From good to great: Donald Maass' 'The Emotional Craft of Fiction'

In his masterful book "On Writing," Stephen King says that "while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one."

Most writing books, including King's, are geared toward just that: turning competent writers into good ones.

But Donald Maass, in "The Emotional Craft of Fiction," aims to do what King deemed impossible: take good writers and make them great.

It's easy to see why King considers the task so unlikely. When reading the true masters, it can sometimes seem like what separates good from great is a matter of wizardry, of metaphysics, like what separates men from gods.

The miracle of Maass' book is that he succeeds in deconstructing greatness in a way that makes it accessible to us mere mortals.

What he reveals is that great writing is not about the order of the words on the page, although strong craft certainly helps. Instead, great writing is about the experience it stirs in readers--the feelings it provokes.

"Classics have enduring appeal mostly because we remember the experience we had while reading them," Maass explains. "We remember not the art but the impact."

Maass, who runs one of the most successful literary agencies in New York, offers specific techniques for "creating a powerful emotional experience for readers as they read." These include the use of subtext, digging beyond a character's obvious emotions, playing against expected feelings, and allowing characters to "get real."

I can't recommend this book highly enough for anyone looking to take their writing from good to great -- something Maass proves is not only possible, but a rewarding emotional journey in and of itself.

Hat tip to K.M. Weiland's "Helping Writers Become Authors" podcast, which is where I first heard of Maass' book.

The best paragraph (p. 205):

It is time for all novelists to own the mandate, get beyond their fears, and write with force. What is holding them back? What is holding you back? The ultimate in emotional craft is nothing more than trusting your own feelings. Having faith. Confidence. I don’t mean just the faith that you will be published. I don’t mean only the confidence that you can master the craft. No, I mean faith in your mandate as a storyteller and your fearless surrender to the heroes and monsters inside you.