STARTING FROM SCRATCH : A Different Kind of Writers' Manual [Paperback]

Rita Mae Brown (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: New York, NY, U.S.A.: Bantam Books, 1988 (1988)
• ISBN-10: 0553052462
• ISBN-13: 978-0553052466
• ASIN: B000H1SUEK
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,986,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good beginning place for the beginning writer., December 10, 1995

By A Customer

This review is from: Starting from Scratch (Paperback)

This is an excellent writer's manual in many ways--I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on reading classics for "what works," the reasoning behind why a writer should know Latin, among others--even while it is totally inappropriate in others--things such as the unrealistic expectations based on Brown's own successes and her failure to understand genres, especially science fiction, fantasy and mystery. Still, the annotated reading list in the back is amazing for the simple fact that you have a hard time imagining that one person could read all of it, and yet it challenges you to give it a go.
(This "review" originally appeared in First Impressions Installment One [http://www.owt.com/users/gcox/fi.contents.html].)

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What? You don't have this book?, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Starting from Scratch (Paperback)

Starting From Scratch will have you laughing and crying your way to the end. This is how it really is; from publishers to editors to rejections to how to pay the rent. Rita Mae Brown writes one of the best books on the writing life I've ever come across.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Starting from Scratch, December 7, 2001

By 

Heather Fraser (Adrian, Mi USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting from Scratch (Paperback)

"If you can tolerate my temperament you'll probably enjoy the writer's manual". In Starting From Scratch, author Rita Mae Brown includes tons of personal information and a lot of valuable writing advice.
From early childhood Brown had a desire to be a writer. "It never occurred to me to be anything else". Brown's manual opens with a summary of here early years and a basic beginning to her writing career. Brown includes discussion of her struggles as a writer. She includes sleep tactics, proper eating instructions and a few pages denouncing drinking and drugs of any form. "It should be obvious to you that you must learn Latin". Brown discusses the importance and impact Latin has had on evolving our language. Brown gives brief summaries of her income from her writing career, she adds input on writing magazine articles, non-fiction, short stories, play productions and screenplays. Brown closes with an 18 page reading list. "This is prepared from a writer's point of view".

I was pleased with the approach Brown took throughout her book. She had a clear avenue of thought, but absolutely no sequential order. Brown shares a lot of personal information, and many insightful points about the writing profession. An interesting book and enjoyable read. Definitely a different kind of writers manual.