"Your predecessor," warns Sol Stein in this imminently useful guide, "recited his stories around a fire. If he failed to arouse his listeners' anticipation and droned on, or if his audience guessed what happened next, they either fell asleep or killed him. You are lucky! If you fail to arouse your reader's interest, the worst that will happen is that you won't get published." Perhaps a tad stern for the meek at heart, but if editing a coterie of literary greats--Elia Kazan, Dylan Thomas, and James Baldwin, to name a few--plus hammering out nine novels, two prize-winning plays and a book of non-fiction doesn't earn him the right, what does? Stein is not one to disguise the fact that writing is hard work. Chapters focus on crucial "how to's"--hooking the reader, creating suspense, cultivating eccentricity, successfully employing literary devices--along with all the essential nuts and bolts. Copious examples enhance the overall effectiveness of his advice. For instance, in "Come Right In: First Sentences, First Paragraphs," he presents a dozen or more first lines from some of the 20th century's best fiction, then shows how an off-putting opener might be improved. Stern has no easy fixes or magic pills. But if you want practical suggestions for firming flabby prose, you're sure to dog-ear this handy, informative book. --Martha Silano
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