A Fiction Writer's Guide to Peace - by Gabriel Ertsgaard (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A practical guide to incorporating principles of peace-building and non-violence into compelling fiction, this book shows writers how they can enact non-violent heroism in their characters, model civil resistance in their stories and create worlds around mythos that champion redemptive nonviolence. With concepts applicable to writing fiction, drama, screenplays and poetry, it deconstructs the necessity for violence in popular works, explores ideas in peace studies and helps writer establish their own peace poetics. Featuring creative writing prompts and examples from film and literature including Trading Places, Selma, Frozen, A Christmas Carol, Asphalt Jungle and Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, this is an important expansion to any writer's toolkit when approaching storytelling"--

Book Synopsis

With superhero violence and graphic action sequences prevalent on the screen and on the page, this book takes an alternative route to the mainstream, offering practical guidance, frameworks and tools for incorporating the principles of peace-building and non-violence into compelling fiction. Definitely the path less travelled but just as vital in divisive times, Gabriel Ertsgaard shows writers how they can enact non-violent heroism in their characters, model civil resistance in their stories and create worlds around a mythos that champions redemptive nonviolence. With concepts applicable to writing for fiction, drama, the screen and poetry, A Fiction Writer's Guide to Peace deconstructs the necessity for violence in popular works, explores key concepts in peace studies and helps writers establish their own peace poetics. Focused around the craft narrative techniques of character arcs, campaigns, duels, and worldbuilding, the book features creative writing prompts after each chapter and examples from key works such as the films Trading Places, Selma, Lago, Raho Munna Baiand Frozen and literature from A Christmas Carol to Asphalt Jungle and Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels.

A timely and important expansion to any writer's toolkit, A Fiction Writer's Guide to Peace allows storytellers to understand the complex dynamics of, and the damage caused by, violent perspectives and actions, giving them a way into considering non-violence as powerful and preferable.

Review Quotes

A very interesting premise to explore for fiction writing and one deftly handled by Gabriel. He takes the reader/writer logically through the process of nonviolent heroism in fiction and how to make it an active part of a narrative.
Todd Sanders, Publisher, Air and Nothingness Press

About the Author

Gabriel Ertsgaard is Interviews Editor for the Peace Chronicle and Copy Editor for the poetry journal Drifting Sands Haibun. He also serves on the board of directors for the Quaker magazine Western Friend. He has taught university English courses for the past decade, and is the author of numerous poems, short stories, and nonfiction articles. He holds a Doctor of Letters with a concentration in Global Studies from Drew University, USA.