Customer Reviews

Your Writing Coach: From Concept to Character, From Pitch to Publication

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book for aspiring writers as well as established writers looking to branch out into new areas. A lot of writing books seem to be by a novelist writing only about novels, by a screenwriter writing only about screenplays, etc., but Wolff explores both of those genres, as well as non-fiction books, magazine articles and more. He assumes you're serious, and while he doesn't fill you with delusions of grandeur, he doesn't insult you by selling some fantasy of instant riches, either. He makes it clear that writing for a living requires dedication and hard work, just like any other career, and then he shows you how to go about making it happen.

The title is important and telling - Wolff's tone is professional and authoritative, yet friendly and quite cordial, and you get enjoyable little glimpses into his own successful career and personality as he provides anecdotes from his own published/produced works in all the fields he discusses. It's obvious that he's speaking from his own experiences in all aspects of the business(es), not just the writing, but also the marketing, pitching, ethics, etc. In addition to drawing on his own background, he also brings in snippets and examples from lots of other writers and creative types, most of whom are very well-known.

Actually, there is a lot of good information in here for creative business people of all sorts, like copywriters, marketing staff, and even product development types, anybody who needs to manage time, inspire others, hatch ideas or promote a vision, all of which are facets of the writing business and life. The book and table of contents are nicely organized and detailed in such a way that you can easily cherry-pick the information you're looking for. Of course, if you're a "regular" writer you will want to read every page, but the organization makes it easy to revisit various topics without cluttering up the sturdy, finely printed book with unsightly Post-It Notes.

Finally, the thing I liked best about this book is that it's a lot more than just a book. Every chapter includes an access code you can enter at one of Wolff's websites, where you can view bonus content and video interviews with Wolff and many of the people he mentions in each chapter. Wolff even makes himself available via his website, like a true coach would, as a source of advice and inspiration. It's a brilliant blend of old and new media, and access to the website makes the book a real 2-for-1 bargain.

As you might guess, I'd highly recommend this book. I've got a copy of my own and bought another for a friend, because this is the kind of book that if you loan it out, you may not get it back!

"Your Writing Coach" is a 248-page book filled with a wealth of practical knowledge, industry insights, writing exercises, and coaching tips that will teach and encourage writers at all levels to write, persist, and sell better. It's smartly divided into four parts with 18 chapters that covers a remarkable range of issues and topics all writers face somewhere along the spectrum.

Despite Jurgen Wolff's successful career as a writer in the industry with a prolific list of impressive projects (including writing scripts for several popular TV shows), the tone of the book remains coach-friendly, helpful, and never condescending. Plus, the bonus material on his Web site and his personal invitation to contact him if you still have questions after reading the book make this one wonderful coaching tool I'm happy to promote to readers of the Creativity-[...]
Web site.

As a non-fiction author (including books on how to write non-fiction!) I think Jurgen's book can give even authors of business and academic books a great deal to think about. Dry, boring non-fiction is - thankfully - going out of fashion in favour of a much more creative, story-telling approach. Non-fiction today, even if it is very factual and information-based, has to be interesting and - dare I say it - even entertaining if it's going to hold readers' attention right to the end. And this is where Jurgen's advice and guidance is particularly valuable, no matter what type of writing you do. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

I liked a couple of Jurgen Wolff's other books so when I saw that he's written one on how to write, I got it for my friend for her birthday. She wants to write the Great American Novel, and she says the book is great and she does feel like she's got a writing coach. I'm going to stick to writing reviews for now, but maybe someday...

I'm always looking for ideas on how publishing is now integrated with the net, so I was interested to check out how "Your Writing Coach" uses its website to add value. You get a code word at the end of each chapter and when you enter that on the web site it gives you access to bonus material like video interviews. There's more of it and it's more substantial than I've found on a lot of books' sites.

I guess I'm old school, I still prefer actual books to ebooks, but I think using the net to deliver extra material, especially video, is a good strategy for writers like me.

My only quibble is that it would have been easier to access the bonuses if there had been one code word instead of a different one for each chapter, and that's why I'm giving it four stars instead of five.

Although only two of the 18 chapters are about marketing, they're the highlight for me. I'm working on a novel that I'll publish as an ebook so I'm working on building a platform. I'm going to steal the "alter ego" idea--it goes beyond just using a pen name to establishing an author persona that will get attention. The example in this book is the woman who calls herself "The Sweet Potato Queen." I'm not her target audience, but her book has gone through 18 printings, so she's doing something right!

I came to this book because of the title. I was considering hiring a writing coach but money is tight right now. Anyway that's why the title appealed to me and the tone of the book and its practical approach are really good. I'm still going through it and treating the chapters like they are messages from my own personal coach. I'd say get this book if you can't afford a live coach and but want to feel like there's an experienced writer in your corner.

I liked the author's book on creativity (Creativity Now!) but because I've had quite a bit of writing experience I wasn't sure I'd find anything new in this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Although it does cover the basics it also has quite a few methods I haven't come across before, for instance for generating ideas and for creative ways to market your work. So even if you're not a newbie, I think you'll find it useful.

Jurgen Wolff's book, like his website [...], offers a Fort Knox of tools for wanna-be writers as well as the experienced: examples, exercises, helpful websites, and chapter bonuses linked to his website to reinforce and expand on his tips and techniques. From using "time pods" to making an "elevator speech" to hook an agent/reader you'll find yourself turning to this book again and again when you're mired down or when you start a new project or just want a darn good read about writing.

This is a comprehensive guide packaged in a compact, well organized, readable form, with lots of personal examples reflecting this author's experience. It also provides links to a number of interesting interviews with other experts. As an amateur mystery and short story writer I found it very helpful, both in terms of improving one's writing and marketing it.