The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer [Hardcover]

Steven Frank (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0375422285 | ISBN-13: 978-0375422287 | Publication Date: August 5, 2003

Thou Shalt Honor Thy Reader, Thou Shalt Not Waste Words, Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Sentences—these are three of the “pen” commandments through which, with humor and an engaging sense of purpose, Steven Frank inspires his readers not just to write but to write well.

Thou Shalt Take Pleasure in Thy Pen: As Frank watches a group of students huddle around a boy who is gleefully explaining a mysterious scar, an infallible writing topic emerges—describe the grossest thing that’s ever happened to you. Thou Shalt Not Pick on the Puncts: Frank persuades a hyperkinetic teen to slow down long enough to let punctuation marks help the boy’s own natural storytelling ability come through. Thou Shalt Overcome Writer’s Block: With practical advice and compelling case studies, Frank unfreezes the pens of struggling writers all around him, from his mail carrier to a former student to his own mom.

Drawing on Frank’s considerable experience as an English teacher, his passion for writing, and his love of language, The Pen Commandments is a witty and accessible book that entertains as it instructs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While most guides for novice writers are penned by professional writers, this one comes from a high school teacher, and he knows from teaching writing to the unskilled. Judging from the anecdotes he relates, he is an inspired teacher who sparks a love of language in his students. He is an affable, entertaining and unintimidating guide as he reviews his basic rules for good writing: Thou Shalt Honor Thy Reader ("Your first reader is often a teacher... we're desperate to be entertained"); Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Sentences (a sentence that is "unclear, undisciplined, or incomplete... will be DOA") and more. Some of the subrules are familiar ("Show, don't tell"), but Frank's illustrations-depicting literary devices such as "The Persuasive Staircase"-are so enjoyable, it won't matter. Although aimed at students, grown-up aspiring writers will relish Frank's book, too.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

"The first sentence can be as frightening as a first kiss." Funny, inspiring, practical, and rigorous, this writing guide draws on classroom exercises and anecdotes from Frank's 10 years of teaching middle school and high school. With quotes from the greats--J. K. Rowling, Mary Shelley, Herman Melville, Langston Hughes, Sandra Cisneros, and many more--Frank also includes personal, moving, often hilarious examples to illustrate his "pen" commandments of the rules of good writing. Of course, the mistakes make the best reading, such as Parallel Structure Disorder ("Standing in my room, a naked lady suddenly walked by"), but Frank manages to be just as entertaining about the solid basics of punctuation, grammar, and style. Always he shows and tells that writing is fun, but that it isn't easy ("an individual voice doesn't mean chatter"). A must for discussion groups, this will also encourage the hesitant writer to find discipline, direction, and the privacy offered by a room of one's own. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375422285
• ISBN-13: 978-0375422287
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Knew Writing Was This Much Fun?, August 15, 2003

By 

Joseph Weisberg (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer (Hardcover)

The Pen Commandments is far and away the best guide for the beginning writer I've ever read. I have guest-taught writing classes in high schools all over the country, and found time and again that the most difficult task is convincing kids that writing can be a pleasure rather than a chore. From the first word to the last, The Pen Commandments accomplishes this task with great wit and finesse. Steven Frank's writing exercises are original and irresistible, his explanations of the trickier points of grammar particularly clear and concise. Teachers should throw away their dull-witted and mind-numbing text books and enliven their classes with The Pen Commandments - soon, they will be producing students who not only can write, but like to write.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy-to-Understand & Common Sense Advice on Writing, August 27, 2004

By 

Lori L. Lake "Author of Like Lovers Do, Buyer... (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer (Hardcover)

In addition to books about writing term papers and how to properly study, in THE PEN COMMANDMENTS, Steven Frank has written a guide for the novice prose writer. Other authors and experts have covered this topic, but Frank's book is one of the most accessible I have read. Full of common sense suggestions, easy-to-understand explanations, and a cogently organized process, the book is one to which every new writer should turn.

Drawing on his experience as a high school English teacher, the author walks the aspiring reader through all parts of the writing process. He's structured the book in the form of 10 Commandments (i.e. Thou shalt not Kill Thy Sentences; Thou Shalt Describe Thy World, Express Thy Opinions, and Preserve Thy Past; Thou Shalt Overcome Writer's Block; Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Writer's Prose). Humorously and in an engaging-sometimes laugh-out-loud-style, the author demystifies the writing process and makes it seem fun. Particularly useful are his suggestions for recommended reading and an appendix of the top ten grammar mistakes to avoid. The book is durably composed with no messy slip cover, and it's the perfect size for any novice to carry in a book-bag or purse.

Any new writer serious about exploring the world of writing should get thee to thy nearest book outlet, purchase this book, and read it from cover to cover. The few hours spent will be immensely worthwhile. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, author and freelance reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society's "The Crown," The Independent Gay Writer, and Just About Write.com.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book on writing!, August 9, 2003

By 

Twilla A. Niniger (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer (Hardcover)

This was a wonderful addition to my library. My kids absolutely loved this book! A guide like this is sorely needed in teaching older children the finer points of writing and storytelling. There are dozens of terrific anecdotes that illustrate Mr. Frank's "commandments." I wish there had been a book as funny and entertaining as this one when I was in school. Great for grown ups, too, and you'll get a kick out of the cover art.