Customer Reviews

A Writer's Tool Kit

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Choosing words for a sentence that will build to a paragraph that has meaning and interest for others is a craft. We are all apprentices in this trade when we commit to that first sentence. Carroll Dale Short has given us a 'tool kit' to improve these skills. This is a clearly written guide to a dozen ideas every writer should consider while working their craft. Short's primary focus is narrative writing, storytelling, usually fiction, but also the background, human interest story that goes beyond mere facts. Writers of expositional, fact-based reports, not stories, will also benefit from these tools if only by being reminded that the goal should always be to give the reader information in a straightforward manner. We might want to keep in mind John Gardner's (The Art of Fiction) quoted advice: "The meaning of a sentence should be as obvious as a grizzly bear in a well-lighted kitchen". This tool kit comes with a lot of examples from a variety of writers: Using 'transitions' to advance your prose in a coherent way; avoiding the vagueness of abstractions; using fewer words to make sentences more effective; tips on writing dialogue; avoiding redundancy and cliche's, etc. I think some of the best advice Short passes on is to re-read your material frequently (I suggest reading it aloud) as if you were reading it for the first time. Writing is not just a skill, it is a habit. So, commit to it, Nike-style. And trust your instincts. If a particular sentence or paragraph or concept keeps blocking your progress, consider that it may simply be unnecessary, a non sequitur, a dead-end. These are all good ideas for the writer, whatever their focus, as well as the serious reader who appreciates accomplished writing.

Carroll Short's A Writer's Tool Kit: 12 Proven Ways You Can Make Your Writing Stronger - Today! is an immensely useful, accessible, and practical guide for beginning and experienced writers alike. Chapters cover a variety of ways to trim down and spice up one's grammar and prose, from pruning excess pronouns to using narrative sequence to make a story flow better, to bringing spoken dialogue to zest-filled life. Filled with examples and just plain solid advice, A Writer's Tool Kit is invaluable reading for all writers striving to improve their personal or professional wordsmithing abilities!

A practical, yet inspiring read that gives the tools it promises to promising writers and old hands, alike, in an engaging and clearly understood manner. I had it in my car to read on the way home (I wasn't driving). Found myself looking forward to my time with it and was a little sad to reach the end. I highly recommend.

Unlike the grand majority of "How to Write" books that have crossed my desk over the years, Carroll Dale Short's little book is not only immensely useful but also a true pleasure to read. A Writer's Tool Kit contains practical suggestions and guidelines that will aid the student writer, and experienced writers will find themselves charmed by the observations of a learned (but not pretentious) author. My recommendation is to always Keep this one within arm's reach!

"There are a ton of hard-and-fast rules about writing, but you won't find any of them in this book," says Carroll Dale Short, author of A Writer's Tool Kit. What you will find, however, is entertaining, insightful and eminently practical advice to writers of any age crafted around 12 basic principles, or "tools."

This is not a book about grammar. Rather, it's a book designed to engage both experienced and less-experienced writers, pointing the way to a more finely honed craft. Short gives example after example of dismal or marginal writing transformed into something refreshing and clear, as well as examples of good writing illustrating techniques used successfully by some of our best authors.

Throughout, Short writes with a uniquely cheerful and supportive voice. He dedicates his book to a favorite teacher, and readers are very likely to feel a similar attachment to Short after finishing this neatly packaged, 174-page paperback.

--Joanna Virkler, Charlotte (N.C.) Leader-News

An excellent book for writers in the revision stage. It's not comprehensive but it does a great job of covering 12 specific issues, in a very concise manner with good examples.

This writer's tool kit has, all in one place, every tip a writer, novice or expert, will likely need to improve their work. When struggling with a sentence, the answer of how to fix it, improve it or just plain discard it, is in this book. Additionally, the book is both easy to understand and delightfully written with humor. The reader is treated to techniques and hints for improvement of their craft without feeling preached to or bombarded with rules and technical protocols. A great read and a great resource for all writers.