The St. Martin's Guide to Writing
583406
The St. Martin's Guide to Writing  i need it  for school are i would not have order it  i like it i like it i like it
1374546
This book is valuable because it has the story telling ability of an unskilled writer.  The book is an excellent spiritual guide.
4728688
This is a great book. It's not only valuable as a writing guide, it is a great read. I thoroughly enjoy it.
163771
The book is a helpful resource for users already familiar with technical writing and wish to refine. Just keep with it, as it directs you as a checklist of what to do and what not. Please don't expect any magic advice on to how to become an great writer, but what is explained is purely simple and essential rules of composition, grammar and structure of the writing.
In the scientific writing course offered in my school, the book was referred and I never purchased it until after I finished the course. I felt it would be a good companion to hold by and get benefit from, and it surely is.
4611436
I down loaded this book for one reason in particular. Writing is not as easy as just thinking about it or picturing the process in ones mind. The tips and processes listed in this book was very informative and will be useful in every day writing. I plan to use what I have learned when writing.
2841925
Great advice for the new or seasoned author. Excellent writing exercises. I highly recommend this helpful book written with humor and ease.
4347427
As a writer, blogger, and book reviewer, it's important that I understand the mechanics of the craft. This is a really handy 'all in one place' guide for me. It has just about everything I need to effectively review books, or edit my own writing, and is a must have for every writer. Clearly written and organized, it's one of my most used reference books.
1341883
A great book for writers to enhance writing quality in POV. The explanations used by Hall are detailed and many contain examples of usage of descriptions in short paragraphs and bonus a few short stories. A wonderful reference guide by a talented author.
2725137
Paul Carrol introduces thirteen areas for consideration in planning your writing.  He considers planning to be a major element in writing. These important topics become the titles for his chapters and our covered in two sections in the book.

Part One in details a logical approach to writing by leading  the reader through steps which consider type of writing and how this determines quantity, timeframes, research, preparation for writing, and allocating time. Part Two looks at mind maps, divisions, lists, character sketches, key scenes and more detailed helps in planning  your time and research.

I found the material on crafting characters and his summary of the three parts of any writing both interesting and helpful. Carrol writes with clarity and informative. He writes with confidence and conviction.

Planning Before Writing is compact and concise but comprehensive in content.
A good read with practical helps that can provides material for immediate application.
3734340
After looking through this book I have found it very useful. The promps are fun and appropriate for all writers. I found NOTHING inappropriate as i browsed through it. This is a book i would happily use every day to enhance my writing and to get the creative juices flowing. DEFIANTLY recomend
3213481
This book is written in a way that is easy to read and provides great information on the process of writing.  There are some great resources included also.
868589
Writing is a tricky business. For many writers, striking a balance between the creative and commercial aspects of the craft is the biggest challenge of all. The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 offers over 60 articles filled with advice regarding both sides of the business. Philip Martin edited this volume and contributed two articles. It is a great resource for all different types of writers.

The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 is broken down into six sections: "Creativity and Motivation", "The Craft of Writing", "Pitching Your Work", "Internet Marketing Skills", Business Savvy", and "Last Words and Literary Thoughts". Each section features articles covering various facets of the chosen topic. The section on pitching your work should be particularly helpful for writers struggling to get their work published. Jean Ready's "Ten Ways to Land a First Assignment" demystifies the process of landing freelance work. She explains the risks for editors and what writers can do to prove they pose minimal risk. Ready even quotes a number of freelance writers throughout the article. In this article and throughout the book, the articles provide helpful, practical advice for all types of writers.

The "Internet Marketing" section will also be particularly helpful for modern writers. It focuses on blogging. There are articles about why a blog can be a great marketing tool for writers and how to make a blog successful. I also particularly enjoyed Ron McDaniel's "Evaluating Blog Results: Does Your Blog Suck or Succeed?" This article covers the different ways to measure the success of a blog. Some of the measures seemed unusual, but they worked for the author.

For all writers, the "Business Savvy" section could prove to be invaluable. A writer may be the most talented person since Ernest Hemingway, but business savvy could make all the difference in his career. This is one area that creative writing programs consistently ignore, yet business knowledge is extremely important for professional writers. It may not be the most exciting section of the book, but the "Business Savvy" section should be required reading for anyone who wants to earn a living through writing revenue.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is its variety. The articles come from all different types of writers- poets, novelists, children's authors, etc. I have to admit I was impressed by the variety of authors. One of my childhood favorites, Lois Lowry, was even included. Agent Michael Bourret contributed a very interesting piece entitled "A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent." This article provides an informative look at the other side of the writing process. It is good to know what might happen to a manuscript after it leaves the author's hands.

Overall the selection of articles provides a nice mix of information and entertainment. However, one article doesn't seem to fit. There is an article entitled "Simple Stretches for Writers" in the "Business Savvy" section. This article doesn't seem to really fit anywhere in the book. It is an interesting article that would be beneficial to anyone who sits at a computer all day, but it just doesn't fit with the rest of this section. The inclusion of this article probably would not have bothered me if the book had a looser construction. Yet, every other article seems perfectly placed, so this misstep is glaringly obvious.

The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 should be required reading for anyone with dreams of being a published author. It covers the creative and commercial aspects in practical terms with articles from proven authors. I learned quite a bit about the business side of writing. Philip Martin has done a masterful job of editing this "practical anthology."
3327275
I read alot of this in Mr. Konrath's blog. Upon getting a kindle I ordered this and have finally finished it. I think it was about 380,000 words. Alot of information in this guide about all phases of writing a book. Writing, publishing, editing, promoting, it's all here. I especially enjoyed this and would recommend this to any author, published or unpublished. Mr. Konrath has done alot to help other writers and should be commended for his efforts to help us with this craft. Thank you for writing this and teaching us all more about the industry.
2002499
This book is a tremendously valuable asset for anyone who writes regularly.  The author compares writing to making an appetizing meal.  Just like one needs meat, vegetables, spices and an appropriate beverage for a tasty  meal, so a writer needs to use a variety of tools to capture the attention of one's audience.  Heather Holleman cleverly presents suggestions on how to make better use of verbs, punctuation, figures of speech, analogies and revision in order to bring flair to one's writing.  This is a valuable resource that you will be glad you have on hand.
4488342
Doctoral learnrrs writing their dissertation will enjoy reading this short book because it assists in your step by step process in your writing journey. Writing your paper is hard enough, with this book understanding each process and how they are connected so you can format, place heading and sub-headings and your table of contents and your annotations in the proper places. The book also guides you through each step as to cutting down on unnecessay wordieness. Bottom line, its a must have in your writing process.
2487470
I loved this book. Carolyn's writing and wit make it an easy read. This book is useful to new writers and those in the throws of their first book, or if you had an unsuccessful first book. This book is chalked full of useful advice given with a dose of real life. Carolyn's main theme is that writing is not work but a marriage. Check it out.
4580675
I had merely purchased this book due to the requirements of a creative writing class, but after reading it I have found it to be a great benifit to my writing. it is most useful and informitive.