I think stereotypes get so ingrained into us that it’s possible for us to express them without actually buying into them. Which is why it’s so important to point out to someone when they’re expressing a stereotype, and to try…
Blog Archives
Writing bigots as characters
I stumbled across an online conversation about authors creating racist, sexist, or homophobic (etc.) characters, and readers feeling the characters’ views reflect the authors’ views. The argument was that authors should be able to write characters with negative character traits…
Review: “Breakthrough the Block,” Allen C. Paul
Pros: Decent ideas Cons: More like a blog post than a book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Breakthrough the Block!: 5 Steps to Renewing your Inspiration, by Allen C. Paul, is more like a long blog post than a book.…
Review: “Writing Deep Scenes,” Alderson and Rosenfeld
Pros: Wonderful tips Cons: A couple of… miscalculations Rating: 4 out of 5 I have mildly mixed feelings about Writing Deep Scenes: Plotting Your Story Through Action, Emotion, and Theme (by Martha Alderson and Jordan Rosenfeld). It feels very mechanical…
Review: “How Not to Write a Novel,” Mittelmark and Newman
Pros: Useful AND funny as hell! Cons: A little inconsistency Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman give us a handy guide: How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them–A Misstep-by-Misstep…
Review: “It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again,” Julia Cameron
Pros: Very handy Cons: A bit new-agey Rating: 4 out of 5 Julia Cameron’s It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond is, in general, aimed at people who are retiring from a…
Review: “Break the Block,” Leslie Watts and Alyssa Archer
Pros: Primarily process prompts; interesting photos Cons: There are so many prompt books out Rating: 4 out of 5 Review ebook provided free by publisher. Okay, admission time: No matter how many writing prompt books I read (and I’ve…
Posted in Reviews, Writing Tagged with: Alyssa Archer, Leslie Watts, writer's block, writing, writing prompts
"This Is Not A Book," Keri Smith
Pros: Very freeing; highly unusual; childlike and playful Cons: Needs a few more blank pages to keep exercises from interfering with each other Rating: 4 out of 5 Review book courtesy of Penguin Group. Keri Smith’s Wreck This Journal…
A musing on description
Since I didn’t end up writing a review today, I thought I’d put up a little musing on description I’ve been thinking about recently. While concrete description is important, sometimes it’s also important to know which details to leave out.…
"Wreck This Journal," Keri Smith
Pros: Very freeing; highly unusual; childlike and playful Cons: A couple of details could have been thought out better Rating: 4 out of 5 Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.. *Sounds of disused muscles stretching* It’s been a while…