This highly valuable and enlightening Master Class consists of nineteen chapters that combine theory with practice. Georgios Andritsos - a successful published writer and teacher in creative writing, will share with you his habits and beliefs, his skills and knowledge of the craft of writing, and much more. Through the analysis of literary devices and excerpts from stories, you will dive into the magical world of literature, understand its secrets, cultivate your imagination, and successfully write your own stories. The author has carefully selected the exercises in this book that will assist you to draw on the proper material from the environment and personal experiences to free your imagination and establish the right conditions to improve and perfect your writing skills. Every writer has a unique way of seeing the world and you are no exception. In this Master Class, you will also understand how to enhance your observation skills and the knowledge you must have to build strong three-dimensional characters that will guide you to write a good story that will stand the test of time.

1. Georgios Andritsos
Master class
on H0W TO write
a Good story

3. a Good Story
Master Class
on how to write
Georgios Andritsos

5. Author's Bio
Georgios Andritsos was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He lived abroad for
many years and worked as a driver, bartender, DJ, and manager in trendy bars
& restaurants in Scandinavia, England, Tenerife, and Spain.
In 2007 his book, A Little More Than Just Drinks & Cocktails was recognized
for its literary value, winning the first prize for best book in the world at the
London Book Fair. It has been published in Norway, Sweden, France,
Quebec, Spain, and Greece.
In 2010 he started attending creative writing seminars in Barcelona, continued
his studies at the University of Stockholm, and received his master’s degree in
creative writing from Bath Spa University in England, where he graduated
with honors in 2013.
Since then, he has successfully organized creative writing seminars in Norway,
England, and Spain and continues to this day in Greece. He has written a
collection of poems, Stop and Listen volumes me I & II, and a collection of
short stories, This is not America (or...is it?) which is published in Greece by
Angelakis Publishers. The collection will be published by Koehler Books in the
States on the 8th of August 2023.
He has edited and translated into English the literary treatise, And the Nobel
Prize in Literature goes to... Bob Dylan? by Dimitrios P. Naskos published in
Greece by Diavlos. Now he is finishing his first novel, Dark Paths.

6. Master Class on How to Write a Good Story
By Georgios Andritsos
Copyright 2023 by Georgios Andritsos
ISBN: 978-82-693184-0-1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations
in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.
Editing and proofreading: Sofia Verginis
Design: Georgios Andritsos
Book Cover - Pinterest
Nocturnal Animals
by John Godfrey
Published by
Levrettopen Vein 15
1346 Gjettum
Oslo, Norway
www.literary-works.com

7. This is for Sofia Verginis
I love you, little fox

8. Preface / 10
Introduction / 13
Why I write / 17
What makes a good writer / 20
Literary devices / 22
Narrator - Narratives techniques / 26
Time in the story / 34
The writer’s voice / 45
The Iceberg Principle / 52
Setting / 56
Scene / 61
Characterization / 66
Characters / 71
Dialogue / 86
Descriptive passages / 96
Plot / 100
Action / 109
Conflict / 111
Suspense / 118
Revision of the most important writing tips / 125
Editing / 129
Punctuation / 140
Back Pages / 145
Extra Back Pages / 155
Epilogue / 168
A poem by Georgios Andritsos / 171
Acknowledgments / 173
TABLE OF CONTENTS

10. Preface
February 2014. I enter a bar restaurant in Thessaloniki and in the crowd, I
start looking for Georgios. It’s a cold Sunday afternoon, people are having a
good time eating, talking, and drinking wine, while bossa nova is playing on
low. I’m late for our appointment and I’m somehow sure he won’t like it.
In a moment, I spot Georgios sitting alone at the back of the place. As I
approach, eyes fixed on him and passing waiters carrying loaded trays with
food, I sense that he won’t give me good feedback on the novel I asked him to
read. My excitement to meet him begins to fade away.
At this point, I cannot call Georgios my friend yet. He recently moved back
to Greece after living abroad for a couple of decades. For the last two years, he
was in England studying MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University,
where he graduated with honors. Now he is researching to complete a
collection of short stories that have as their central theme the social and
economic crisis in Greece, how that crisis affects people’s personal and
collective consciousness, and how they act toward it.
I get closer to the table. He is wearing a pair of blue jeans, a black shirt, with
the sleeves rolled up, and a loosely knotted tie. He hasn’t noticed my presence
yet. He is drinking a gin and tonic and smokes roll-ups, and on the table, I see
pages of my work; most of them are marked with a red pen. How many
negative comments will I get? I wonder as a cold wave washes through my
body. I thought I had written something good.
“Hey,” I say and try to catch his gaze.
After crossing out a paragraph, he looks up, and his gaze meets mine.
“Jimmy, if you want to become a good writer, then you must study creative
writing,” he blurts out. “You’ve got good ideas, no doubt about that … but
look at this.” He waves his hands over the pages. “It’s impossible for me to
edit your novel.”
I pull up a chair and sit across from him. “Don’t you like anything?”
“If you don’t study creative writing, you’re dead in the water.” He tosses a
few pages toward me. “Your book needs serious editing.” He runs his fingers
through his hair. “It’s crammed with mistakes,” he says shaking his head and
stubbing his cigarette in the ashtray.
I draw in a deep silent breath and try to pull myself together. From a young
waitress, I order a vodka on the rocks, a lemon wedge, and one gin and tonic.
10

11. I lean back in my chair and pull a pack of cigarettes out of my pocket.
“Georgios, could you please explain to me what’s wrong with the story?”
After about an hour of talking about the mechanics of writing a good story,
I came to realize the flaws in my work. Georgios managed to open a few more
doors in my perception of how to improve my writing skills and many other
substantial elements one must implement to write something worth reading. I
realized that the plot in the story was leaking, the characters were flat, the
narrator was confused, and the setting, the descriptions, and the dialogues
needed development. In other words, even the deepest editing wasn’t going to
save my novel. If I was to do justice to the story, I would have to rewrite it. I
walked home with my disappointment trailing my every step, but glad I had
met and talked with Georgios.
Over the next few years, I studied MA in creative writing at the Macedonian
University. To be honest with you, back then it was difficult for me to write a
good story. It was almost impossible. But today, I can comfortably write any
story that comes to my mind. Now, I teach poetry and songwriting at a
university, and so far I have written a literary treatise And the Nobel Prize in
Literature Goes to...Bob Dylan? (edited and translated into English by my
friend Georgios). I also have written a 120,000-word novel, a fantasy story set
in a place after the age of dinosaurs and before the age of man where rabbit
people live. My influence has been the works of George Orwell, Stephen King,
and Tolkien.
Ten years have passed since that night, and Georgios and I, have become
inseparable friends who often fight like stray dogs on the street. When I
remember that meeting at that bar restaurant, I laugh. Though it was difficult
for me to come to terms with the feedback I received that night, in the end, I
took his advice on board and benefited from it.
As you already know, writing is hard work. I am afraid talent is not enough.
You must read and write every day and study the nuts and bolts of your graft.
And you must be an excellent observer of the world around you. And
Georgios is an exceptional writer because he has done all of the above many
times over. He is great at creating strong characters and settings (you can
understand this if you read his book This Is Not America (or… is it?)
His influence has been Raymond Carver, Ernest Hemingway, John
Steinbeck, Stephen King, and other American writers. He absorbed their
influences and made something uniquely his own.
11

12. The result of his life experience as a man, a writer, and a teacher led him to
put together this unique book and share his ripe knowledge and skills with
you. In this book, he explains step by step the important stages of the
ingredients that a good story must have to become successful.
This book will teach you how to use the minimum of words to evoke and
convey the maximum of emotions to the reader. And as many of you already
know, literature and all other art forms are about evoking emotions.
I hope you will enjoy reading, contemplating, doing lots of exercises, and
most importantly, taking pleasure in the unique journey of the imagination
that will be offered to you through this book.
Enjoy the ride.
Dimitrios P. Naskos
12

13. Introduction
Listening to Chet Baker blowing on his horn, I can finally sit down and write
the introduction of this book which had been on my mind for many years.
Maybe I wasn’t ready to put pen to paper yet, maybe I was but didn’t have
enough time on my hands. As you already know, it is not easy to become a
good writer. It's hard work. In my humble opinion, being a good writer is one
of the most difficult professions. Many famous writers can vouch for it. But if
you love to write a good story, then nothing is impossible.
Of all the jobs I have worked, writing is the closest to my heart and soul. As
you can understand, this book is a labor of pure love. When I sit at my desk
and begin to write, my being tunes into a different dimension where it fuses
with the world of mysticism and mystery. It is a world where all the things the
eyes cannot see, exist. And when I am well-tuned in that magical world, all my
fears, anxieties, troubles, and concerns stay in the basement.
They stay in there and wait patiently and silently until I finish with my
writing. Though some of them fade away, it is only then the rest are allowed to
come back out and begin to bother me again. And when I see them coming, I
open my arms and welcome them with a smile. And that’s because they are
part of me, they are me, and as strange as it may sound, it is through and
because of them that I learn the most valuable of all life lessons.
I hear people say that you cannot be taught the art of writing. They say that
you either have it or you don’t. They say you must have plenty of experience,
plenty of talent. Well, I hear them loud and clear, but I cannot completely
agree with such a statement. Talent is a great weapon to have in your arsenal,
but I am afraid that talent alone won’t cut it. Talent will need to be honed and
polished. It will need to be cultivated. And after that, it will need to be put to
the test. If you know the basics of grammar and punctuation, if you have
managed to receive some education, both from school and from life, I think
you are ready to dive into the magical world of writing and create your unique
world.
I would like you to remember that we are all made of the same material
mother nature created us from. Depending on which part of the world you
were born in, you may have different skin and hair colors, different shapes of
the eyes, and other bodily features. But inside, we are all the same, we are all
made of flesh and blood.
13

14. Not blue blood, but red blood. And red is good because it stands for passion,
love, and fire. And this burning fire is as vital as the air we breathe, it is what
makes the wheels in our heads turn and keep the lights burning.
Each and every one of us has a story to tell. Believe me, we do. Since the day
we are conceived, we are genetically programmed to listen, feel, think, and tell
stories. Telling stories has been one of the deepest human needs and it has been
going on since time immemorial. Stories emerge from the magnificent and
uncharted human mind and most of this process functions autonomously
without the control of the storyteller. Stories arise from the unconscious mind
which is the collective tank of all humanity, and they need to be told.
The first well-reported story ever told is that of the book of Genesis. It tells
us the amazing story of how and when God created the universe and us
humans. You can find variations of such extraordinary stories from ancient
Egypt to the Pacific islands, from Scandinavia to China and Japan, from
Hindu and Buddhist in India, and to classical Greece.
The groundwork of all the stories that were conjured up by people to explain
the wonders of the universe, stems from only one thing, and one thing only:
the World Egg. Based on the geography, climate, tradition, politics, and
philosophy of any place on earth, its people created gods, goddesses, heroes
and heroines, mortals, and immortals to give answers as to when, how, and
who created and control the Cosmos. These are sophisticated prescientific
attempts to try and understand why Homo sapiens differ from every other
species on our planet.
Since the Babylonian civilization, writing has been the second most
significant way of communication after speaking. Writing thoughts down and
passing them on to the next generation, has helped us progress both socially
and culturally. Writing is a mirror of life, a noble use of our leisure. It expands
our horizons, keeps our feelings alive, revives our souls, and provides a better
understanding of ourselves and other individuals.
This is not the place and time to delve into the mechanics of such an
extraordinary human journey however I just wanted to make a point that we
humans are the makers and shakers of our reality. Thus, every one of us has a
story to tell. There is no doubt about it. When you decide to write a story –
and since you are reading this, I believe that you have – it is then that the
journey to freedom will begin. And when you put your heart and soul into it,
miracles will happen.
14

15. This simple book contains twenty years of my experience as a student,
teacher, and writer and fifty-three years of experience as a man.
It contains knowledge and wisdom I have generously received through
creative writing classes from all around the world, endless talking with people
from all walks of life along with reading good books, writing, rewriting,
proofreading, and editing. And let’s not forget that without the art of writing
stories, we wouldn’t have given birth to the seventh art which is the
magnificent and extraordinary world of motion pictures.
In this book, you will come across instructive texts combining theory with
practice. All through the analysis of literary devices and exercises, you will be
able to delve into the magical world of literature, understand its secrets,
cultivate your imagination, and successfully write your stories. In this way, you
will create new worlds where through them you will get to know yourself and
the world around you much better.
Moreover, you will learn how to draw material from the environment and
your personal experiences and how to free your imagination and create the
right conditions to improve and perfect your creative writing skills.
And please remember that every writer has a unique way of seeing the
world, and you are no exception. So, in this book, you will learn how to
improve your observational skills and the knowledge that you will need to
build strong characters for a good story. Without strong three-dimensional
characters, I am afraid you won’t be able to build anything that will stand the
test of time.
While it is generally said that only a handful of things can truly withstand
the test of time - sunlight, honey, gold, amber - I confidently believe that
writing should be added to this valued list. For centuries, the written word has
prevailed as a powerful avenue for sharing ideas, preserving history, and
connecting people across time and space. Whether it is engraved into a table or
typed on a computer screen, the written word has the ability to capture human
experience in a way that is both enduring and accessible. From ancient myths
and religious texts to modern novels and scientific papers, writing has left a
permanent mark on our world and will undeniably continue to do so for
generations to come. So, while the four elements may certainly be resilient, let
us not forget the remarkable power of the written word - a true testament to
the endurance of human creativity and expression.
Your ambition is, of course, to become a writer. You ought to be fully
aware of the difficulties writing will bring, but you should do everything in
your power to fulfill your goal.
15

16. 79
Now that you have a good grasp of your characters, as you continue writing
and the story unfolds, you’ll find yourself getting to know them better, much
like how relationships between people evolve in real life. It’s like making new
friends - each interaction presents a glance into their personalities. Along this
journey, your characters may lead you to uncharted territories and unexpected
actions. You might not have planned for these detours, yet you must embrace
them.
As your bond with these characters deepens and you begin to feel a sense of
protective concern for their well-being, you’ll know you’ve achieved a
significant breakthrough – your characters have become real to you. Authentic
characters arouse a desire to shield them from harm, marking the transition
from mere words on a page to living, breathing entities. Surprisingly, these
lifelike characters will even begin shaping the narrative, expressing their desires
within the story, a phenomenon that might seem impossible but holds true.
In my own writing journey, every character I’ve crafted has taken on a
reality of their own. While this notion might be met with skepticism by some,
it’s an undisputable reality for me. In my mind, they exist, leading lives like
yours and mine. Once you adopt this belief about your characters, you’re well
on your way to building a credible and compelling narrative.
In conclusion, your characters are like acquaintances whose traits gradually
unfold before you. As they take on a life of their own, your attachment to their
well-being cement, and you’ll find them guiding the story for you. Embracing
this phenomenon will pave the way to crafting a story that will captivate and
resonate with readers.
Character-driven stories
Almost all stories are based on their characters (character-driven stories). Your
characters must be interesting and well-developed. You can achieve this
through the thoughts, dialogues, and events to which the characters act and
react.
A serious error is to create flawless characters. You should give them
weaknesses, flaws, and quirks. Make sure to reveal the good side of a bad
character and the bad side of a good character. Have a good and successful
character fail. In this way the characters become real.
You should avoid writing the following sentences: Michalis is very
intelligent. Iphigenia is indecisive. George has been drinking a lot lately. The
goal is to make the reader experience the characters, not just get information
about them. Show us rather than tell us. And, in my humble opinion, the right
balance in fiction is 70% showing and 30% telling.

17. She is frustrated because her flight got delayed, causing her to
miss an important meeting.
He is anxious because he lost his wallet.
She is disappointed because her favorite restaurant is closed.
He is relieved because he found his lost car keys.
She is ecstatic because she won a lottery ticket.
He is worried because his car broke down on a deserted road
late at night.
He is confused because he received a mysterious letter with no
return address.
She is surprised because he discovered an old family gift hidden
in the attic.
He is angry because his wife forgot to buy beers.
She is annoyed with him because since he lost his job, he spends
his time on the sofa in the living room watching TV.
It is eleven o’clock and his daughter hasn’t come home yet.
Marcus is worried.
You are expecting a package at one o’clock today, and it
hasn’t arrived yet.
Turn the following lines into showing. These character
situations can create a range of emotions and experiences,
offering potential starting points for developing engaging
stories and exploring character development.
Exercise
80
Example: Telling
Pantelis is upset because his TV broke down and he can’t watch the basketball
game.
Example: Showing
After a few futile attempts to turn the television on to watch a basketball
game, Pantelis slammed the remote on the living room table. “Goddamn
you!” he said with angry eyes and bent down to pick up the batteries that had
fallen on the floor.

18. The characters are the plot. What
they do and say and the things that
happen to them are, in a sense, what
the plot is. You can’t take a character
and plot apart from each other.
Terry Pratchett
English humorist, satirist, and author
of fantasy novels
"
"

19. 149
Surrealism in literature
Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement that emerged in the early 20th
century. It has the power to take readers on a fascinating journey beyond the
boundaries of reality. It challenges conventional notions of logic and reason,
submersing them in dreamlike sequences, unexpected juxtapositions, and the
exploration of the subconscious mind. Surrealism in literature captivates
readers and invites them to embrace the extraordinary and discover new
dimensions of imagination.
Surrealism seeks to unlock the power of the unconscious mind, tapping into
the magical world of dreams, desires, and the bizarre. It embraces the
irrational, the illogical, and the fantastic, challenging readers to suspend their
preconceived notions of reality and plunge themselves into a world where
anything is possible. Surrealistic literature aims to provoke conventional
thinking and explore the depths of human consciousness.
Surrealism is characterized by its distinctive features, which set it apart from
traditional storytelling. One prominent aspect is the use of unexpected
juxtapositions and illogical associations. Surrealist writers employ startling
combinations of images and ideas, defying logical connections and allowing
readers to experience the disorienting beauty of the unexpected.
Another key characteristic is the exploration of the subconscious mind.
Surrealism delves into the hidden recesses of human psychology, revealing
repressed desires, fears, dreams, and the complex layers of the human psyche
that blurs the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Surrealism holds the power to liberate the imagination. It encourages writers
to break free from the limits of traditional narrative structures, adopting
nonlinear plots, fragmented narratives, and stream-of-consciousness
techniques. This frees the writer’s creativity and opens doors to
unconventional storytelling methods, inviting readers to a unique and thought-
provoking literary journey.
Surrealism in literature has enormous power in its ability to transport readers
to alternative realities, challenging their perceptions and expanding their
imagination. It disrupts the monotony of everyday life, offering a sense of
wonder and surprise.
Moreover, surrealism serves as a powerful tool for social commentary and
criticism. By subverting familiar settings and defying established norms,
surrealistic literature exposes societal constructs and challenges ingrained
beliefs. It provides a platform for exploring taboo subjects and pushing the
boundaries of artistic expression.

20. Symbolism in literature
Symbolism is an important literary device that goes beyond the borders of
words and holds a profound place in the literary world. Using objects, actions,
and concepts, symbolism lets writers permeate their words with a deeper
meaning to evoke profound emotions and convey complex ideas. The same
objects can represent something other than their literal meaning. Through
carefully chosen symbols, authors can tap into the collective consciousness,
and draw on shared cultural, historical, or universal associations to enrich
their storytelling.
Everyday items, such as a flower, a clock, or a key, can take on metaphorical
significance. They can represent love, the passage of time, or locked truths.
These objects perform as visual or concrete representations of abstract ideas
and can help the reader’s understanding by evoking powerful emotions.
The use of numbers provides literary characters with an added depth that
connects them to the divine, the supernatural, or fate, which has molded our
existence since the dawn of creation. For example, the number 7 often
intertwines with the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, envy, wrath, sloth,
gluttony, and lust), while the number 4 signifies the fundamental dimensions of
our physical world (length, width, height, and time), the cardinal directions
(east, west, north, south), and the fundamental elements of nature (earth,
water, fire, and air).
The number 3 symbolizes birth, life, and death, or mind, soul, and body. It
may also represent the past, present, and future, or the stages of existence
(infancy, adulthood, old age). Pythagoras spoke of the beginning, middle, and
end, as well as the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas).
Another form of symbolism is the use of colors. Colors have a tremendous
influence on symbolism. They can greatly impact our moods, emotions, and
actions. Red embodies fire, passion, fury, heat, and danger, while pink
embodies femininity and youthful qualities. Orange signifies warmth,
dynamism, and vitality, while yellow is often associated with cheerfulness,
affability, joy, good fortune, and abundance. Blue symbolizes royalty,
business, dependability, and trustworthiness, yet it can also evoke feelings of
melancholy and despondency. Purple conveys majesty, nobility, opulence, and
enigma. Brown signifies organization, strength, and integrity, while green
symbolizes rejuvenation, vigor, prestige, and prosperity. By strategically
employing colors, you can infuse your writing with additional layers of depth
and visual impact.
151

21. 153
Carl Jung -archetypes and The Collective Unconscious
Carl Jung is a prominent Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who established
the concepts of archetypes and the collective unconscious in the world of
psychology and literature. These concepts can offer profound insights into the
universal patterns and symbols that shape human experiences and narratives.
When you explore archetypes and the collective unconscious, you can embark
on a journey that uncovers the hidden depths of human psychology and
storytelling.
According to Jung, archetypes are universal symbols or patterns that live in
humanity’s collective unconscious. You can find these archetypes in various
mythologies, religious beliefs, and cultural narratives, transcending geography,
and time. Jung suggests that archetypes serve as innate blueprints, shaping our
thoughts, behaviors, and creative expressions.
As you might know, the collective unconscious covers a vast and mysterious
area within the human psyche, composing approximately 90% of our
consciousness. A myriad of memories, emotions, unfulfilled desires, dreams,
childhood traumas, and repressed thoughts take shelter in its depths. Equally,
the personal unconscious forms the remaining 10% and is shaped by an
individual’s unique experiences.
After years of devoted exploration, Jung reveals a staggering realization;
within this enigmatic realm lies a fragment of world heritage - an innate
wellspring of knowledge that exists within every individual from the moment
of conception. He labels this mystical territory as the Collective Unconscious,
indicating that instincts and archetypes serve as universal sources of wisdom
that are common to all of humanity. According to Jung, it is a region of the
soul that predates human existence itself.
The collective unconscious evokes an invisible inner library, brimming with
ancient experiences that bind humanity together. These experiences manifest
through dreams, mythology, numbers, symbols, and art, providing glimpses
into the depths of our shared human psyche.
When Archetypes will find their way into your work, they will connect your
reader with narratives on a fundamental level, resonating with their own
subconscious understanding. Archetypal characters, such as the hero, the wise
old man, the mother, or the trickster, stand for timeless patterns of human
behavior and serve as vehicles for exploring universal themes.

22. 167
Suggested Literary fiction
1. All Quite on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
2. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
4. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
5. Animal Farm - George Orwell
6. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
7. Less than Zero - Brest Easton Ellis
8. Death in Venice - Thomas Man
9. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger
11. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
12. Memories of my Melancholy Whores - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
13. Killshot - Elmore Leonard
14. Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse
15. Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
16. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
17. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
18. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
19. Junky - William S. Burroughs
20. Beloved - Toni Morrison
21. The Alchemist - Paolo Coelho
22. Moby - Dick or, the Whale - Herman Melville
23. Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
24. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
25. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
26. The Stranger - Albert Camus
27. Little Woman - Luisa May Alcott
28. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
29. The Count of Monte Christo - Alexandre Dumas
30. Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
31. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
32. The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
33. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
34. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates
35. The House of Spirits - Isabel Allende
36. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
37. Dracula - Bram Stokes
166

23. 168
38. The Time Machine - H. G. Wells
39. As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
40. The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West
41. The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor - Flannery O’Connor
42. The Godfather - Mario Puzo
44. The Hours - Michael Cunningham
44. Elevation - Stephen King
45. King Leer - William Shakespeare
46. Phantom - Susan Kay
47.ramshackle - Philip K. Dick
48. The Talented Mr. Ripley - Patricia Highsmith
49. Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
50. Nemesis - Philip Roth
51. Moon Place - Paul Auster
52. Cosmopolis - Don DeLillo
53. A Passage to India - E.M. Foster
54. The collected stories of Raymond Carver - Raymond Carver
55. The Collected Stories of Tobias Wolf - Tobias Wolf
56. Rocks Springs - Richard Ford
57. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
58. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
59. The Call of the Wild - Jack London
60. The Last Temptation of the Christ - Nikos Kazantzakis
61. American Salvage - Bonnie Jo Campbell
62. The Man with the Golden Arm - Nelson Algren
63. Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis
64. The Coma - Alex Garland
65. Voices From Chernobyl - Svetlana Alexievich
66. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
67. A Time of Torment - John Connolly
68. Post Office - Charles Bukowski
69. Hunger - Knut Hamsun
70. Into Thin Air - John Krakauer
71. Tropic of Capricorn - Henry Miller
72. Mr. Palomar - Italo Calvino
73. Disgrace - J.M Coetzee
74. The Postman Always Rings Twice - James M. Cain
167

24. 169
75. The Royal Game - Stefan Sweig
76. The Light of Day - Graham Swift
77. The Rum Diaries - Hunter S. Thomson
78. Little Infamies - Panos Karnezis
79. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty - Eudora Welty
80. Waiting for the Evening News - Tim Gautreaux
81. The Stories of Richard Bausch - Richard Bausch
82. The Kind Worth Killing - Peter Swanson
83. Ask the Dust - John Fante
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
85. Collected Stories - Dylan Thomas
86. Cocktail Waitress - James M. Cain
87. The 25th Hour - David Benioff
88. Complete Prose - Woody Allen
89. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
90. The Arabian Nights - Anonymous
91. Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
92. The Doors of Perception - Aldous Huxley
93. The Undiscovered Self - Carl Jung
94. The Art of Loving - Erich Fromm
95. The Elements of Style - William Strunk Jr.
96. The Odyssey - Homer
97. Poetics - Aristotle
98. Symposium - Plato
99. Birth of Tragedy - Friedrich Nietzsche
100. Walden - Henry David Thoreau
101. This is not America (or… is it?) - Georgios Andritsos
Coming out in the States on the 8th of August 2023.
168

25. EPILOGUE

26. 170
I hope you enjoyed this book and found it helpful and much more. When you
set your mind in motion to enhance the structure, plot, and subplots of your
story, and commit to doing it consistently, you will soon realize that things will
start falling into place.
As you begin to read the book, it would be wise to linger in each chapter and
understand its contents before moving on. Read the lesson, do the exercises,
diligently proofread, edit your work, and go back to it again. Ask yourself, are
you happy with the outcome? Have you incorporated all the vital elements of
the lesson into your writing? If your answer is positive, then you may go on to
the next chapter.
Occasionally, you may encounter writer’s block, but there is no need to
worry. It's a common phenomenon experienced by many writers. Keep on
doing what you best, and you will surely break free from its grip. It's crucial to
read each chapter and carefully complete the exercises as suggested.
Cultivating a habit of daily reading and writing acts as a shield against writer’s
block. But bear in mind that writing is a craft, a profession like any other, and
a demanding one. Therefore, I recommend that you dedicate five days a week
to writing and allow yourself to enjoy the remaining time. By following this
approach, you may never stumble upon writer’s block.
Let me share a secret with you. When ideas begin to elude you, go for a long
walk to revitalize your lungs, and watch as your mind begins generating ideas
once again. Similarly, sauna sessions can have the same effect. By removing
toxins from your body, your brain operates more effectively. During my long
walks and long sauna sessions, I've got great ideas for my now published
stories.
Some writers prefer to wake up at eight in the morning and begin to write at
nine, devoting four to five hours to their craft. Others thrive as night owls,
finding solace in nighttime writing. There is no right or wrong time to write but
your mind tends to function better after a good night’s sleep.
Throughout the years, I have realized that the most productive writing
happens within a four to five-hour session, at most. Beyond that, both your
body and mind may become tired, something which surely will affect the
quality of your writing. I suggest you stop writing after four or five hours,
particularly when you are in a productive flow. Engage in activities you love,
and you can put in a few additional hours to your writing in the evening.
When you work on a story, try not to worry too much about spelling and
grammar mistakes. There are numerous skilled proofreaders and editors
available to help you with that phase. Remember that your job is to write a
well-crafted story, a story that will create images and evoke emotions.

27. When you complete the writing of a book, put it in a drawer for a month or
two. Then, return to it with a fresh set of eyes and revise it as many times as
necessary. Once you are satisfied with the result, find a skilled editor. As I
already said your job is to craft a captivating story, one that encompasses
remarkable characters, a compelling plot, a well-structured narrative, engaging
dialogue, and more. Your job is to evoke a wide range of emotions in readers,
prompting them to think, smile, laugh, and cry. By the time they reach the end
of the story, they should feel overwhelmed and, if possible, go through a
transformation.
Please, remember that it's mainly the heart that longs for adventure, justice,
honesty, desire, and love - not only the mind. While the mind may appreciate
eloquent prose, sophisticated vocabulary, and grandiose expressions, such
works, when placed on the bookshelf, often fade into distant memories. Do
you know why? Because they fail to touch our hearts.
Thus, try to write from the depths of your heart. Your mind will provide
you with discipline, method, structure, and order for your writing process, but
it's the heart that will help you to evoke the right emotions. And when the
mind and heart fuse into perfect harmony, your work will transcend words,
transforming into an unforgettable experience - one that will surely withstand
the test of time.
I wish you the best of luck with your writing.
Georgios Andritsos
171

28. A poem by Georgios Andritsos
Writers Block
I gaze at a white paper
and the paper gazes back at me
we’ve been at it for some time now
the paper and I.
I’ve done so much gazing
my pupils are turning white
if that was a gazing contest
I’d sure win the first prize.
I have a story in me
that needs telling
but only the wrong words materialize.
I’ve tried all the tricks in the book but what I get back
is crumpled pages
empty coffee cups
an astray filled
with cigarette butts
sighs
grimaces
ass aches
backaches
yawns
dizzy spells
a seven-day stubble and
silence.
but I take that as a good sign
silence is good - right?
among the literary circles
this silence
is labeled as writer’s block
172

29. that’s right
they call it writer’s block.
but I prefer the words
challenge
play
hide-and-seek.
I don’t go worrying about
blocks, bars, bricks, and the lot.
instead, I go on gazing
go on challenging
go on playing
smoother
softer
slicker.
and so, I keep on toying with that silence over and over
until the juice will start to flow again.
until then
good night and goodbye.
173

30. Acknowledgments
Many thanks go to my best friend, my editor, and translator Sofia Verginis for
proofreading and editing this book. My sweet darling, your help is invaluable.
Also, I want to thank Dimitris P. Naskos a fellow writer and a close friend of
mine for being there and giving me the best advice.

32. This highly valuable and enlightening Master Class consists of
nineteen chapters that combine theory with practice.
Georgios Andritsos - a successful published writer and
teacher in creative writing, will share with you his habits and
beliefs, his skills and knowledge of the craft of writing, and
much more. Through the analysis of literary devices and
excerpts from stories, you will dive into the magical world of
literature, understand its secrets, cultivate your imagination,
and successfully write your own stories.
The author has carefully selected the exercises in this book
that will assist you to draw on the proper material from the
environment and personal experiences to free your
imagination and establish the right conditions to improve and
perfect your writing skills.
Every writer has a unique way of seeing the world and you
are no exception. In this Master Class, you will also
understand how to enhance your observation skills and the
knowledge you must have to build strong three-dimensional
characters that will guide you to write a good story that will
stand the test of time.
Comprehensive and invaluable, providing guidance for
aspiring writers. This book makes writing feel effortless,
empowering every individual.
Literary critic, Kyriaki Ganiti
from Dominica Amat & Vivliovamon blogs