For advanced writers, but really great!
358788
It's true what some complaints have been in other reviews, that this book is not for novice writers. However, if you've already learned about basic plot structures, hero's journeys and the rest, and want a specific plot structure for romance novels instead of those other more generic ones that can apply to every novel, then I cannot recommend this book enough!
718079
I was really impressed with this well-written, straight to the point creative writing guide.  There are 57 writing exercises that help you discover the kind of writing you like to do, as well as help you improve your writing skills.  The author, Marjorie J. McDonald also includes a writing assessment tool that will help you establish your credibility as an author, if you choose to publish books, build websites, or blog.  I highly recommend this book!
4491830
Write Better Right Now offers many tools to immediately improve your writing. Not only does it clearly lay out solutions for many situations, it also is fun read. As a reluctant writer, I will continue to consult this volume for all my writing projects.
911449
This book really does what it says it does. Before reading it I was limping by on 1,000 words a day and feeling frustrated that it was taking an age to finish each manuscript. Rachel Aaron gives practical, well-thought out advice that actually works. I didn't get up to 10,000 words a day but did manage 4,000 a couple of times - I managed to write 21,000 in two weeks! Aaron's advice isn't revolutionary, but it hadn't occurred to me how important mindset and planning are to writing well and writing fast. Sometimes we need to have the obvious pointed out to us!

More than just speeding up my writing - and actually writing better - this book also has a great section on how to approach editing. Editing is many writers' (including my) nightmare. Aaron suggests a more structured approach to the 'just throw yourself at it' method most writers use. Rather than starting at the beginning and working your way through, Aaron shows you how to approach editing in stages. Once again, by planning rather than starting at page one and sweating your way through it, you actually end up editing more efficiently and better.

From the point of view of a writer, I found this a life changing book. Highly recommend!
3463070
Very dense with information, and a very big help on making one's way through to amazon selling.  Written by an experienced author in clear language that can help all beginning writers if they take the time to follow through with the information provided.  Without proper format when undertaking the task of writing, we create our own headache to fix later.  This book can prevent that if studied beforehand.
776743
Larry's book has great advice and a step by step approach to writing! I attended a seminar he spoke at and his book has all the tips he didn't have time to cover.  My only complaint is that he has a obvious chip on his shoulder when it comes to other author's advice on writing and he rants quite a bit. The objections of other approaches, feel like he's beating a dead horse after awhile but the advice is so good, I am willing to put up with the rest of it.
I recommend it completely if taken in small doses.
4891609
I used this book as a student in a technical writing class. The book was EXCELLENT, and served all levels of writers well. It starts with general good writing practices -- outlining, avoiding jargon, writing clearly (especially using proper grammar), being accurate, using parallel construction, writing for mixed audiences, using appropriate style and tone, and using good document design (both logical and format-wise). It moves through intermediate topics -- how to use line drawings and other graphics, writing various types of descriptions (chronological, spatial, and so forth), when to use the various types of definitions, and formatting numbers, measurements, and lists. This continues through advanced concepts -- writing instructions, writing for the web, writing in a group, formal report writing, and giving presentations and oral reports.

Some of the stongest points in this book (besides the no-nonsense writing itself) are:

 * "models" (examples of writing) at the end of each chapter,
 * "Advice From the Workplace" (excellent articles about workplace writing),
 * Appendix A (grammar, puntuation, and mechanics -- including numbers and abbreviations),
 * and Appendix B (frequently confused words).

Excellent examples are also part of the text throughout the book.

Sadly, many college students today do *not* have English skills that should be *required* to graduate high school! It's partly due to the large number of non-native English speakers attending college, but mostly it's just poor schooling. This book *does* provide the tools to help college students (who would probably *not pass* a standardized test) to improve their English as well as their writing, if they were given a free pass out of high school. It is up to the *professor* to see that grammar skills are being improved. Sadly, that was not the case in my class -- not at all.

Diana Reep has done all she can to serve both non-native speakers and advanced writers alike. Please, professors, if you buy a book like this, don't waste it by ignoring your students' shorcomings with the English language!
610300
I've stalked followed Gabriela Pereira for about a year now - ever since I read her article on "Layered Revision" in Writer's Digest magazine. Until that point, I dreaded revision. I envisioned a slow, monotonous process with my harsh inner editor as the task master. The mere thought sucked joy from my life.

But Gabriela's multi-step process made sense to me. And in fact, I could see where the hard (sometimes tedious) work could be fun and exciting. Gabriela motivated me to dust off the old manuscript, and I am currently half way through its first layer of revision.

But I am also a life-long learner, and this concept of earning a "Masters" degree without incurring college debt intrigues me. I regularly visit her website, DIY MFA, I am a faithful listener to her weekly podcast, and I am thrilled to be a part of her Street Team for this book release.

I read a lot of books on the craft of writing. In fact, I probably enjoy reading about writing as much as I enjoy the act of writing itself. Having said that, the first third of this book is a very good summary of writing basics. I'm not sure it included anything I didn't know already, but it is always good to review. I would classify this portion as earning the BA degree.

The remaining two-thirds is where my advanced education began. I've already re-read the Layered Revision chapter several times, and know I will return for a refresher course several more times.

Reading with Purpose is a hallmark of the MFA. Well-written books teach us how to write well. I thoroughly enjoyed Gabriela's detailed analysis of the short story, The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. I must confess, I have never been a fan of short stories - I much prefer the longer novel format. But Gabriela has convinced me that short stories are a great way to learn how to develop characters, structure a tight plot, and establish a consistent theme.

While I know building a Writing Community is necessary to grow as an author, Gabriela taught me that not all writing groups are the same. There are times when we need a writing mentor, a writing partner, a discussion group and a critique group. All four communities are necessary - and all four serve a distinct purpose. I am fortunate to have a three out of the four in place. What I need to find for this present WIP is a discussion group... a place where fellow writers who can help me shore up potential story pitfalls. Those who can read my story not only as writers, but also as readers.

Gabriela's knowledge of the writing process, and her ability to teach this process to others, makes this book a worthwhile investment to any writer's library. However, it is her constant sincere encouragement that sets this book apart from its competition. She not only made me feel like I can do this... she made me want to do it. While we do not know one another - and I doubt we will ever meet - she inspires me to do my best because I do not want to disappoint her: my beloved writing professor.

Caveat: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, although this did not affect my review in the least.
1965039
Reminded me a great deal of Linda Aronson's great book "Screenwriting Updated" which perfectly blended the practical (in the form of exercises) and the lateral (in the theory behind the exercises).

The chapters are highly focused, and bite-sized for easy consumption, and the talent behind them is quite staggering - as well as their willingness to part with great techniques.

Probably not a book for the beginning writer, but certainly a great tool for the writer with solid understanding of dramatic principles and structure, who wants a refresher, or needs a little kick-start.
2756908
A pleasure to say this is an excellent work--for all levels of writers.
4774286
Amazing book--most of us reading this have written great work before. What Anne does, though, is take the guess work out of it so that we can write great work *consistently* even on a deadline.  She breaks down the process of writing and makes my job easier.  While reading this book, I made a list of things I could do differently as a writer--for example, during the incubation phase, I am going to paint or I will change my physical environment or I will switch back and forth between writing on paper and using my laptop.  Good writing, Anne explains, requires understanding the dual roles of the scribe and the muse and exactly which parts of the writing process belong to the scribe or the muse or both.  It's when we use one when we shouldn't that we get tripped up as writers--for example self-censoring and editing during a first draft is the scribe getting in the way.  Anne's examples and illustrations are illuminating.  A must-read for writers of all kinds!
1486794
This was an amazing book, and I really liked it. I learned more from this book than I have from any other "Writing Advice Book" that I've read in quite awhile. (And I read A LOT of writing books.)

If you're planning on writing a novel anytime in the future, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. You won't regret it. :-)

However, this book really should have been titled "Plot Your Novel From The Middle", rather than "Write Your Novel From The Middle". The majority of this book was about how writing your book will be much easier by figuring out a key "turning point" in the middle of the novel, and then working your way out from there.

There's no (or very little) reference to actually WRITING your book from the middle, as the title suggests. You COULD do that using the ideas presented by Mr. Bell, but really he just discusses how to plot your novel from the middle.

But I still really enjoyed the book and got a lot out of it. (Hence the 5 star rating.) I just believe the title is somewhat misleading.

But, the title aside, this is an amazing book and I would gladly recommend it to any and all fellow authors who are interested in discovering an easier, better way to right.

-Mark LeGrand Messick, bestselling author
1474655
I am a novice writer and this book series is incredibly helpful. Short, to the point, and with many great examples for each instruction. I wish all of them were available on Audible!

Vivid settings takes what may otherwise be a daunting task in writing and breaks it down in a way that makes it easy to write a great setting without boring the reader.  My 7th grade son overheard parts of this book while I was listening and used what he learned for his language arts story project. It was amazing!
3174851
Amazing! Great writing! Extremely helpful!
1607531
Keys to Great Writing was recommended to me by a lawyer. He had come to America from Egypt and he told me that this book helped him immeasurably. At the time, I was preparing to start a double major in history and English at college. Judging by my course outline, I knew that I planned on producing a voluminous portion of written material for my various classes, and the prospect of tackling PCC's daunting English requirements scared me into buying this book for $13.17 on Amazon. I'm glad I did.

Wilbers relies heavily on Strunk and White's Elements of Style to answer the question, "What are the keys to great writing?"

Before he begins to answer this question, Wilbers starts his book with a quote by nineteenth-century English critic Matthew Arnold: "People think I can teach them style. What stuff it is. Have something to say and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style." And that is the crux of this book. Wilbers wants writers to find something to say, say it clearly, and say it well.

I'm not a big fan of grammar because it bores me.  Simple sentences, complex sentences, compound-complex sentences, participial phrases, subordinate clauses, summative modifiers-who cares? Terms are terms. I've sat through grammar classes and I've tried to get excited about appositives and prepositions, but I have to be honest, I find math classes more exciting. And I hate math.

But Wilbers brings grammar to life. In just 250 pages, the author covers a wide array of techniques that any writer can apply, whether you are writing a research paper, a business report, or the next best-selling novel. Wilbers adorns  Keys to Great Writing with golden nuggets, sprinkling them throughout the entire book, which is neatly organized into three main sections.

In part one, Wilbers discusses the keys to great writing. He delves into the techniques surrounding economy, precision, action, music, and personality.

In part two, Wilbers outlines the elements of good composition. He covers the purpose, the point of view, organization, support, and coherence.

In part three, Wilbers concludes his book with a section on drafting and revising, as well as an useful discussion on the writing process. He includes a glossary of grammatical terms, a checklist to follow while writing, a checklist for proofreading, and a recommended reading list.

Overall, different writers struggle in different areas. I struggle with specificity. I'm often too vague. The following passage on precision really stuck with me once I read it:

"It would be difficult to explore some of the great themes in literature and philosophy without abstract words like truth, beauty, and goodness, but, as a rule, effective writing draws its energy from specificity, not from abstraction and generality. You are more likely to make a definite impression on your reader if you use specific, rather than abstract, words. Rather than `We were affected by the news,' write `We were relieved by the news' or ` We were devastated by the news.'  Use words that convey precisely and vividly what you are thinking or feeling." - Keys to Great Writing, page 39.

Applying this technique furnished my writing with a juicy kick, a shot of adrenaline my prose desperately needed.

But your struggles might not be specificity. Perhaps you struggle with wordiness. Perhaps your writing is dry, or perhaps you have a hard time with organization and support. Whatever your struggle, Wilbers provides an analysis of why you are struggling, and, more important, he shows you the side-by-side technique on how to improve it, and keep improving it.

4.5/5 stars
1217985
Sometimes the beginning part of writing is the most daunting.  However, when you make it fun, easy to understand and take the "unknown" out of the process, you get a winner.

There is so much to recommend about this book, from the down to earth style, the links, and the whole process, you will come away with the information you need to get started on your book.

Well worth it, and I highly recommend it.  Was pleasantly surprised.
1421240
After reading all of the great reviews this book got here on amazon and other sites, it is an understatement to say that it had a lot to live up to when I actually bought it.  I bought the book yesterday afternoon and am finished with it - I just couldn't put it down.  I kept wanting to know more.  The authors hit on many of the things that I found myself doing in my own writing and after having just edited an entire chapter using their advice, I have to agree that my writing is certainly getting better.  Though you may find yourself feeling like an "amateur" for doing some of the things they warn against in this book, I would agree that it is a must-read for anyone who is serious about taking their writing to the next level.  Thank you Brownie and King for helping me see these flaws in my writing and giving me guidance to make it better!