Customer Reviews

The Writer's Partner: 1001 Breakthrough Ideas to Stimulate Your Imagination

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

 

 

The Writer's Partner is a book that goes with me wherever I go. With every story or script I have written, I have referred to this incredible book at least five times. It is filled to the brim with ideas and information to help you create the ultimate story. It offers tips and ideas to formulate and create a multidemensional plot with multidemensional characters, facts on common careers/movie genres so all your information is accurate, and backstory/subplot ideas to help you add spice to your story. No writer should be without this book, it is practically an encyclopedia for writers.

This is without a doubt my favorite writing/reference book. If I was on a desert island with just one writing book, this one would be it (and I have 2 copies). The many lists on a wide variety of genres makes it a perfect brainstorming tool you can use over and over for fiction or scripts.

I just bought this book based on the reviews. I wasn't looking for any in depth information, but some useful lists of "stuff" that could spark ideas. Instead, I found a bunch of cliches, very generalized lists, very poor sections on Computer and Sci-Fi, list of adverbs to use as attributions (aren't we suppose to show and not tell?), list of slangs and southern talk to use (another piece of advice not recommended in writing fiction). The sections that Roth does go into some detail are medicine, sports, crime/law. However, for that kind of information, you might as well get a source book on those specific subjects. Also, the section on locations would have been helpful if he added more details about specific locations. The character name list was also vague. What would have been more helpful was a listing of names perhaps with a few words describing its orgin or symbol. There was nothing on horoscopes. And the vehicles list was also too general to be helpful (i.e. car, tractor, boat, etc.). This is the 3rd edition. The author has passed away so I do not see any updates coming any time soon. The format of this book seeks to be a very helpful tool for writers, but it generalizes way too much to be of any use. Try to find it in the library and if after perusing you feel that there are some sections that are helpful, then buy it otherwise don't. Overall, a few areas had some interesting tidbits here and there but does not warrant a purchase. For storytelling and plotting, I would suggest Story Architect.

If detail is what you're looking for then you won't find it here. But if you're looking for some ideas or some direction then you have found a good book.

This book is packed with information and key thoughts, ideas and names to use in your writing. It covers a LOT of topics so it's limited on the details it can give on each, but what it lacks in details it more than makes up for in idea sparkers.

I think all writers would find this book useful to either start them thinking or help guide them through what they are already working on.

In The Writer's Partner: 1001 Breakthrough Ideas To Stimulate Your Imagination, television script writer Martin Roth draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to present a compendium of quick and easy "things to do" to get started with a writing project, or embellish one already underway. From ideas for character development and plotting, this invaluable resource goes on to address genre categories including science fiction, horror, romance, comedy, sports, crime, westerns, and more. A truly "user friendly" text is further enhanced with appendices on "Web Wordage"; "National Hockey League Teams"; and "Additional Sports League Official Offices". The Writer's Partner is a valuable and practical addition to any writer's reference shelf.

I love this book! If you write ANY type of fiction, this is a great tool to have for those days slow days infront of a blank screen.