Customer Reviews

Writer's Little Book of Wisdom

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I debated for a while over whether or not to give this title three or four stars. If I were basing it on the *amount* of content, I would have given it a three-star review, as Long repeats many of his pearls of writing wisdom--albeit in different words and with different specific applications--several times throughout his book. However, they are almost all wonderful tips for writers and can bear a little repetition without making the reader/writer feel as though s/he is being demeaned.

Basing my review upon the *usefulness* of the book, as I eventually did, my review was at least four stars. It is a *wonderful* book for any writer and can't ever be read too many times. It is always refreshing to re-read it and get "back to the basics" of writing. Long has a wonderfully helpful, down-to-earth approach for presenting the facts and tips of writing and ranges from helping the reader force him or herself to sit down and write, to developing a style, refreshing a blocked mind, and knowing when to *stop* writing.

By placing before his readers some of the myriad of problems faced by the writer, acknowledging that these problems are okay, and offering a few ways they might be avoided or at least accepted (in those cases where they can't be avoided), Long seems just able to give the writer that little bit of extra encouragement to push on and manages somehow to hit on much of the joy, the pain, and (most importantly) much of the *truth* of the writing process. It is a great book filled with useful information for writers, regardless of the level of their advancement.

I've had this book for three years and use it more than any other book I have on writing. What magic a few words can spin in the mind to dust away the cobwebs. I reach for it whenever I need to feel motivated or when my creativity begins to wane. This is a great, inexpensive gift to give any writer, beginner or experienced.

I so enjoyed this little book. It is full of great and very useful writing tips.