Tag: Writing skills

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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 – The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

The Forest for the TreesThe Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

The Forest for the Trees (An Editor’s Advice to Writers) by Betsy Lerner is a non-fiction title offering advice to writers.

The Cover: I love the cover to this book, it is simple yet creative, with a clean crisp look and clear text. This cover conveys the message that it is a non-fiction title for writers.

The Good Stuff: Hmm… Where do I start with this one? This book has numerous good-review snippets from respected sources on the front and back covers, and on the first page inside. It is well edited and the formatting makes good use of margins and spacing, making it easy to read and giving it a clean look inside. There is a nice little leaf icon for the page breaks and the version I have has used good quality paper that feels lovely on the fingers too. The writing style is easy to read, the words flow smoothly and it is entertaining.

The Bad Stuff: Okay, I’m going to put a caveat on this. I’m not sure I gave this book a fair chance. After the first few chapters I lost interest and really skimmed the rest of the content. I just felt very let down. It promised so much, yet as a self-published author, in my opinion it failed to provide much real advice at all. Maybe I missed it with my skimming, but it seemed to me to be more of an insight into the lives and types of writers, than an offer of advice.

Overall, I wanted to love this title. Everything about it drew me towards it with the promise of a good read. And it is well presented, well written, and entertaining. It just isn’t what I wanted it to be. I’m giving this one an ambivalent 2.5 out of 5 golden bookmarks because I’m having a strop.

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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Book Review – Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card.

Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card is a non-fiction title designed to assist writers with their character creation as well as other writing techniques.

The Cover: I’m sorry to say that while this is a suitable non-fiction cover with a clear title, I find it rather boring. To me it looks like one of those school books you are required to purchase for the curriculum, only to find you never need refer to it. If not for the title I doubt I’d have picked this one up at all.

The Good Stuff: This is a very good book for the beginner writer and still offers some insights to the more experienced. It is packed full with practical advice and techniques that are clearly explained. The author’s style is easy to read and enjoyable (nothing like the stuffy feel book cover gives off). I picked up a few tips for myself and certainly found some parts of the text thought provoking and stimulating.

The Bad Stuff: As with many non-fiction titles I read these days, I feel there is unnecessary filler within the pages. It may just be that I like to get straight to the point and move on, or it may be that I am familiar with a lot of the information and am looking for something new. Either way, I found myself skim-reading or skipping through some parts of this book.

Overall, I found this to be a good title focused on developing interesting characters. Some parts of this book stimulated my thoughts on things I consider I already know. Other parts gave me inspiration around things I have given little consideration to when developing my own characters. For these reasons, I’m giving this one a character building 4 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.

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Book Review – Creating Characters (How to Build Story People) by Dwight V. Swain

Creating Characters: How to Build Story PeopleCreating Characters – How to Build Story People by Dwight V. Swain is a non-fiction title for writers that delves into the art of character creation.

The Cover: I’ll start by saying that this book is almost 30 years old. Yet, while the cover art feels somewhat dated, it is only due to the character images and the clothing they wear. But then, they are characters and no doubt represent the stories they are set in. The colours are vibrant, the font is clear and it is a simple and clean cover. Combine this with the title and it represents a great match for the contents of this book. It clearly depicts the topic in a visual representation of the content inside.

The Good Stuff: There is solid advice within this book that will help writers create better characters. The advice is explained well, simple to understand, and helpful. There are things that I know that I’d say are common sense, yet the author made me stop and think about them, considering them more than I would have if I had not read this title. I found the book interesting in places and breezed through these sections with gusto.

The Bad Stuff: I felt there was unnecessary wordage in places that stunted the read for me. It was explaining things more than once or a little too much. I didn’t feel this way all through the book though, only in places, and it was easy to scan over and pick up the thread further on.

Overall, this is a good book for anyone who wants to gain a clear insight into creating interesting characters. If all it does is stimulate your mind to think a little more about people’s drives, quirks, and mannerisms, I’d say it has done its job. I’m giving this one a thought-provoking 4 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.

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Getting Back on Track

railroad tracks in city
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hello Readers,

It’s been a while since I posted anything more than a quote or a book review, truth is I’ve been side-tracked. After being made redundant, I took a little break overseas, I’ve dived into a double diploma, and I have been searching for a new job. Fortunately, I think the break has done me good, I’ve made a bit of a dent in my diplomas, and I have just scored a new job. So, hopefully I will be able to get back into a routine of some sort now.

As far as my writing goes, I’ve got a few short stories waiting for me to publish them. I plan to wrap these up in an anthology together with my currently published short stories. I need to get the new stories edited and find a cover for the book first though.

I’m also trying to read more. More authors – trying to find another that hits the spot like my favourite one, but that’s a tough gig – and more books on the craft of writing. The most recent craft book I’ve read was on scene and structure and I’m about to get stuck into one on building characters. I hope these will help me improve my writing and give me the inspiration to get back into writing some of the novels I’ve put aside to stew.

So what have you been reading?

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Book Review – Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham is a non-fiction title for writers, covering proven techniques used to write a compelling story.

The Cover: The cover works well for this title. The image reflects a non-fiction book and the title links it to the craft of writing.

The Good Stuff: At my stage as a writer, when I read books on the craft of writing I often find that there is very little to be learned from the content. This book was very different. It could be that I have not delved deeply enough into the topics covered here before, or maybe for some reason I have just not connected with the concepts, but I found that I learned a great deal from this title. It covers a great deal of content and does not go over the same ground repeatedly, using different words, as some books tend to do. The information is written in a logical way that I found really easy to understand. I also love the fact that there are further examples held back for an appendices, with a line by line breakdown that explains how the techniques have been applied.

The Bad Stuff: While I did skip read some small parts of this book, I can’t say that there was any bad stuff in it. More-so it was techniques I am familiar with and did not feel the need to go over, or one example too many that I didn’t wish to read through.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can say I have learnt a good deal from it. This title gives a detailed, yet easy to understand, explanation of structure and form, cause and effect, stimulus and response, scenes and sequels, and chapters and plot. Well worth the money and time invested. I’m giving this book a well-formed, purposely crafted, 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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

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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Book Review – Fondling Your Muse by John Warner

Fondling Your MuseFondling Your Muse by John Warner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fondling Your Muse is a non-fiction title that provides advice to writers. It is described as a hands on guide to writing your very own New York Times best seller.

The Cover: I have a hardback copy of this book and the cover is awesome. It has a texture to it that looks like soft leather. The colour is good, trimmed with gold and the white font pops. It is a beautiful cover that drew me to the book straight away. I wouldn’t say that it screams ‘non-fiction writing guide’ to me, more like a book of poems or a religious text, however the title sparks interest and the sub-titles tell you exactly what the book is about.

The Good Stuff: The cover is awesome. The content itself is very tongue-in-cheek funny which you will enjoy if you like that sort of thing. The book does also have writing related information, which for the complete novice may be of some use.

The Bad Stuff: I was really disappointed with this book. The quality of the cover and its bindings gave me high hopes. I was sorely let down by the comedic style of writing, which had me questioning when the author was serious and when he was just fooling around. Maybe it’s me and my sense of humour, but I just didn’t get all the humour. Yes, I laughed in places, but I also thought it was ridiculous in places. I don’t mind a bit of humour, but I expect a certain level of sophistication from a non-fiction title, and this book just didn’t cut it for me.

Overall, you will get a laugh from this book, but you have to ask yourself ‘is that what I want?’ Honestly, I don’t usually get so snarky about books, maybe I was just having an off day, but I felt like I wasted my time on this one. I really don’t want to waste more time reading it again to find out if that was the really case. So, if you’re keen, give it a go. You may love it and tell me just how wrong I am, but I’m only giving this 2 out of 5 golden bookmarks (and that’s solely because I love the cover).

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

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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Book Review: The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy (Volume 1)

The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy: Alchemy with WordsThe Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy (Volume 1) Edited by Darin Park and Tom Dullemond

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a non-fiction title with numerous contributing writers, and is written for writers. It is a compendium that covers a broad range of material for writers of fantasy and will be useful to those writing in this genre.

The Cover: The image is a good fit for a non-fiction title geared towards writers and the quill lends itself to the fantasy genre. The title clearly conveys what the book is about, but while the fonts are suitable enough, I feel the title fonts could have been a little better. Overall, a strong cover for the title.

The Good Stuff: This book would be a fantastic addition to any fantasy writer’s reference library. It is packed with useful information on topics relevant to the fantasy genre, from medieval food and clothing, to religion and world building. This book has detailed information weapons, armour, and much more. It also provides links to websites and further reference material that is relevant and may be of use.

The Bad Stuff: If there is any bad stuff, I did not notice it. I am very satisfied with this book as a reference guide for writing fantasy.

Overall, this is a fantastic reference guide. It covers a great deal of topics relevant to the fantasy writer and will open your eyes to, or at the very least remind you about, checking your facts. The content is both interesting and great for future reference. I’m ranking this one 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks.

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

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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