Reviews (47)

the premier style guide for published American English
It is perhaps time to worry if you feel particulary warm and affectionate towards a book like THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE.
Call Me Old Fashioned, but I LOVE This Book
If you work in the literary world, it drives you nuts on a daily basis to see how few writers bother to check for accuracy when it comes to using quotes, italics, or underlining in their manuscripts; how few know when to use single quotes or double quotes--don't get me started. Suffice it to say, this is the book to consult. Though there are a half dozen style books, you can't go wrong using Chicago!

Important but confusing
This book is necessary for understanding how to cite works using Chicago style, but it can be confusing and unclear.However it has many example sections which I found useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Printing    7. Reference    8. Style manuals    9. Writing Skills    10. English    11. Publishing industry    12. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (4)

Very Pleased
Having just enjoyed listening to Mr. Fry read his novel "The Hippopotamus" on my long commutes, I was immediately attracted when I heard of "The Ode Less Traveled."I have often wondered why I don't understand many poems, (and not just modern ones), and can't tell good from bad.I have tried a number of other books on poetry with no success.Beginning "The Ode..." however, I immediately recognized Mr. Fry's cadence of speech and humour and the first twenty pages have been very easy to follow.Now I am doing his suggested exercises with iambic pentameter, and I am looking forward to the rest and finally knowing something about poetry. In my opinion, Stephen Fry is one of a kind, and what fun it would have been if he had been my high school English teacher!

Standard Stuff
An earnest enough effort but terribly dull. Fry wishes us to revisit schooldays and jot our way through Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare, i.e. learn the basics, pay our dues. And while it may be true that much poetry, eg Bukowski, is mere chopped-up prose, notes and shopping lists, Fry is unwilling or unable to grapple with grandmaster Pound. There should be more on modernist poetry: TSE and Pound. The Waste Land receives scant coverage. Fry is a fuddy-duddy, amusing from a distance and a bore at close quarters. I wish he would let his hair down and give us some edge and spike.

A volume wise and wry, from Mr. Stephen Fry.
One of my favorite quotes about poetry is from Dame Edith Sitwell. "Poetry is like horticulture," she said. "Each poem should be allowed to grow according to its natural form." In his new book, "The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within," Stephen Fry creates a veritable topiary garden of poetry, providing not only an encyclopedic overview of poetic meters and forms in English but a cogent, bracing and witty demonstration of their value. As its subtitle suggests, "The Ode Less Travelled" is written as a primer to both beginning and experienced poets who need, shall we say, a jump start to their creativity. Each chapter offers a discussion, with examples, of a particular meter, rhyme scheme or form, and suggests exercises at the end for readers to create their own examples. Fry quotes English poets from William Shakespeare to William McGonagall to illustrate his points, as well as a gratifyingly large array of American poets. Sometimes, when an example from the canon is not readily available, Fry will write his own, such as when he illustrates a dactyl (one stressed syllable, two non-stressed) followed by a molossus (three sharply stressed syllables in a row) in an imagined argument between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader:
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Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Authorship    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Poetry    6. Writing Skills    7. Poetry / Anthologies (multiple authors)   

Reviews (2)

YOUR GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED
Back in 1991, I was studying creative writing under a published author. The one thing we learned was to expect an average 70 rejections no matter if were beginners or seasoned pros. So if you write something, and you send it to be published, and it is rejected...DON'T GIVE UP!!!
More Than A Reference - It Inspires
You are a writer, and that's why you are reading this review. The same old question, "Can I justify purchasing this book?" I just received the deluxe version of this book, which is the regular book with a year of online access.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Canada    3. Directories    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Publishers and publishing    9. Publishing    10. Publishing (General)    11. United States    12. English    13. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    14. Publishing industry    15. Reference works   

Reviews (11)

Rules For Writers
Comprehensive grammar book.Great sections on APA and MLA format writing.

The best writing reference I've found for the SAT Writing Section
I'm an SAT tutor, and I haven't been thrilled with many of the grammar/usage/writing SAT books on the market.They usually do a decent job on a few topics but not all topics.I'm getting this book for every one of my students (and my own son) because it will not only help them with the SAT writing section but it serves as the best ongoing reference for their use in school.I haven't tried the CD-ROM yet (sold separately) but it has over 1000 practice exercises.

Comprehensive, better than the Bedford Handbook
The college where I teach English composition used Rules for Writers as the Handbook for three or four years. It now uses the Bedford Handbook. I found Rules for Writers to be very full and useful for every aspect of teaching, not only grammar and punctuation, but for composition and research writing as well. It tends to have fairly exhaustive explanations of most points of grammar. It has an especially good section on ESOL problems.All in all, it is a practical useful book that I keep on my writing desk for my own use, even though it is no longer used in our classes.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing   

Editorial Review

Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's Read more

Reviews (662)

Plain everyday wanting to write
I'm your plain everyday wanting to be writer. I found, 'On Writing' to be one of the best books I've read. Mr. King writes of his childhood and life in the first part of this book, then in the second half gives advice on how to write, which I have highlighted and marked up something awful. I was one of those teenagers he talks about in his book, that failed English in high school, and thought I was dumb, because of it. I did write as a child, only for myself, not like Mr. King who wrote for Dave's Rag. I loved the parts that spoke of his and his brothers dreams, escapades, or just having fun growing up. It brought back memories of me and my brother. I've read a few books by King, but I find I loved this one the most. I'm one of the older crowd, five years older then Mr. King. I wish he would write more books on plain everyday life, as he lived with his brother and mother, for me and others out there who don't want to read murder, mystery, etc. I'm not saying I didn't like Misery, because I did. I guess now in my elder years I'm just looking for a little less anxiety. I guess I'm what you call "old" and want to think of the world as a loving place and nothing more. I know I'm just dreaming about loving your neighbor, but I "do" believe that people are out there to love one another. I tried my hand at self publishing a book named, "Fears Flutterby", maybe if Mr. King reads this he can give me some tips.
As Much of a Writer's Manual as a Riveting Tale Told By a Master Story Teller
I am not sure how I should classify ON WRITING. It is part memoir, part guide or manual, and part autobiography. As a reader, this book entertained me. As a writer, this book empowered me.
On Writing, by Stephen King
So you've finally come to it: you wake up in the morning, and decide to heck with this nine to five job, bills, and a squinty-eyed boss that smells like old tobacco - you want something better out of life. You've decided to do what you always wanted to do; become a writer, and create worlds and whole universes for a living.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, American    3. Authorship    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Composition & Creative Writing - General    9. Horror tales    10. Literary    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing   

Reviews (4)

Necessary for Children's Book Authors.
As an unagented children's book author, I was able to compile a list of publishing companies easily from this book. I haven't read through the entire book, but just the 200+ pages of publishers is worth the buy. This book has a lot of information and is well organized. I enjoyed reading about first time authors experiences with their writings and publishing stories. This book is the only one you will need for up-to-date info to start your journey as an author.

For children's writers and illustrators: if you can have only one book on your shelf....
This is a condensed version of the review I posted on my web site, The Purple Crayon. I'm the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, and I have to be familiar with books in the field. CWIM is a very reliable market guide.
very useful
this book was very comprehensive! it gave all the information one would like to have when just starting out. it dosent however go into the details of how to write as a career. overall it will become one of my most valued resources. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Children's literature    3. Directories    4. Illustration Of Books    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Marketing    9. Publishers and publishing    10. Publishing    11. United States    12. English    13. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    14. Publishing industry    15. Reference works    16. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (2)

Superb organization awful content
The range of story and poetry selections is so limited, the materials bore students to death. The issues the texts are obsessed with--morbid existential guilt, death of a spouse or a parent ala Joyce, O'Connor, Cather, etc.,--no longer have the spell-binding effect they once had on the adult sensibility. We now live in an age where more dramatic problems occur. There has got to be some good literature that covers issues of our day, such as mass murder, rape, school-shootings, hysteria, incest, money problems, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, religious intolerance, etc. This textbook is totally out of touch with the current realities of our lives in the 21st century.

Ideal Textbook for Introduction to Literature
I chose to use McMahan's text because it saves me time as an instructor of English.Composition comprises the most significant portion of a student's grade in a college literature class, and this text teaches students how to write an essay about literature from the beginning of the process to the end.I also like the bonus of a novella, The Awakening, which is often taught at the intro. level but under separate cover.Such a deal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. College readers    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    4. Composition & Creative Writing - General    5. English Composition    6. English language    7. General    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    10. Literary Criticism    11. Problems, exercises, etc    12. Report writing    13. Rhetoric    14. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    15. Literature: History & Criticism   

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Resource For Novel and Short Story Writers
I purchased the 2007 NOVEL AND SHORT STORY WRITER'S MARKET because I 2007 will be the year. Of course I've purchased the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 versions of the short story and novel edition or the overall WRITER'S MARKET for the same reason, because each year: 2003, 2004, 2005, or 2006 was supposed to be the year. I've since realized that getting a manuscript to work is not as easy as I had thought and 2003, 2004, and 2005 were unrealistic at best.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Directories    3. Fiction    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Marketing    8. Publishers and publishing    9. Publishing    10. Publishing (General)    11. United States    12. Creative writing guides    13. Publishing industry    14. Reference works    15. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

Whether you write an occasional professional letter or a daily newspaper column, William Zinsser's Read more

Reviews (107)

Excellent for teachers of writing and writers...
This is a keeper.Although I purchased it for a grad class I am taking, I will use it for my teaching and my own writing.
Written very well
Zinsser has certainly mastered the art of writing well, and therefore can speak on the topic authoritatively.This book is not only written with humor, but with empathy for people who are struggling with the ability to write well.The book certainly demonstrates that this ability is not inherent, but rather it is moreso the ability to work hard, understanding that writing is a process and a very messy one at that.This work can inspire the worst among us to really try at being the very best writer that we potentially can be.

Talk about verbose
I am not a fan of this book. He begins by saying Do not use complicated words when a simple one will do. Then he continues by using complicated words throughout the entire book. He proceeds by telling the reader to do everything they were told not to do: use "I" and start sentences with "but." He is the only person I have heard of that is pro "I" and I refuse to do poorly on future essays because he likes it whereas no one else does. Much of his style is completely subjective--he doesn't explain well why he likes some phrases and dislikes others. One thing I'm sure of, no matter what I'd write, he'd hate it, including this review. In my opinion, the author can be described by words he uses frequently in the book: pompous and utterly (he'd say that word is unecessary but oh, I think it is) pretentious. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Creative Writing    4. English language    5. Exposition (Rhetoric)    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Reference    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Writing Skills    12. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (1)

"Happy Customer"
The item I purchased was on time.I was able to use the textbook in time for college. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Essay    5. Grammar    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    10. Report writing    11. Rhetoric    12. Creative writing guides    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    14. Literary studies: general    15. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (67)

dangerous
the author insists, so far as I can tell, that the only way to write a decent novel is based on some Aristotelean idea of the 'premise' which cannot be violated.'Love leads to death' is an example for a character who dies as a result of being in love.This is nothing but an obscene simplification of the plot.It's absurdly reductionist.
One side of the story
Let's be clear what we're buying here: an authoritative text on how to deploy character, crescendo, climax and theme in the idiom of the dramatic novel. Frey is covering the big picture, how skilled writers nurture the evolution of tensions through the work as a whole. His references to the classic canon of American fiction reinforce the message that these techniques are the essence of drama, and not just the stock in trade of pulp fiction.
A How-to-Write Classic
How to Write a Damn Good Novel is billed as "a step-by-step no nonsense guide to dramatic storytelling." I don't know about the step-by-step part, but Frey's advice is definately no-nonsense and will help you create dynamic stories.
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Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Reference    5. Technique    6. Language Arts & Disciplines / Authorship   

Editorial Review

Wherein we discover that many of the "rules" for good writing and good sex are the same: Keep your hand moving, lose control, and don't think.Goldberg brings a touch of both Zen and well... *eroticism* to her writing practice, the latter in exercises and anecdotes designed to ease you into your body, your whole spirit, while you create, the former in being where you are, working with what you have, and writing from the moment. ... Read more

Reviews (140)

Freeing the Writer Within
In Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg challenges the writer to break free from conventional syntax, sentence structure, and the goody-two-shoes nature which compels us to write only what we believe others want to hear. Through this book, I have realized the importance of separating the writer from the editor, and allowing for free-flow thought. Goldberg encourages writers to extract themselves from the distractions of the home, to write in a cafe, a dinner, a foreign country. Consisting of short chapters, injected with entertaining anecdotes and written with amusing candor, Writing Down the Bones is a quick and easy read with very satisfying results.

Reads for a Writer
Natalie Goldberg offers and excellent insight into the life of a writer and what it means to write. This book covers all of the basics for beginning writers. The exercises allow you to experiment with poetry, short stories, narratives in both fiction and non fiction. Everyone gets writers block of hass a dry spell where you just can't wuite find the motivation. Goldberg offers remedies for everytype of person and reminds us not to let ourselves get in the way of our writing.
What inside you wants you to write?
Writing Down the Bones is not about the technical aspects of writing craft, it's about a philosophy to express what's inside you.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Creativity    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Reference    6. Self-Help    7. Self-Help / Creativity    8. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (4)

Rules that Rule
There's English and there's effective English.Roy Peter Clark knows the differences between the two and, luckily for us, he knows how to teach them to others.His fifty rules of better writing will help any writer at any level of their career.

Wonderful!
Roy Peter Clark's Writing Tools is to authors and journalists what Home Depot is to construction workers. Clark gives writers a fully stocked shed of clear, concise tips, strategies and guidelines to instantly help improve anyone's writing.
A new guide for an old craft
I am both a newspaperman and and an author. I have followed Roy Peter Clark's teachings for many years, so when this book came along -- comprising many of Clark's extraordinary Poynter essays -- I snapped it up, and am glad I did.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Reference    9. Rhetoric    10. Rhetoric (General)    11. Writing Skills    12. Creative writing guides    13. English    14. Reference / Writing Skills    15. Reference works   

Editorial Review

Even in 1934, Dorothea Brande knew that most writers didn't need another book on "technique" -- and this, before so many more would be published.No, she realized, as John Gardner notes in his foreword, "the root problems of the writer are personality problems," and thus her wise book is designed to simply help you get over yourself and start writing, with techniques ranging from a simple declaration to write every day at a fixed time -- no matter what -- to exercises that come close to inventing the TM and self-actualization movements that would follow a few decades later. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

This book turned me into a writer
There's a reason this book has been in print since 1934. It's a classic. It's the book that turned me into a writer, actually. (I've had 11 books and more than 350 articles published since I read this book.) You will have to overlook some of the language that does make it seem dated, but if you follow her suggestions, you will learn how to work with the creative process. This is the book that spawned a whole genre of books on becoming a writer, perhaps including Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, which I also love. But Brande's book is simpler, and a good place to start. Be forewarned: You must actually do the exercises Brande suggessts to get anything out of this book. If you do, you will see fruit.

Oldie But Goodie
Brande's book helped pioneer the contemporary monster genre of books on the writing life. "Writing Down the Bones," "Bird By Bird," etc. and etc. and etc. all have roots meandering back to this classic. Personally, I prefer some of its heirs, but many name writers have paid it homage. In it you'll discover that the idea of writing "morning pages" to kick-start the habit of scribbling wasn't original with Julia Cameron of "Creative Way" and its sequels fame; and Brande prefigures the right brain/left brain dynamic, too. I could live without her Freudian schmutz, but the book's original publication date, 1934, explains its presence. All in all, if you're a person who reads writing books regularly--to inspire, to goad, to learn, to dream--you'll no doubt want "Becoming a Writer" in your library.

From Archaic to Modern in One Short Period
Ironic that this book came out in the same year, 1934, as James M. Cain's breakout novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice.Cain's charge was the launching pad for hard-bitten, tell-it-like-it-is, choppy dialogue, a style that is still much in vogue today.#####Although Brande's style is distinctly that of another period, which unlike Cain's did not carry through to our present day, it nonetheless retains a certain charm which should be forever recognized.Her intermixture of pathos and purity side-by-side with an indefinable restlessness--a never-say-die pursuit of truth--is indeed endearing.What I liked best about this book is its in-depth probing of rest / work balance, an aspect of writing seldom examined. In my writing career, on the work side of the equation, I found that chewing on a narrative problem late at night, right into the alpha state of sleep, would produce answers first thing in the morning upon awakening.So often I would scramble out of bed and hasten to my old IBM Selectric typewriter to immediately get down on paper, pound into print, those wonderful ideas and phrases that came together in my head overnight.#####Many of the thoughts so eloquently expressed in this book, outdated as they are, should come through like a telepathic echo. To any young writer still at the front end of his / her writing career they should appear like a down payment on a dream. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Psychology    9. Publishing    10. Technique    11. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (7)

Writing for Magazines
I thought the author of the book is very direct on how to write for magazines. In addition the book is inspiring.

Cheryl knows her stuff
I took a workshop that Cheryl taught a few weeks ago, and she really knows her stuff.I left highly motivated.Definitely pick up this book!

Covers everything for beginning writers
I found this book to be extremely helpful & appreciate the way the author so obviously cares about helping the reader to be successful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    3. Feature writing    4. Journalism    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Literary Criticism    7. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

For many years, Lajos Egri's highly opinionated but very enjoyable Read more

Reviews (28)

An excellent guide for any writer
The book is beautifully written in a style that makes you feel that the author wants you to succeed.Many books on writing seem more concerned with why the author himself/herself believes he/she is a great writer.This book is an actual guide for writing.Lajos Egri has a love for building memorable characters and through the use of examples and Q/A sessions, he teaches the craft.If you want to write, this book is a must.

A School In A Book For Writers
I'd reccomend that writers read this book and take notes and/or mark it up with a highlighter. Nuggets and chunks of information are scattered throughout.
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
This work offers some very good insight into preparing the dramatic work and is a must read for the serious student and learned writer.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Drama    4. General    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Performing Arts    8. Publishing    9. Technique    10. Theater - Playwriting    11. Writing Skills    12. Creative writing guides    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / General    14. Plays & playwrights    15. Reference works   

Reviews (43)

If you are selling a novel, this is not the book for you.
I laid down my coin on the assumption that this book would help me with writing a book proposal for a novel - before the "look inside" feature. The title is misleading, even though the author tries to appeal to novel writers by sprinkling the concept around like glitter on a greeting card; it does not have any real substance. 2 stars for that.
Good resource for novice non-fiction proposal writers
I have this and Elizabeth Lyon's book, and both have helpful. I like Larsen's book for the hints and tips strewn throughout. Its more than a theory of proposal writing. He shares tips on when its okay to veer from the norm and when its not. It offers some helpful examples as well. I don't know how good it would be for a fiction book but I have been referring to it constantly as I write my proposal.

I'm going to write "How to Write a Book About How to Write a Book Proposal" and give it to this book's author.
This book is full of helpful information, but man is it boring.Every chapter is about twice as long as necessary, the text is dry and bland, and whole chapters seem completely uneeded. Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Book proposals    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Publishing    8. Art techniques & materials   

Reviews (17)

Good Resource for All
My publisher recommended this book as I prepared to write my second non-fiction book.I was looking for guidelines for proposal writing, and was not disappointed.I found something helpful in each of the ten proposals the Hermans chose to illustrate their guidelines. The list of elements that need to be included in any proposal, no matter the genre, convinced me I'd do well to follow their advice.I recommend this book for new authors looking for help getting their foot in a publisher's door.

Success Breeds Success
Many unpublished authors have never seen a successful book proposal that landed a book contract. In simple, straight-forward language, Jeff Herman and Deborah Herman provide would-be writers with TEN different examples of book proposals which sold--combined with their analysis of why they sold.
A Perfect Resource for Anyone Writing a Nonfiction Proposal
I recommend this book to anyone who tells me they need help with a nonfiction proposal.Literally.I can't think of a better resource on the market in terms of giving concrete examples and explaining what a proposal should accomplish, and how precisely it should be organized.A MUST for anyone looking to nail down a nonfiction proposal! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authors and publishers    2. Authorship    3. Book proposals    4. Business Communication - General    5. Composition & Creative Writing - General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Reference / Yearbooks & Annuals    10. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

The difference between