Customer Reviews

Welcome to Hell : A Working Guide for the Beginning Writer

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Welcome to Hell reads like a conversation. Tom Piccirilli talks to the readers of this book--and he doesn't talk down. He discusses the business of writing and he makes it fun. The book covers everything from where to get ideas to networking to writer's block, but he never claims to hold the ultimate secret to being a fantastic writer. That's what makes this book so great. Tom is sincere in what he says and it comes through wonderfully. Told in a down-to-earth style, it seems like he's talking directly to you.

With chapter titles like "Technique, Style and Watching Bob's Face Get Eaten," it's sure to make you smile--or even laugh out loud--as you're reading. It's nice to know that a professional can remain grounded after being so successful.

All beginning writers should give this a try. It's a fun read that's packed with helpful advice--and not very expensive at all.

I've read several "how to" books in the field of writing, and the majority of them are full of (what should be) common sense things like grammar, structure, and format. Or, they center on one element, say characterization, and drone on and on at length with needless filler. Finally someone has come along and written a book filled with solid advice in a clear, concise format. Piccirilli addresses everything from voice and signature to oft-ignored things like research and reading others' books. It's an entertaining book as well, not just a stuffy textbook. A great primer for the beginning writer.

Tom Piccirilli's slim "Welcome to Hell" is a good introduction to the writing business from a working writer. As Piccirilli states in the introduction, this is not a "How To" book. His tips about the writing business are not for the weak of heart--Piccirilli doesn't mince words. With chapter titles such as "I Could Be a Bestseller But I Just Don't Have the Time," you can be assured that you're getting real advice here and not just the usual "how to" tips and tricks for breaking into the business. It may be only 68 pages, so if you're looking for more advice I would recommend Stephen King's On Writing as a supplement.

This is a quick, easy-to-read overview of (as should be obvious from the subtitle) all kinds of things the new, aspiring writer ought to do. It covers a wide diversity of aspects of the process of moving forward as a writer, from the importance of reading as "food" for the budding writing, to the necessity of self-editing. There's a section on elements of writing technique such as narrative voice and conflict, and some mention of things peripherally related to writing, such as networking online and rubbing elbows at conventions.

The tone of the book is casual and conversational, but there's no nonsense, and no shying away from the central truth that for a writer to move even the first step past "beginner" status requires a thick skin, tons of hard work and inexhaustible persistence. Piccirilli himself is a writer of horror and thriller fiction, and most of the points he makes are backed up by examples from genre fiction, but the lessons here are applicable to any writer of fiction, genre or mainstream, short stories or novels.

I know I'm not the only fiction writer who compulsively picks up just about any book about our favorite subject, but I should point out this book really is geared specifically toward beginners. Even a writer slightly advanced beyond that (say, skilled enough to have been published at least once, even if they're still struggling to get published regularly) may find much of this advice already second nature. For what it's intended to be, which is a primer for the writer truly just getting started, it's full of good advice in an easy-to-digest form. In fact, it's a very quick read, just over 50 printed pages with fairly big type. You could easily re-read the book several times until it all sinks in.