Tag: Writing process

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Book Review: Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld is a non-fiction title that covers the creating good scenes and other techniques within the craft of fiction writing.

The Cover: The cover is simple and clean with three basic colours, a swirling floral design, and some circular images. It clearly represents a non-fiction title to me. The white font is well contrasted against the bold red behind, but without the title and subtitle, I would not know this is a book about writing. It is a pleasant and professional cover, but personally I think it could be strengthened with some imagery more significant to the theme.

The Good Stuff: This is one of the best books I have read on the craft of writing, and that is saying something when you have been writing for many years and read many books on the subject. Despite the title, this book actually covers a great deal more than crafting a good scene. It talks about POV, setting, character development, plot, dialogue, and so much more. I have had this book sitting on my bookshelf, gathering dust for over 3 years now, in no rush to read it. The title deceptively understates the content of the text within. If I had known what lay between the pages, I would have picked this one up much sooner. I learnt a great deal from reading this book and that blows me away. Maybe I’m now at a level where I have a greater understanding and I’m able to absorb the information and understand it, or maybe this book is just written in such a way that it makes it easy.

The Bad Stuff: Nope, sorry… there isn’t any. I’m super impressed with this title and will be referring back to it again and again in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and wish I had done so sooner. The author talks you through the techniques of writing in a way that makes it easy to understand, enabling you to grasp the skills needed to write a good novel. I very much recommend this title to anyone who feels they have not yet mastered the craft of writing. This one gets a scene-building, story-making, 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

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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Book Review: Write Compelling Fiction by L.J. Martin and Craig Martelle.

Write Compelling Fiction by L.J.Martin and Craig Martelle is a non-fiction title offering hints and tips on how to write compelling fiction.

The Cover: The cover for this book is a typical non-fiction cover. With its bright yellow cover it stands out, yet sits nicely amongst the brand of books in this series of titles for indie authors. Personally, I don’t feel the image conveys the content of the book, but it does hint that it is to do with writing. The title confirms what to expect from this book and sits clearly on the cover with strong contrast and a nice clean font.

The Good Stuff: I found the content of this book to be on point. It covers a lot of ground on the key factors that make up good writing. It is done in an inspirational way, which is I have found to be a consistent theme with these titles. This book would be a good addition to any writer’s tool box, from beginner to veteran writer. If you do not learn anything new, at the very least it will serve as a reminder of the things to be aware of.

The Bad Stuff: The examples inside this title are mainly based on westerns (which makes sense as one of the authors writes in this genre.) I really wish it had been geared towards the fantasy genre, I think I would have enjoyed it so much more – but hey, you can’t always get what you want. There is some repetition, especially with the prose used to present the concepts and techniques, but again, this makes sense.

Overall, I found this to be a great book about the craft of writing that offers tried and tested techniques used in good writing. This one earns a page turning 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

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. If you liked this post please share it with your friends on social media.

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Book Review: Emotional Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi.

Emotion AmplifiersEmotion Amplifiers by Angela Ackerman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This title is really a reference book for authors to assist them with their writing. It is a companion to The Emotional Thesaurus which I have not read at this time, but based on this companion, I am interested in getting myself a copy.

The Cover: This is a strong non-fiction cover. The colours and fonts work well and the image fits as a writers companion guide.

The Good Stuff: This book is a great idea and could be very useful to a writer who wants to develop their characters and/or their story in the spectrum of the emotional amplifiers explored. If it just had more reference material on a broader range of emotions, it would be a worthy addition to any writer’s toolbox. My guess is that the content I would like to see in this companion book has already been captured in the authors other work, The Emotional Thesaurus. I hope to find out soon enough.

The Bad Stuff: I know this is only a companion, but the book is very short and there are only about 14 pages of narrative to guide the reader on the use of the contents. The remainder of the book is reference material and I feel the book could have been fleshed out with both more narrative from the author and more reference material.

In my opinion, this book will be a good guide to assist with writing, if only it had more content it could have been an amazing reference tool. I’m giving it 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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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Book Review: Writing Active Setting – Characterization and Sensory Detail by Mary Buckham.

Writing Active Setting: Characterization and Sensory Detail (Writing Active Setting #1)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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Book Review: Art & Craft of Writing – Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon.

Art & Craft of Writing Fiction: Secret Advice for WritersArt & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you can guess from the title, Art & Craft of Writing: Secret Advice for Writers by Victoria Mixon is a non-fiction title providing insights into the craft of writing.

The Cover: This cover has a warm feel to it and it works for the non-fiction genre. I’m not a huge fan of the font used, but the black band with white writing makes the text clearly visible.

The Good Stuff: I have been writing for some time now and I’m always looking for new information. There were one or two nuggets in this book for me, but mainly it was that Victoria looks at things from a slightly different angle and explains them in a slightly different way. This resonated with me and I will keep this book on hand for reference in the future.

The Bad Stuff: It’s a pretty short book and a lot of the information has been covered before.

Overall this book is put together from the authors most popular blog posts. In my opinion it is worth a read, you may not get new information from it, but you may look at things with a new found appreciation and understanding. This one gets an ink splattered 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.

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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Book Review – Story Grid by Shawn Coyne.

The Story Grid: What Good Editors KnowThe Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Story Grid is a book by editor, Shawn Coyne. The book gives you an insightful look into the technique he uses to break down a story, to analyse it in all its parts and find out what is not working.

The Cover: What I like about this non-fiction cover is that the image combined with the title and a clear font make it a good fit for the genre. The red line reminds me of the heart beat display on a ECG in hospitals, which is appropriate as this book talks about story beats. The thing I do not like about the cover is that it isn’t really clear what the content is about. You can see it relates to writing, it also alludes to plotting, but it doesn’t really convey that it looks into analysing a story to discover what isn’t working.

The Good Stuff: This book gives an insightful look into an editors technique for finding flaws in a story. I have definitely gained some useful knowledge from reading this book.

The Bad Stuff: There is a fair bit of repetition within the pages of this book, while it could be considered as a technique the author has used to ensure you remember the important stuff, it felt more like filler to me.

On the whole this was an informative read for me, while I knew some of the details within, it gave me a better understanding of how to use the information I have at hand in a constructive way to better my writing. Will I use the Story Grid to break down all my stories? Probably not, but it has created a better awareness of what I am doing and what to look out for. I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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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Book Review – 5 Secrets Of Story Structure: How To Write A Novel That Stands Out by K.M.Weiland

5 Secrets of Story Structure: How to Write a Novel That Stands Out (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 6)

5 Secrets of Story Structure: How to Write a Novel That Stands Out by K.M. Weiland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Review – 5 Secrets of Story Structure by KM Weiland
5 Secrets of Story Structure by KM Weiland covers off on the fundamentals of structuring a novel.

The Cover: This is a solid non-fiction cover that clearly conveys what the book is about.

The Good Stuff: This book is well presented and provides the formula for writing a good story in an easy to understand way. The content is very similar to Planning Your Novel by Janice Hardy, but presented in a slightly different format. From memory, I paid around $16.00 for the Janice Hardy book and I have no regrets, but (at time of writing this review) this one by KM Weiland is currently free on Amazon and Kobo and is just as insightful. Excellent value and a great book for anyone who needs to gain a better understanding of story structure.

The Bad Stuff: If there is any bad advice in this book I couldn’t find it. My only qualm would be with the term ‘plot points’. In my opinion this term is a little vague and did not fit, but this is only my opinion and it is a minor thing considering the value of the content in this book.

Overall, this book will be of great use to those starting out with their writing and anyone who struggles with story structure. It will teach you the fundamentals of the structure required to write a good story in an easy to understand, tried and tested way. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com.au
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Kobo

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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Book Review – Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story, as indicated by its title, is a book for writers who want to learn about novel structure.

The Cover: This has a strong non-fiction cover. The clear font, title, artwork and colouring clearly show what the book is about and who the target audience is.

The Good Stuff: If you want to learn more about story structure, this is the book for you. I was familiar with the content, but it served as a refresher for me. It is written in plain language and explains the key components around structure. I was actually surprized by the amount of content in this book and I recommend it if structure is something you wish to improve on.

The Bad Stuff: There really isn’t anything I found that was bad about this book. The experienced writer will probably know the information within the pages, but this is inevitable really. Any writer who practices long enough will eventually learn most of the knowledge and techniques that are available.

Overall, Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story is well written, easy to read and takes a very comprehensive look the elements of structure. I am giving this one 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Kobo

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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Book Review – Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by David Gerrold

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by David Gerrold

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Worlds of Wonder – How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by David Gerrold is a non-fiction title for writers who are looking to learn about the craft of writing in the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

The Cover: I really wasn’t sold on this cover. It didn’t really suggest the book was non-fiction, the picture didn’t really work for me, and I really didn’t like the font used on the title and author name. It made the book look less professional to me. If I took the text away from the cover all together, this could have been a sci-fi, horror, or thriller novel in my opinion.

The Good Stuff: Wow! I thought the last book I read on the craft of writing was good, but this book blew me away. This has to be the best book for writers that I have read. David Gerrold really has a firm grip on the craft. I am the target audience for this book and it did its job, really hitting the mark for me. The chapters are succinct, no waffle, no filler, no repeating the same thing 3 times, just solid direct writing. The words run smoothly and make perfect sense to me as a writer and to top it all off, my version was published in 2001. David Gerrold’s text is relevant today as much as it was back then and seems to be timeless.

The Bad Stuff: I’m pretty sure I have covered all the bad stuff in the cover section.

Overall, I found this book to be pretty amazing. If you can only afford to buy one book on writing this year I would recommend you make it this one. It is clear and concise, covers a wealth of information, provides some solid advice, and the writing is interesting. This one is getting a star making, writer creating 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Kobo

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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Book Review – Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle.

Writing Fantasy & Science FictionWriting Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction by Lisa Tuttle is a non-fiction book for writers that covers off on everything you need to know to become a good speculative fiction writer.

The Cover: I have the 2nd edition of this title and the cover is the perfect fit for this non-fiction title. It is simple, has a clear title, an image that suits a book on writing, and strong, clear fonts.

The Good Stuff: I found this to be one of the best books for writers that I have read. It is written in a very natural, smooth flowing way that makes it easy to understand. The advice within this book is sound and will help writers of all genres. It covers off on pretty much everything you need to know as a writer and contains all the information I have obtained from numerous other titles, all in the one place, without waffling on with pages of unnecessary words.

The Bad Stuff: I acknowledge that this title was printed in 2005. It has plenty of information on Style, character development, plotting, etc… It also gives details on agents, publishing, editing, and cover letters. While this content is all perfectly valid and I believe still current, the book would be even better if it had some reference to Indie publishing and e-books. Maybe this will come in a newer edition.

Overall, this is an excellent book for new writers and I feel it would make a good addition to many experienced writers book shelves. I found it an interesting and easy read with valuable information on the craft of writing. This one gets a well-deserved, writer-making, story-forming 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au

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.

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