Pros: Frank, blunt, and straightforward; entertaining; eye-opening; thorough
Cons: Not a one
Rating: 5 out of 5
Archive for the ‘Technique’ Category
“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance,” by Alison Kent
Tuesday, October 24th, 2006“Novelist’s Boot Camp”, by Todd A. Stone
Wednesday, October 11th, 2006Pros: Great for inducing discipline; fantastic revision advice; turns the writing process into a (comparatively) simple process of following checklists
Cons: Metaphor/shtick gets driven into the ground; overdoes the “more/bigger is better” advice
Rating: 4 out of 5
Technorati Tags: book reviews, books, editing, fiction, Novelist’s Boot Camp, reviews, Todd A. Stone, write, writers, writing
“The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction,” by Brian Kiteley
Monday, July 17th, 2006Pros: Tons of exercises; plenty of variations; many technique suggestions; the exercises have a purpose beyond simple inspiration
Cons: Occasional mild confusions; some discussions of techniques/trends you might not understand without a college literature or writing education
Rating: 5 out of 5
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“Writer’s Digest Magazine”
Thursday, July 6th, 2006Pros: Helpful articles
Cons: Shallow articles; ads that make you want to scream
Rating: 3 out of 5
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“ByLine” Magazine
Thursday, July 6th, 2006Pros: Some useful articles; few ads
Cons: A little thin on articles for the price
Rating: 4 out of 5
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“On Writing: a memoir of the craft,” Stephen King
Thursday, July 6th, 2006Pros: Funny, entertaining, enlightening
Cons: A few slow bits
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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“The Writer’s Idea Workshop: How to make your good ideas great,” Jack Heffron
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006Pros: Extensive, helpful, useful and eminently practical
Cons: Tone is a bit world-weary at the beginning
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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“Writer’s Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing, Second Edition,” Ed. Michelle Ruberg
Tuesday, July 4th, 2006Pros: Much depth; very specific detail; incredible wealth of information
Cons: Starts off a bit slowly
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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“Writing Children’s Books for Dummies,” by Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy
Monday, July 3rd, 2006Pros: Tons of helpful information; organized; extremely comprehensive
Cons: Legal information could use more explanation in places; a bit thick in places
Rating: 4 out of 5
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“Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy,” David Gerrold
Monday, July 3rd, 2006Pros: Great tips; nifty tricks; fun details; exciting linguistic material
Cons: I can’t agree with all of Gerrold’s advice; uneven coverage of some subjects
Rating: 4 out of 5
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