I have a nasty little secret (for a book review blogger). I don’t like to read book blurbs. It spoils the surprise for me. Because of this possible flaw, How to Tell a Story was not what I expected. It is specifically discussing how to prepare to tell a trueContinue Reading
Robert’s Rules of Writing is a mixed jumble of advice about plot, character, motivation, and setting. The last two are referring to the writer—not their characters. To illustrate this point, four of the rules are Skip the Starbucks, Burn Your Journal, and instead Take a Walk Around the Block (andContinue Reading
The title, 27 Essential Principles of Story, basically explains what the book is about. It looks closely at plot, character, setting, dialogue, and theme. The book uses a simple system. First, a brief description of the principle. Then, a detailed explanation of how the principle works. Next, an example fromContinue Reading
In Mastering the Process: From Idea to Novel, the author of the Inspector Lynsey series reveals the process she uses to write her crime novels. How will her process help budding writers? “By developing and utilizing a process, we eradicate our fears of the blank page and eliminate the chaosContinue Reading
Filled with common writing issues, English Grammar is a fun (yes, actually fun!) way to correct your grammar, punctuation, and word use. Quick! What is the easiest way to determine whether to use “further” or “farther” and “affect” or “effect”? If you said for the first pair, farther refers toContinue Reading
If you want your readers to lose sleep because they can’t stop reading your book, How to Write a Page-turner will explain step-by-step how to it. Beginning with the four types of tension (danger, conflict, uncertainty, and withholding), the book explains exactly how to add each one to the characters,Continue Reading
Whether you write mysteries, fantasy or science fiction, Putting the Science in Fiction is an exceptional way to avoid factual errors. But it is also just a great way to catch up with current technology trends. When your spaceship dramatically explodes into a fiery cataclysm, scientists everywhere are screaming (withContinue Reading
The Writer’s Guide to Wattpad is an excellent resource for new writers and those frustrated with typical ebook distribution channels. Wattpad allows writers to have a personal relationship with their readers while building their fan base and social media presence. While it is free and easy to create content, thisContinue Reading
Hit by writer’s block on your novel? To push that block off your shoulder, try writing magazine articles while also working on your masterwork. With newspapers closing, “91% of US adults [still] read print magazines.” This guide is filled with practical advice to write targeted articles that will make someContinue Reading
Mastering Plot Twists pulls back the curtain on how the writing process works. Excellent manual on plotting, character motivation and including the unexpected within your writing. Each chapter includes a brief lesson, a multitude of examples, and exercises for the reader to apply the knowledge to their own works. ThereContinue Reading
If you never took or only vaguely remember a college English 100 class, Sleuth: Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries is a perfect read for aspiring or new writers. It is also extremely useful for book reviewers like myself. Within Sleuth: Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries, Ms. Bowen extensively covers allContinue Reading
Style guide for the social media generation and those that want to communicate with them. Based on the Buzzfeed Style Guide (https://www.buzzfeed.com/emmyf/buzzfeed-style-guide?utm_term=.lmm2Yq31eo#.eezqxB8Lnl) and written by the same author, A World Without Whom goes further by explaining the whys behind the rules. Emily also pokes fun at herself and fellow copyContinue Reading
Practical ideas for improving your writing. Telling Stories covers most areas of writing short fiction, novels and memoirs. It has sections on structure, characterization, detail, point of view, language and revision. It also has a short section on the writing life, which includes how to start writing and defeat writer’sContinue Reading