What would Aristotle think about your story?
Take this 10-question assessment to see if you have a working story based on Aristotelian principles. The PDF also includes story shape images and 30 additional resources!
In many ways, we've been telling the same stories, over and over, for the last 2300 years. This book will show you why, and how you can do it too.
For centuries, dramatic writers have relied on Aristotelian principles to write their stories for the screen and stage—the same stories you stream and watch today. But for the first time ever, the timeless principles from Aristotle’s esteemed Poetics have been adapted for novelists.
With succinct clarity, novelist Douglas Vigliotti shows you exactly how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories. These principles are the foundation on which any story can be written. Whether you are writing your first or tenth novel, Aristotle for Novelists has something to offer any serious writer of fiction. It is both a challenge to writers to simplify their craft and a no-frills, impassioned outcry for novelists everywhere.
Photo credit: Alvaro Moreno
What people just like you have said about Aristotle for Novelists…
“Check it out. I think you will pick this up, write a lot of notes in the margins, and then argue with yourself, a fellow writer, and maybe even Aristotle.” - @fullybookedinkentucky
“I've actually read this book twice ... a text I'll review over and over as I write different things.” - @youwontbesolly
“This book has done what others have been trying to do for some time now. I will finally start writing again.” - @impossible_girl530
"Wow did I underestimate this book! ...truly thoughtful book that takes Aristotle’s teachings as grounding for writing, and reconstructs them for the rest of us." - @emmiemerereads
“Learning about Aristotle's principles through the art of storytelling in an engaging, personal, and comical way is apparently the way to do it.” - @callistoscalling
“My notebook and the margins of this book are bursting at the seams… Wherever you are in the writing process, this book is a must-read!” - @theclumsybiblio
“All I can say is, WOW! ...THIS is the handbook to have and to hold, to reflect on and refer to.” - @readingonthebrink
"As a fellow writer, I will definitely come back to this again and again to mine it for bits of wisdom." - @amorina.carlton
“It's a comprehensive guide packed into a deceptively compact format.” - @meandmybookshelf
“I feel like even if you aren't a writer you can gain something from this book.” - @afelton6212
“It's a fabulous pocket-sized reference guide and overall writer's bible.” - @onemoreexclamation
“It may be a thin book but it is ideal for those who are looking into writing their own novels!” - @tifers.reads
“This is a great addition to a writer's shelf!” - @countrymamaswithkids
“Quite a few things in here I wouldn't have thought about or heard of ...” - @dorianhellfire
“If you are a writer or reader this is a book to add to your bookshelf.” - @marbooks88