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Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The true craft - and graft - of writing This book won't write your novel for you. It won't tell you how to get it published. But what it will do is guide new (and not so new) writers through the essentials. If you have a great idea for a story and are basically literate, this book is a very good way to turn out an excellent book. It guides writers through the basics of plot and character, point of view and setting, and through to those final elements such as rewriting and editing many writers try to avoid. It is thorough and understandable,... more info
Beside the point I think some reviews of this book are beside the point - it's more of a course-book for people who go to "Creative Writing" courses at uiversity, or ideas for teachers of same rather than a book about how to improve technique. Neither do I have any quibble with its not being a WRITE FOR PROFIT! piece of puff that hopes to fleece naive hopefuls. That said, it's just not a very good course-book. Most of the "ideas for writing" are flat, flaccid or just plain time-wasting stuff for teachers to use in a crisis... more info
two thirds of this book is really useful I bought this book quite a while ago and still dip into it now and again for inspiration. Different writers give their advice, and i have earmarked those chapters written by the writers i found the most inspiring/helpful. There are two or three 'advisers' whose advice is a little superior and somewhat irritating, but this is made up for by those whose advice i have gleaned plenty from. I have recommended this book to several writing friends, and was certainly glad to discover it myself. You WILL find this... more info
Not helpful at all This book implies that is is a guide to creative writing. I found it irritating. It's more like a group of people discussing elements of writing from their own particular perspective, with little to no constructive advice. Yes there are excercises suggested, but the instructions are often badly laid out. There is a certain element of literary 'snobbery' - commercial success appears to be frowned upon by the authors and contributors. I would not recommend it to anyone who is looking for an... more info
