If you want a no nonsense book about writing, this is it!
358908
I had read in numerous places that On Writing by Stephen King was an excellent book on writing.  Guess what they were right!  Not being a Stephen King fan, and not enjoying reading horror at all, I had been reluctant to purchase this book.  What King does in this book is amazing.  Not only does he tell his story that I found both interesting and humorous at the same time, he lays out what good writing is, how to become a good writer, and what the writing life requires to be successful.  Direct.  To the point.  Very engaging and above all, helpful!  Given King's direct no nonsense approach to giving writing advice, I found this book the most helpful of any other book about writing that I have read thus far.
11183
Judy Bridges gives straightforward advice for writers in Shut Up and Write!  Whether one is a beginning writer, a professional writer, a teacher of writing, a fan of writing, practical words will be found within these pages.  Most importantly, Judy Bridges always encourages the writer to never give up.  Whether it's tips to get a writing project going, tips to develop ideas into finished pieces, advice on revising, or getting your work out there to be published, Shut Up and Write covers the whole process.  Bridges' style is like a smart, take-no-nonsense-teacher, the one who might have been hard on you but you knew that there was all care and nurturing going on.  A bonus a reader will find is the writing that Bridges includes from her years of teaching and gathering writing.  I found one of the most enjoyable parts of reading the book was the great writing she has chosen to illustrate her points.  Not only will you find a lesson in writing and encouragement to keep doing it, you will find great examples of writing that show you how its done.  Great stuff from someone who takes writing to heart.
313808
There are a lot of how-to books for beginners on how to write fiction and non-fiction, but very few for the more advanced writer who wants to excel--that is, until a writer friend discovered and referred me to Robert Olmstead's "Elements of the Writing Craft." It was like discovering a rare jewel. Best of all, it was easy to read and easy to follow the well-planned exercises.

The book is incredible, analyzing works of the masters. Olmstead fills the book with exercises the author can apply to their own work. His guide to better writing has been an incredible help to me, and I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind book to develop better writing skills.

Bonnie Myrick Eaton
1489139
Jeff Goins has written a very useful primer for aspiring writers. He starts out encouraging you, telling you that you have to do what drives you. Then he gives you the low-down on the things you have to do to make it happen - build a platform, develop relationships with your fans, friends, and patrons. He also talks about how to develop relationships with editors and publishers and gives examples for a written pitch. He reminds you to be courageous, because becoming a writer is hard work. In fact, the writing is only part of what it takes to be a writer.

I hesitate to give it 5 stars only because it doesn't address the actual art of writing, but I'm giving 5 stars anyway because that is probably beyond the scope of an ebook like this. Check out Jeff's "Tribewriters" course to get the other stuff. And do read this, if you think you might be a writer.
2491121
I received a copy of this book as an ARC, and it is now a part of the Library. A permanent part.

Stephen King made a comment in his brilliant ON WRITING, "Most books about writing are filled with bullsh**."

Jodie Renner follows that in cutting out the BS in a friendly, informative way. With a little bit of imagination, it would not be hard at all to read this and imagine Jodie is sharing all this information over a lunch table. Written in a friendly conversational way, Jodie cuts through it all, takes the reader by the hand, and explains in ways that actually make sense how to "Captivate Your Readers".

Her previous books - FIRE UP YOUR FICTION and WRITING A KILLER THRILLER - started me reading and taking Jodie's advice. In CAPTIVATE, Jodie takes it all one step further. Step by step, chapter by chapter, Jodie examines and clarifies what readers want these days, how to make it happen, and - more importantly - how to add your own spin to her lessons and craft a compelling story the reader cannot put down.

If you want to write, read this book. If you're serious about writing, read this book. If you are making a living as a writer, read this book. If you have reads a hundred books "About Writing", read this book. There is no one, and I do mean NO ONE, who would not come away with a lesson or two from it.
88030
No one expects a book about writing to be a fun read. This one is. Like Jane Smiley  in "Thirteen Ways to Read a Novel," Hough manages to be lucid, witty, and straightforward. And he pulls no punches. We learn what writers he enjoys and why he enjoys them (a fairly well-balanced mix of males and females). We discover with his help what works and what doesn't in dialogue. Most important, he does NOT show examples of bad dialogues; he shows what makes the good ones good and why. This, I appreciated. One thing I would have liked to know more about is something so basic, I'm sure most experienced writers don't think about it. The best dialogue probably begins with many so-so drafts as the writer "just gets it written." Eventually, it's ready for the fine-tuning Hough spells out for us in this concise, handy, well-organized book.
981179
I'm not a writer, per se.  But, I did enjoy this book about 14 prompts for getting started writing.  Whenever I've tried writing as an avocation, I've used prompts to give me a subject about which to write.  Joe Bunting does that with this book.  He gives a writer something to write about.  And, this isn't just a list of topics to jump-start a writer's mind.  This is a book that gives a little, gentle advice from a guy who is in the trenches, making a living with words.

If you want to be a success at anything, find a person who is successful in that field and do what they do.  Well, I think Joe is a successful writer. He does what it takes to be successful . . . he PRACTICES his craft.  And he urges other writer to follow suit. Is he a Hemingway? No, . . . but neither is anyone else, except Hemingway!

This book will probably get some people started on the road to becoming a writer . . . a REAL writer.  Maybe I'll be one of 'em!
1357809
I checked this out of the library, renewed it-and now I am going to actually buy it-it really is that good.  Scott Edelstein covers every aspect of the writing life and publishing game that you'd want to know  about, and he does it in a clear and witty fashion.  No patronizing here:  he treats the reader as an equal( a refreshing quality)and as a confidant,  turning a sometimes harsh light on many aspects of working as an author  while also offering many nuggets of help and support.  I don't think you  could be better armed to write and publish than to read this book-unless  you already have a number of professional authors as friends.
3919493
I have read a tremendous number of "how to write your novel" books and what I have found is authors going on and on forever without getting to the point.  They want to make writing hard. They want new writers to be overwhelmed and confused with overly technical terms and exercises. Mosley puts it out like it is... He is very straightforward with the overall process of what you need to do to write your novel. This book is 103 pages jam packed with what you'll need to know (as an overview) to write your novel. In fact, I have over 18 pages of notes and ideas that were sparked by Mosley's simple statements.  This book is sort of like "Get Rich" books in that it doesn't take much to be a millionaire but the steps are so simple that nobody believes them hence the majority of people stay broke.  Mosley gives an excellent picture of what you need to do to be a writer but he puts it in such simple terms that readers may discount what he's saying--don't.  The only thing I would have liked him to expound on a little more are how to get through "middles" and what you might do during "rewriting" when you find holes in your plot. But all in all it was very inspiring and simplistic. What I needed to jolt me back into re-writing my novel.
2063064
G.Miki Hayden writes so clearly (and humorously) about all those things we writers aren't sure that we're doing correctly... So, FINALLY, an easy-to-read guide written with great common sense and clear "instructions." As a former editor, there was nothing that turned me off faster than a manuscript filled with typos and grammatical errors. Now, there's no excuse, writers! It's all written down for us in black and white with the "whys" of why we do this or that,  in grammer and punctuation, in plain and simple language that's easy to understand and makes sense.

[...]
2457565
By far, the best book on writing well that I have ever read (other than perhaps, Strunk and White). It was witty (I actually did laugh out loud at certain points), practical (when to use adverbs and when to refrain) and insightful (the importance of good writing being reader-centric, "empathy). Super job Ann!
3159897
I love this book. I understand better how to write, particularly my opening pages. The author backs up his points with excellent explanations and examples. If you write for fun and even more so if you wish to be published, or even if you teach writing - get this.
1180386
This book on novel and screen play writing brings a clarity to the fiction writing process I have not found before. In order to make this point, hopefully persuasively here, let me just say that I have been laboring at bringing my novel-writing skills up to publishable level for a number of years, and consequently I have read a lot of excellent fiction-writing how-to books, at least over 30 and took thorough notes from most of them, and also even completed two courses on fiction writing to boot.

This book is essential.  It's rather amazing, really.  Larry Brooks packs into one volume a huge a mount of concentrated but very-reader-friendly and key information for writing fiction, specifically novels and screenplays. What is particularly good about this book is that he doesn't get bogged down in the specific details of specific fiction techniques, like how to write realistic dialogue, how to use metaphors, how to describe emotions by showing rather than telling--all skills that are very important to learn and develop skill at writing.  This isn't the only book you should read to perfect your writing skills, but it is really a good place to start!

But what the novel writer needs, first and foremost, is a game plan for actually structuring an effective novel.  Effective whether you are writing popular fiction or aiming for literature.  Not formulas, but the big picture and what needs to go where and why.  Formulas are rigid. Every principle Larry includes is flexible to a degree and in no way inhibits creativity.  As a matter of fact, creativity is quintessential to apply those principles successfully!

The key points Larry Brooks includes are not all that new, although the in-depth understanding you can find on every page is new, and the potent clarity he brings to each point is new.

Clarity is essential to all of us who write fiction, even beginners, even pros, those of us aspiring to create the "great American novel," or a best seller, or just to get published.  We need to know what we are doing.

If I had to go to war again (I did once) and if I were a commanding general, there would be a lot of things I would need to know and remember.  I would, of course, benefit from a lot of experience in that arena (like for the writer putting words on paper over a period of years!).  But I would need clarity. And I had better be clear on what I need to achieve to get victory and how to go about it, what to do first, then next, and then next.  Fiction writing is a war!

The chapters on theme are among my favorites (although you couldn't pry ANY part of the book away from me).  More clarity there than I have found in any other book, though some came close.

Would you like to publish a novel, would you like to do that in a few years rather than ten or twenty?  I cannot guarantee you'd be published, of course.  But assuming you have that potential, and all that goes into it besides a knowledge of the craft, this book can, to my mind, hasten your victory.

Highest recommendation.
3952121
To those who fear this book would make their writing wooden and formulaic, fret not! This is one of the best "plotting" books I've come across... Not only does the author offer great tips on how to increase your writing speed (to the point of being able to write a novel a month), she details her exact plan to avoid ever writing yourself in a dead end ever again.
When she writes that characterization is what great stories are all about, she's 100% right... and she gives us the exact process to follow to ensure our stories never fail the mark. This is a book to read twice if not three times to digest all the value.
1460875
The Creative Compass will not only keep you on track but will keep you moving along. This book on the creative process practices what it preaches. It is concise and doesn't waste paper space with useless words. Even though it is not an encyclopedia on writing and is "only" 256 pages, every word has a purpose. The book is invaluable for both experienced or newbie writers. It covers nearly everything in enough detail to be of help to any writer. I love this book. From the structure to the writing to the content, it is fabulous. Got me hooked from the start and couldn't stop ingesting all that good writer's food until I was done. Good job and well done.
3799325
I really loved this book, it is a perfect level of both breaking things down simply but also not talking to the reader like you are an idiot. If you are reading this book you probably know a bit about comedy and writing and the book assumes that. It is full of great exercises to do that will help you flesh out characters, plot points, stories etc... The exercises alone make this book worth it as you will have a whole array of tools to use for various parts of your writing process.
1324579
With straight talk as though the author wrote the book just for me, I found this to be the motivation I need to get back to writing and making it a priority in my life. Not just thinking about it daily, but doing something towards my goal. The excercises are simple and fun and help get the writer writing! In an easy to read, conversational style the author makes it clear that you don't need to sit for hours everyday to be a "writer". You just need to set aside even 10-20 minutes a day and get that pen to the paper. Even reading books, lots of different types of books, can help in achieving your goal. Most of all you have to really want to do it and make it a priority in your life. To make time for it. The most valuable advice she gave was stop talking about it. Really, stop talking about it and take the time and energy you are wasting talking about it and DO something. Write!