks at subjects like copyright, the fear of manuscript theft and other practical issues that cause anxiety or concern for new writers. It’s a complete manual for the subject.
As an experienced writer, I found new ways of thinking about the process of writing a book, ideas that will inform and help my future writing. For the new writer, there is much to absorb here, but its friendly style and ease of delivery makes the learning process that much more enjoyable. A useful addition to the canon of books on writing.
April 5, 2017
I have read my share of books on writing techniques and new ideas on writing methods in my life, so it was with mixed feelings that I decided to read and review Hank Quense's "Creating Stories". I felt some trepidation wondering what Quense could possibly write about that I haven't read before. I am the author of two children's books which have been published and have been searching for help in moving on to adult writing.
Quense presents many of the same ideas that I've read in other self-help writing books, but his unique slant combined with some new methods he personally uses struck a chord with me. Half-way through the book I realized that here were techniques I could use. He cites examples from his own published works which lend him credibility in the field of writing. He relates personal experiences in a humble, self deprecating way which makes his advice that much more palatable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Quense presents many of the same ideas that I've read in other self-help writing books, but his unique slant combined with some new methods he personally uses struck a chord with me. Half-way through the book I realized that here were techniques I could use. He cites examples from his own published works which lend him credibility in the field of writing. He relates personal experiences in a humble, self deprecating way which makes his advice that much more palatable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2018
In the Foreword, the author says, "Story design and storytelling techniques are much more important that the ability to write well." Even though I don't necessarily agree with that assertion across the board, I decided to read the book and see what the author could deliver related to this premise.
And as you'll notice, I've given the book 5 stars.
The author is extremely thorough in his instruction about how to plan and develop the essential elements of a good story, whether that story is in the format of a novel, screenplay, short story, whatever. For example, in relation to character development, he covers the obvious basics but also delves into subtle aspects of psychology and personality that many writers, especially new writers, often overlook, resulting in them creating less believable or less compelling characters. He then shares his own processes and even his own forms and graphic organizers! He makes practical suggestions like riding public transportation to observe a broad range of human behavior and traits. Just very thorough in his discussion of the topic. And then he covers setting and plot with the same care and detail.
I'm also impressed that he's able to pack so much useful information into a quick read. There's no redundancy or padding of word count.
Even though I'm a non-fiction author, I think I've benefited from this book's emphasis on cohesiveness of elements throughout a piece and the fact that it doesn't matter how we relate to what we write, it matters how readers relate to what we write.
If I have one criticism, it's that I didn't like his chapter intro mechanism, but it doesn't detract from the overall high quality and value.
And as you'll notice, I've given the book 5 stars.
The author is extremely thorough in his instruction about how to plan and develop the essential elements of a good story, whether that story is in the format of a novel, screenplay, short story, whatever. For example, in relation to character development, he covers the obvious basics but also delves into subtle aspects of psychology and personality that many writers, especially new writers, often overlook, resulting in them creating less believable or less compelling characters. He then shares his own processes and even his own forms and graphic organizers! He makes practical suggestions like riding public transportation to observe a broad range of human behavior and traits. Just very thorough in his discussion of the topic. And then he covers setting and plot with the same care and detail.
I'm also impressed that he's able to pack so much useful information into a quick read. There's no redundancy or padding of word count.
Even though I'm a non-fiction author, I think I've benefited from this book's emphasis on cohesiveness of elements throughout a piece and the fact that it doesn't matter how we relate to what we write, it matters how readers relate to what we write.
If I have one criticism, it's that I didn't like his chapter intro mechanism, but it doesn't detract from the overall high quality and value.
October 3, 2017
Creating Stories is an excellent discourse on the essential elements of story crafting. Hank Quense has a wonderful ability to make complex concepts simple and easy to understand. The author builds an enjoyable read frosted with bits of humor and dialog. It is a thorough examination of the story design process, which if followed, will lead the writer to success. This book should be an essential part of every writing library.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
April 2, 2017
Hank Quense has penned a masterpiece in Creating Stories. The structure of a story, whether it be long or short, story or book, is outlined with detailed instructions on how to make each of these sections work. For instance, rather than being made up of chapters a book is really made up of scenes. There is a standard outline for any story, but very briefly you are introduced to the main characters, and then there’s a conflict, then there is resolution of the conflict.
There are several helpful graphics in the book for visual aids, and they appear small but just click on them and they will expand.
Quense shares his unique viewpoints on plot, setting, characters, writer’s voice, and using humor correctly. Not written for Pantsers, this book will add structure to anyone’s writing. It’s the logical way to approach crafting a story.
There are several helpful graphics in the book for visual aids, and they appear small but just click on them and they will expand.
Quense shares his unique viewpoints on plot, setting, characters, writer’s voice, and using humor correctly. Not written for Pantsers, this book will add structure to anyone’s writing. It’s the logical way to approach crafting a story.
December 15, 2017
This affordable guide provides a good overview of writing terminology, techniques, and tricks of the trade. However, Hank Quense believes that prospective writers need to complete a great many tasks before tackling their first drafts. This makes perfect sense if you are creating a historical novel, which would naturally require a lot of research as a matter of course. It seems like overkill in other genres.
Historical fiction or time travel novels aside, all you really need is a solid plot outline and a couple of basic character sketches to keep your story moving along. I’ve even read about bestselling authors who don’t bother to even outline their projects before they start working on them. But it’s certainly true that keeping track of all the details in your previous books can become a complete pain in the neck if you start writing sequels or find yourself in the middle of an epic saga.
Hank Quense states that he uses extensive character sheets, scene sketches, story outlines, and a variety of other techniques to create his stories. While these are all sound ideas, some of the story planning methods I’m familiar with weren’t mentioned. After all, there are plenty of websites that exist to help writers create diverse characters, visualize them, and make sure these individuals don’t end up being overly perfect.
It’s still clear that, as a published author himself, Hank knows what he’s talking about. He gives excellent advice on subjects such as how to streamline a story, how to effectively employ the “show, don’t tell” concept in your writing, and how to avoid using the passive voice (even though he never calls it that). I’m not totally convinced that his personal process would work for every writer, but I can’t deny that he has produced a useful book all the same.
Historical fiction or time travel novels aside, all you really need is a solid plot outline and a couple of basic character sketches to keep your story moving along. I’ve even read about bestselling authors who don’t bother to even outline their projects before they start working on them. But it’s certainly true that keeping track of all the details in your previous books can become a complete pain in the neck if you start writing sequels or find yourself in the middle of an epic saga.
Hank Quense states that he uses extensive character sheets, scene sketches, story outlines, and a variety of other techniques to create his stories. While these are all sound ideas, some of the story planning methods I’m familiar with weren’t mentioned. After all, there are plenty of websites that exist to help writers create diverse characters, visualize them, and make sure these individuals don’t end up being overly perfect.
It’s still clear that, as a published author himself, Hank knows what he’s talking about. He gives excellent advice on subjects such as how to streamline a story, how to effectively employ the “show, don’t tell” concept in your writing, and how to avoid using the passive voice (even though he never calls it that). I’m not totally convinced that his personal process would work for every writer, but I can’t deny that he has produced a useful book all the same.
December 13, 2017
Full of diagrams and written almost like a step-by-step guide for authors, 'Creating Stories' is a must-read book if you're a new author or you've been struggling at all with writing your next novel. This is a guidebook for novel writers and short story writers. It covers character development, plot development, and more. In fact, it even gets down to the nitty-gritty of things. I like that it even touches base on things like comedy writing and satire.
As a short story writer myself, I found the points in this book to be well-written and informative. As an author with aspirations to write a full-length novel, this book is one I will go back to often for tips. I couldn't help but take notes the first read through since it is full of so much important information on how to create a story that people are actually going to want to read.
As a short story writer myself, I found the points in this book to be well-written and informative. As an author with aspirations to write a full-length novel, this book is one I will go back to often for tips. I couldn't help but take notes the first read through since it is full of so much important information on how to create a story that people are actually going to want to read.
September 25, 2023
Creating Stories by Hank Quense caught my eye because I have been writing for a long time. Not a novel, or anything like that, but journals. My mind pens a story and I jot down ideas. Isn’t it the follow through that is the difficult part? Where do I even begin?
Creating Stories by Hank Qunense is chock full of everything I need to know to write that novel I feel is buried deep, deep, deep inside. LOL The biggest problem was the amount of information.
That means, taking a step by step process. Beginning at the beginning. Hank Quense gives references, graphs, maps, and his process for writing in a 150 page book. It was not a quick read, because I find myself pausing, thinking. He gave examples of his work to clarify. A bit self serving, using his books for examples, but that’s okay. I would do it too.
I read an ebook, but if I ever do decide to write that novel that is buried deep, deep, deep inside me, I will be purchasing a physical copy. I love having things at my fingertips, laid out before me so I can easily move from one thing to another, whether it’s a book, a graph, or a Castlesque workboard. I can see myself laying things out like a murder board in a crime movie or TV show. I can see myself with a swivel chair, numerous boards surrounding me, and my computer at the forefront.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Creating Stories by Hank Quense if you are writing. A book like Hank’s is hard for me to rate, as a novice. I didn’t understand some of it. I think it was a bit over my head. So, rating this for an author that is experienced and needs to refine their craft, I think this would be a 5 Star read. For someone like me, I would rate it a 4 Star read. I would think I would grow into it if I wanted to become a full time author.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Creating Stories by Hank Quense.
Creating Stories by Hank Qunense is chock full of everything I need to know to write that novel I feel is buried deep, deep, deep inside. LOL The biggest problem was the amount of information.
That means, taking a step by step process. Beginning at the beginning. Hank Quense gives references, graphs, maps, and his process for writing in a 150 page book. It was not a quick read, because I find myself pausing, thinking. He gave examples of his work to clarify. A bit self serving, using his books for examples, but that’s okay. I would do it too.
I read an ebook, but if I ever do decide to write that novel that is buried deep, deep, deep inside me, I will be purchasing a physical copy. I love having things at my fingertips, laid out before me so I can easily move from one thing to another, whether it’s a book, a graph, or a Castlesque workboard. I can see myself laying things out like a murder board in a crime movie or TV show. I can see myself with a swivel chair, numerous boards surrounding me, and my computer at the forefront.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Creating Stories by Hank Quense if you are writing. A book like Hank’s is hard for me to rate, as a novice. I didn’t understand some of it. I think it was a bit over my head. So, rating this for an author that is experienced and needs to refine their craft, I think this would be a 5 Star read. For someone like me, I would rate it a 4 Star read. I would think I would grow into it if I wanted to become a full time author.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Creating Stories by Hank Quense.
December 24, 2019
Good Ideas But Poorly Edited
As I am both an editor and a writer myself, I always am attracted to any book about writing. So, when I saw this book show up at my favorite book review site, I had to snap it up. I found it to be a fascinating look into the mind of an author and his writing process. Each writer does things a bit differently. There are definitely great little insights in this book that would help the would-be writer, a first-time author, and even more experienced writers. He divides the idea of creating stories into three broad parts: getting ideas, story design, and storytelling. This book explores his thoughts on the last two. He defines story design as the key elements like character and plot, whereas storytelling is about concepts like point of view and foreshadowing.
He used an odd technique at the beginning of each chapter that I did not particularly like. Each chapter opens with an imaginary dialogue between the author of this book and an imaginary author for whom the book is being written. These little vignettes to seem very bizarre to me. While there are golden nuggets scattered throughout, I was surprised at the number of grammar, punctuation, and usage errors that were in this book. This man is a professional author with some 20 books under his belt. Why would he not have it professionally copyedited and proofread? That said, if you are interested in writing fiction or memoir on any level, you will find this book of one man's way of story design and storytelling to be a useful read.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
As I am both an editor and a writer myself, I always am attracted to any book about writing. So, when I saw this book show up at my favorite book review site, I had to snap it up. I found it to be a fascinating look into the mind of an author and his writing process. Each writer does things a bit differently. There are definitely great little insights in this book that would help the would-be writer, a first-time author, and even more experienced writers. He divides the idea of creating stories into three broad parts: getting ideas, story design, and storytelling. This book explores his thoughts on the last two. He defines story design as the key elements like character and plot, whereas storytelling is about concepts like point of view and foreshadowing.
He used an odd technique at the beginning of each chapter that I did not particularly like. Each chapter opens with an imaginary dialogue between the author of this book and an imaginary author for whom the book is being written. These little vignettes to seem very bizarre to me. While there are golden nuggets scattered throughout, I was surprised at the number of grammar, punctuation, and usage errors that were in this book. This man is a professional author with some 20 books under his belt. Why would he not have it professionally copyedited and proofread? That said, if you are interested in writing fiction or memoir on any level, you will find this book of one man's way of story design and storytelling to be a useful read.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
December 28, 2019
Reading a textbook on how to write can help when you need to come up with a paper or report for school, but reading about how to write from someone who is a successful professional in the field - that is an entirely different thing. It can actually be fun.
Hank Quense is the successful author of several series, and shares the rules of writing from perhaps the best, in my opinion, viewpoint. He knows what sells. He reminds us that our primary job as a writer is not to record egotistical spewage (my word), but to entertain, inform, and maybe educate the reader. So he shows how to write in such a way that readers actually want to keep reading. That's exactly what I need.
The construction of a book or story has a lot to it, and most of what I think I know is what I remember from university days. This is great, if I want to write more textbooks. But writing to actually connect with or entertain somebody looks different. Without sounding pompous or belaboring the point that he actually knows what he talks about, Hank examines all those things I think I "know" about writing and using his (sometimes subtle, sometimes caustic) humor he shows how write so it "works".
This is not a grammar book, by any means, but an accessible discourse on how to best use the medium of written language to connect with an audience.
And I truly appreciate his use of so many personal experiences, and examples of how he applied the principles he shares.
This statement sounds so very wrong, but this was the first textbook which was actually fun.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hank Quense is the successful author of several series, and shares the rules of writing from perhaps the best, in my opinion, viewpoint. He knows what sells. He reminds us that our primary job as a writer is not to record egotistical spewage (my word), but to entertain, inform, and maybe educate the reader. So he shows how to write in such a way that readers actually want to keep reading. That's exactly what I need.
The construction of a book or story has a lot to it, and most of what I think I know is what I remember from university days. This is great, if I want to write more textbooks. But writing to actually connect with or entertain somebody looks different. Without sounding pompous or belaboring the point that he actually knows what he talks about, Hank examines all those things I think I "know" about writing and using his (sometimes subtle, sometimes caustic) humor he shows how write so it "works".
This is not a grammar book, by any means, but an accessible discourse on how to best use the medium of written language to connect with an audience.
And I truly appreciate his use of so many personal experiences, and examples of how he applied the principles he shares.
This statement sounds so very wrong, but this was the first textbook which was actually fun.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 28, 2023
“Creating Stories” by Hank Quense, the first book in his Fiction Writing series is a valuable resource for aspiring writers. Quense, an author with over twenty books to his name, offers practical advice on the art of storytelling. The book focuses on two essential elements of storytelling: story design and story-telling, leaving the generation of ideas to the author.
Quense covers character development in depth, including overlooked aspects such as evoking dominant reader emotions and crafting character biographies. He also delves into the intricacies of plot development, supported by helpful graphics to clarify complex concepts. Subplots and their integration within the main plot and the relationship between the plot and emotional arcs are explored. Additionally, the book touches on character arcs, scene design, point-of-view, and writing voice.
What sets this book apart is its accessible and friendly style. Quense’s engaging writing is peppered with personal anecdotes and humor, making it far from a dry, tedious presentation of non-fiction material. Aspiring writers will find practical techniques like character sheets, scene sketches, story outlines, and more to aid their creative process.
In summary, “Creating Stories” is a must-read for anyone with a desire to write novels, short stories, or any form of creative storytelling. Hank Quense’s book provides a comprehensive and enjoyable guide to the essential elements of crafting compelling narratives.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
Quense covers character development in depth, including overlooked aspects such as evoking dominant reader emotions and crafting character biographies. He also delves into the intricacies of plot development, supported by helpful graphics to clarify complex concepts. Subplots and their integration within the main plot and the relationship between the plot and emotional arcs are explored. Additionally, the book touches on character arcs, scene design, point-of-view, and writing voice.
What sets this book apart is its accessible and friendly style. Quense’s engaging writing is peppered with personal anecdotes and humor, making it far from a dry, tedious presentation of non-fiction material. Aspiring writers will find practical techniques like character sheets, scene sketches, story outlines, and more to aid their creative process.
In summary, “Creating Stories” is a must-read for anyone with a desire to write novels, short stories, or any form of creative storytelling. Hank Quense’s book provides a comprehensive and enjoyable guide to the essential elements of crafting compelling narratives.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
September 27, 2023
As a lifelong reader and half a decade professional reviewer, I have been interested more and more about writing my own book. However, I had no idea how, when or where to begin. I jumped on the opportunity when I had the chance to read Creating Stories. The author, Hank Quense, did a great job in answering some questions I have had on how to get started. He explains the ideas and design that is important for story telling. As well as, the importance of character development and the depth of the main and sub plots. He includes illustrations, graphs, charts, and diagrams to back up his explanations, tips, and advice. They were quite useful for me to understand in depth in what he was explaining to his readers. I found the book made me feel more inspired and confident on jotting down my ideas on creating my own story. I will be holding on to my copy to keep it handy as I navigate into this new journey for me.
I am giving Creating Stories five stars. I highly recommend it for readers who are aspiring authors to help them begin their new venture. I would be interested in reading other book writing advice books from Hank Quense in the future to see what other inspiration he offers for his fellow authors.
I received a digital copy of Hank Quense’s Creating Stories from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Creating Stories five stars. I highly recommend it for readers who are aspiring authors to help them begin their new venture. I would be interested in reading other book writing advice books from Hank Quense in the future to see what other inspiration he offers for his fellow authors.
I received a digital copy of Hank Quense’s Creating Stories from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
September 20, 2023
Creating Stories concentrates on story design and storytelling, but goes further to explain than other books on writing have. The author has a very good grasp of the basics and shares with his readers well. In some parts, he even goes into the explanations with diagrams.
Not only does he cover the main points of story writing but goes more in-depth in explaining them. The author writes in such a way and explains so that a beginner can understand.
I highly recommend adding this book to your writing library and referring to it often. It's one of the best I've read.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. A positive review is not required and all opinions are my own.
Not only does he cover the main points of story writing but goes more in-depth in explaining them. The author writes in such a way and explains so that a beginner can understand.
I highly recommend adding this book to your writing library and referring to it often. It's one of the best I've read.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. A positive review is not required and all opinions are my own.
October 9, 2023
I have read a number of writing books and even taken a couple of writing courses and I found Hank Quense’s book Creating Stories to be the help I was looking for in those books and courses. I will be referring to this book the next time I sit down to write a story.
The book is divided into four parts - setting & character, plots & scene design, storytelling techniques, and “other stuff.” Quense includes many tips and suggestions for ways to map out a book ahead of time. He also includes suggestions for templates which I’m sure will be of use to me in the future.
High school and college writing instructors may want to consider this book as a textbook. The information in this book could help students become better writers, no matter the genre they are interested in.
Creating Stories could easily be added to a K-12 Christian school non fiction section. High school students interested in writing would benefit from reading this book.
I received a complimentary copy of Creating Stories. This is my honest review.
The book is divided into four parts - setting & character, plots & scene design, storytelling techniques, and “other stuff.” Quense includes many tips and suggestions for ways to map out a book ahead of time. He also includes suggestions for templates which I’m sure will be of use to me in the future.
High school and college writing instructors may want to consider this book as a textbook. The information in this book could help students become better writers, no matter the genre they are interested in.
Creating Stories could easily be added to a K-12 Christian school non fiction section. High school students interested in writing would benefit from reading this book.
I received a complimentary copy of Creating Stories. This is my honest review.
December 24, 2019
I found this book interesting and offering a lot of great information on what I need to help me get my story out of my head and onto paper. While I have a bit more to do to get this story published, I am moving! Excellent guide.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 23, 2023
If you want to learn about writing a book, check out this must-have by author Hank Quense. It’s a great tool for newbies and an excellent refresher for those already in the industry. This gem has the basics to get you started with easy-to-understand graphics. I wish had read something like this when I got started.
February 22, 2020
You may have a story inside you that you want to tell. This book will help you start writing it down and how to form it so it flows really well. Very useful
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 21, 2020
not bad but its long so 2 stars
April 13, 2017
When I started taking my writing career seriously, the book Creating Stories by Hank Quense would have been a great book to have, but that was some years ago.
Writers are people who evolve. We are in a constant process of learning and implementing. We never stop, and so as I began to read Quense’s Creating Stories I found myself treasuring the way he presented his expertise about the writing process.
Creating Stories is a precious jewel, which shows the beginner writer what he or she needs to have to write a novel, from story idea, to developing characters, settings, plotting, sub plotting, structure, design, and emotional arcs to the story ending. He doesn’t just tell you what to do but shows you how to do it with the charts and links that he has included in the book.
For the mature writer, it is a refresher and reminder of the writing process. It is a handy tool to have among your writing books.
Creating Stories by Hank Quense helps you stay grounded in your novel writing process and it is well worth reading. It is now a part of my writing craft library.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
Writers are people who evolve. We are in a constant process of learning and implementing. We never stop, and so as I began to read Quense’s Creating Stories I found myself treasuring the way he presented his expertise about the writing process.
Creating Stories is a precious jewel, which shows the beginner writer what he or she needs to have to write a novel, from story idea, to developing characters, settings, plotting, sub plotting, structure, design, and emotional arcs to the story ending. He doesn’t just tell you what to do but shows you how to do it with the charts and links that he has included in the book.
For the mature writer, it is a refresher and reminder of the writing process. It is a handy tool to have among your writing books.
Creating Stories by Hank Quense helps you stay grounded in your novel writing process and it is well worth reading. It is now a part of my writing craft library.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
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