Writing Active Setting: 
Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book has been written to help writers improve their skills, focusing on… you guessed it, characterization and sensory detail.
The Cover: I like this cover. The colours work well together and it has a text book type feel to me which suits the non-fiction title. The image ties in with the title, but I don’t feel it fits the subtitle very well. On the whole it is a good cover for the genre, but I feel there is some room for improvement.
The Good Stuff: I picked up a couple of things from this book which have made it a worthwhile read to me. How much each individual gains will depend on their skill level and experience as a writer. If you are a new writer, this book will give you some good advice.
The Bad Stuff: I found there were a lot of examples in the book, and some I did not find to be great examples of what the author was trying to convey. I think the book would have read better with fewer examples. I do understand however, that different people relate to different things, and therefore multiple examples may help them to better pick up and understand the techniques being used.
Overall, for me, this is not a bad book, but the benefits will be relative to the reader’s experience. This could be said for a lot of non-fiction titles and therefore the value will be dependent on the reader in these instances. For me, I’m giving it 3 out of 5 Golden book marks.
Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.
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