Customer Reviews

Writing Naturally: A Down-To-Earth Guide to Nature Writing

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

 

 

Petersen's book is a mixed bag. The informaton is very good but, in places, the writing is clunky and breaks from commonly accepted standards (Petersen repeatedly refers to Edward Abbey as "Ed," which grated me.) He has a number of good observations and also brings in some good examples, but, as a previous reviewer pointed out, the book is far from flawless.

Peterson conveys an attitude in this book of being 100% right, which is important in an instructional book. In places, however, divergant opinions are just as valid as Petersen's.

Basically, if you have an idea about nature (or any type) of writing and want some additional keen insights, get this book. But, when reading it, be prepared to hold on to the ideas of yours which you feel are more apt than Petersen's.

I just read Dave Petersen's "Writing Naturally" and loved every page. OK, so I am more partial to Ed Abbey and Ernest Hemingway than HD Thoreau or Diane Ackerman. OK, so I like Dave's down-home style and lack of pretension, and am impressed by his years of free-lance nature writing experience. So what?

Petersen reviews all the key topics, from title selection and journal-keeping to revision to making sales, with vivid, colorful anecdotes. The section comparing two essays on the porcupine, one drab, one brilliant, alone was well worth the price of admission. No matter how successful or jaded you may be as a writer, Dave's book will buck you up and get you in love with writing - and nature - again.

This one was a huge disappointment. I've read Petersen's essays and they're not bad. But in Writing Naturally the prose is clumsy and cliched; the chapters focus on the most elementary writing topics. He makes absurd and insulting suggestions. For example, he advises readers to avoid Thoreau because the "archaic" prose is "a tough row to hoe." I expected content on how to use natrual imagery for metaphic purpose, or techniques on observation and description. Instead I got a chapter on tense and point of view. He puts down other authors who load their writing books with their own writing, then he does exactly that himself! If you are a beginning writer who needs good, concrete information, I suggest you spend your money on a subscription to Writer's Digest or another monthly magazine that deals with the basics. You'll get much more value for your money!

This book was a requirement for my Nature Writing course, an upper division English course at my university. It was a great book to have, and am quite happy to have been required to purchase it. If you're new, or even a veteran, into Nature Writing, get this book.

If you are serious about nature writing, this book written by the David Peterson is a must, must, read. This brilliant work is an insight into what a great nature writer should be; crack the cover and you won't be able to put it down. Myself being a late bloomer to nature writing, that was born from an intense passion to learn and photograph the nature and wildlife of Florida, Writing Naturally is just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy and be masterful!

I want to enjoy Petersen's books because I enjoy the subject matter. He has written a couple of others that I'll keep, including "Heartsblood," and "Ghost Grizzlies." But I have tried to read this book 4 times now, and each time I am put off by his style, and his obsession with himself. The style to me is presumptuous; Petersen has made even the parenthetical expression annoying. He uses them all the time, which indicates a writer too in love with himself. I also am repelled by his incessant use of familiar nicknames to indicate his back-slapping familiarity with someone. He refers to Guthrie, for instance, as "Bud," his editor as "Chip," ( who by the way refers to himself as "H. Emerson"). All of which seriously detracts from what the book is supposed to be about: writing. Petersen uses quotations at the start of each chapter, and he ought to apply them to his own writing. I am so turned off by how he represents himself that I can't get to the instructional info. And he doesn't even teach at a big-league school, where he might be able to indulge an oversized ego.