Customer Reviews

Maeve Binchy Writers Club

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"The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club" is typical Binchy - warm, down-to-earth, and inspiring. Composed of 20 letters from Maeve to students at a writing course at the National College of Ireland, the letters offer beginner/aspiring writers tips,hints and advice as to how to hone their writing skills. The book also contains contributions by other authors, publishers and editors. The advice contained within this book is practical, realistic, and covers not only the basics [i.e. getting started, what publishers look for], but also issues such as procrastination, motivation etc.

Maeve's personal experiences really enhances this book for me - and it is written in her signature style - down-to-earth and warm. I felt inspired after reading this [having sat on my own writing project for the last decade, using my career and then my family as an excuse] - I finally feel like someone out there understands me, and who better than a beloved author whose books I have been collecting since I was in college in the 90s!

This will appeal to beginner writers who are embarking on their first serious writing project and also those interested in anything to do with the writing craft.Of course, it's a must-have for Binchy fans:) Highly recommended!

If you enjoy reading Maeve Benchy's books, and aspire to write well yourself, this is a great book to read, re-read and study. What a pleasure it must have been to be a part of this group. There are many how-to books in print directed to writing and writers. This is one of the best.

Reading The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club is like sitting together with a group of fellow writers, discussing the writing process. Maeve's insights and encouragement are useful at any stage of the writing experience or for writers at any level of the profession. We all get "stuck" or frustrated, become full of self-doubt or fear. Maeve's words of wisdom and honesty about her own writing experiences remind us that writing is a process and sometimes that involves two steps forward, one step back. But her tips and suggestions can keep us moving forward! I highly recommend this book!

Bincy's book was excellent. Her writing is always clear and to the point, very helpful for aspiring writers. Love all of her books and the wonderful way she weaves her stories together. Great story teller

I've read a lot of Maeve Binchy's books, including Circle of Friends, Tara Road, Nights of rain and Stars, The Glass Lake, and Scarlet Feather and I always had a picture of her in my mind: she was this grandmotherly-type, a cross between Angela Lansbury and Mrs. Garrett from The Facts of Life. Her new book, The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club, does nothing to dispel this image. This is a book of advice to aspiring writers. It is made up mostly of letters written in a personal, conversational style from Maeve the Successful Writer/Grandma to you, someone who suspects she might have a smidgen of talent or a story to tell, but has never seriously considered writing before.

It's hard to dislike Grandma Binchy, because she likes and encourages us so much, and the book covers a swelling of topics from online writing, to comedy, to storytelling, short stories, and publishing. But each chapter is about a page and a half, and is full of base generalities that it would most likely fail to accomplish what it sets out to do: transform the reader into a writer (an enormous task, I admit, but I'm not the one who purports to do it.)

Ms. Binchy has the confidence to defer to higher knowledge when she thinks it necessary, and brings in experts in the fields that she believes are worthy (online writing, comedy, publishing, suspense.) Yet these are as equally short as hers. That said, the bits that are communicated to the reader are likable and relatable, especially when she calls the reader out on the possible excuses she might have for stalling on her Great American Novel. I don't have time, I might whine to Ms. Binchy. She counters with: Make time. Get up at 5 AM.

She ends the book with some short stories that she'd recently completed which is effective in showing the reader some points she had made along the way; in effect, know the ending before you begin, don't introduce too many characters.

The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club is an enjoyable, easy read. She boils writing down to the barest basics and makes the work seem if not easy, at least possible. Yet I find that if she were to seriously commit to the book, she might have provided a more thorough account of the Getting Published chapters, something beyond: get an agent, then publish the book, don't forget to send stamps.

For a much more in depth book from an author giving advice to aspiring writers, check out Stephen King's On Writing.

As much as I love Ms. Binchy, I have to quarrel with this underdone book. My own grandmother always taught me to be honest.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The tips included are simple but they go straight to the heart of the matter. The short stories at the end are so well-written, I have to stop reading it lest I adopt her style. If you find yourself wanting to write but get overwhelmed with so much, this book will set it right.

LOVE MAEVE BINCHY'S NOVELS, BUT THIS WAS SUITED FOR WRITERS! I MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT
NOTHING WRONG OTHER THAN I THINK I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF HER NOVELS.