best book on learning to write fiction/stories?

>>9794076
you are taking the wrong path kid.

>>9794076
I have an alternate suggestion. Read the Art of Fiction interviews by the Paris Review. They have interviewed writers over the past century, and they have many fine insights into writing. Read Hemingway's, Nabokov's, Vonnegut's, and anyone else whom you recognise.

As for books, Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnegut is a good book to observe. Watch for his pacing and the specific words he uses, and how he is able to convey a idea through language.

>>9794076
The dummies guide to series.

Its goes over the snowflake method, which works for genre fuction and regular shit as well.
Essentially it teaches you how to develop a character and a story over the course of a few weeks that saves you hundreds od hours in editing later down the track.

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aka Creative Writing Teacher version of j-pete

contentious then
contentious now
equally memed
equally irritating
broken clock/twice a day
&c

the parallels are all there. basically depends on what you thought of grendel. if you liked it, you will like gardner. if you think moral fiction is a spook you won't.

either way interesting stuff, worth a look. see also his other stuff: on becoming a novelist & art of fiction

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also pic rel for style

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bare minimum