- Art of Fiction, The: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner (1983)
[7/10]
"Much of this advice can be found in the myriad of books on writing, but often, since Gardner is teaching to the would-be literary writer, he has new ideas about how style and technique can be used to create specific effects that many how-to books never address."
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (1994)
[7/10]
"Lamott focuses her advice on getting you in tune with your subconscious and on overcoming a lack of self-confidence."
- Book Reviewing (1978)
[5/10]
"Kamerman set out to provide advice to aspiring writers who want to publish book reviews. Book Reviewing succeeds in this attempt, but the advice feels stale once you have plodded through. I found myself wishing for advice directed at established writers."
- Don Quixote Meets the Mob: The Craft of Fiction and the Art of Life by Susan Taylor Chehak (2000)
[6/10]
"Chehak philosophically muses about fiction's role in the lives of both readers and writers, augmented again with personal anecdotes."
- Elements of Style, The by William Strunk Jr., Elwyn Brooks White, Charles Osgood (1979)
[7/10]
"Reading Strunk and White frequently will help keep your mind on track -- subconsciously alerting you to possible problems in your writing. Just be sure you know enough modern usage to be able to discern how much weight to give each rule."
- How to Get Happily Published: A Complete and Candid Guide by Judith Applebaum (1998)
[4/10]
"If you want to learn how to be a better writer, get some other book that specializes in the genre in which you want to write. If you want to learn about publishing, then get a book that specializes in the aspects of publishing. But don't buy this book unless you are really desperate to read from one more source that 'you can do it if you try hard enough.'"
- How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card (1990)
[9/10]
"Card does for science fiction and fantasy what Rust Hills does for the short story as a form in Writing in General and the Short Story in Specific."
- James A. Michener's Writer's Handbook by James A. Michener (1992)
[6/10]
"This book provides a valuable example to authors and editors that everyone should strive for the best a manuscript can be, without any hard feelings about the amount of red ink on the pages."
- On Moral Fiction by John Gardner (1978)
[5/10]
"I get the feeling that John Gardner is an elitist snob who has a very narrow definition of art."
- On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser (1994)
[8/10]
"Zinsser urges writers to create simple, elegant sentences. If it is not a sentence you wouldn't say to your friends over lunch, then you probably shouldn't write it in your article."
- Science Fiction Writers of America Handbook: The Professional Writer's Guide to Writing Professionally (1990)
[7/10]
"The handbook picks up where all the how-to-write books leave off. It assumes that the reader has the skills and potential to become a professional and gives detailed advice on contracts, copyrights, payments and royalties, self-promotion, agents, and many other aspects of the writing business."
- Secrets of a Freelance Writer: How to Make $85,000 a Year by Robert W. Bly (1988)
[6/10]
"Robert Bly emphasizes that you don't have to write the great American novel to make a lot of money as a writer. Businesses need all kinds of writing and are usually willing to pay well for good writing."
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown, Dave King (2004)
[8/10]
"Renni Brown and Dave King reiterate all this advice, but then move into a lot of new territory."
- Storyteller in Zion, A: Essays and Speeches by Orson Scott Card (1993)
[6/10]
"Scott Card brings together several articles and speeches in which he discusses Mormonism from his perspective as a writer (more from the perspective of a well-know and wealthy writer)."
- Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea to Finished Manuscript by Robert C. Meredith, John D. Fitzgerald (1993)
[7/10]
"Structuring Your Novel focuses on advice for beginning writers who have never completed a novel and provides excellent advice that helps focus attention on the work of writing and producing a saleable novel from the ground up."
- Write It Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults by Ambrose Bierce (1986)
[3/10]
"I would not recommend this book to any looking for a modern usage guide. In fact, I don't see a good reason to recommend Write it Write, except to linguists studying changes in English."
- Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (1991)
[7/10]
"I wouldn't put this on a must read list unless you haven't read more than three other how-to-write books. (And if you have, you should spend more time writing and not reading about writing.)"
- Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills (1987)
[9/10]
"Hills organized his personal ponderings and observations about the short story from his years of experience as an editor into this concise reference about the short story as a literary form."
- Writing the Novel: From Plot to Print by Lawrence Block (1979)
[7/10]
"Probably one of the most practical guides about writing that I have seen."
- Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury (1989)
[6/10]
"Zen in the Art of Writing is an interesting examination of Ray Bradbury's belief that implementing some Zen philosophy leads to better writing. As one of the great writers of the 20th century, we certainly should pay attention to his thoughts, but we should also remember that he presents only a self-examination that may not serve many other writers."
Average score: 6.50
