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How to Write Like a Writer: A Sharp and Subversive Guide to Ignoring Inhibitions, Inviting Inspiration, and Finding Your True Voice Audio CD – Unabridged, September 6, 2022

by Thomas C Foster (Author), David De Vries (Reader)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
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The New York Times bestselling author of the beloved classic How to Read Literature Like a Professor teaches you how to write everything from a report for your community association to a meaningful memoir in this masterful and engaging guide.

Combing anecdotes and hard-won lessons from decades of teaching and writing--and invoking everyone from Hemingway to your third-grade teacher--retired professor Thomas C. Foster guides you through the basics of writing. With How to Write Like a Writer you'll learn how to organize your thoughts, construct first drafts, and (not incidentally) keep you in your chair so that inspiration can come to visit.

With warmth and wit, Foster shows you how to get into (and over) your best self, how to find your voice, and how to know when, if ever, a piece of work is done.

Packed with enlightening anecdotes, highlighted with lists and bullet points, this invaluable guide reveals how writers work their magic, and reminds us that we all--for better or worse, whether we mean to or not--are known by what we put on paper or screen, both our thoughts and our words.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  3. Publication date
    September 6, 2022
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8212034562
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Foster brings his experience as a teacher and writer to this genial guide to the writing process.

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

[This] zippy, pragmatic book will appeal to readers in search of guidance on separating fact from fiction in an age of information overload.

-- "Publishers Weekly on How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor"

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Y4ZMFK7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Unabridged edition (September 6, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8212034562
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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Thomas C. Foster

Thomas C. Foster

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Thomas C. Foster is a professor of English at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he teaches classic and contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry, as well as creative writing and composition. In addition to How to Read Novels Like a Professor, he is the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor and several books on twentieth-century British and Irish fiction and poetry. He lives in East Lansing, Michigan.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
45 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Shane Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition for my Writing collection
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
I'm an author working on his own novels and this book was a useful addition.
One person found this helpful
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Jess Coulter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for AP Classes
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
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This is great for people teaching AP Language or Seminar
2 people found this helpful
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Matthew Rapaport
4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview. Focused a little on non-fiction, but helpful to all.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
A good general guide to the process of writing on both the strategic (how to shape a piece of work overall, from conception to final polish) and tactical (sentence and paragraph structure, ordering, opening, and closing). Dr. Foster avoids it being a book of rules, but he cannot escape a book of guidelines.

The intended audience, he tells us, is important. Dr. Foster’s target is reluctant writers, those students, and professionals who must write but would rather not. Mostly then, this is about non-fiction, from book reviews, eulogies, letters, journalism, and legal briefs to theses. But the fictionalist should not, for that reason, ignore the book. Many of Foster’s examples are taken from literature and a long career encompassing almost every sort of writing imaginable. His observations on the overall writing process, the high-level structure of a work, and on down to the paragraph and sentence apply equally to fiction and non-fiction.

On social media, many writers of fiction bemoan what they call “imposter syndrome.” These are people who want to write, sometimes even enjoy the process, but despair of ever being “good enough.” For those writers (and yes, if you write, you are a writer), Dr. Foster has a whole chapter and many observations scattered throughout the book.

It is good from time to time to be reminded of all the many steps that can, ultimately, yield one’s best possible (never perfect) piece of writing. Few writers (especially me) will employ every step, but adding a few to your process, whatever it is, cannot help but make you a better writer.
16 people found this helpful
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Ivy Reisner
5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of the entire writing process
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2024
There are enough exercises in this book that it isn’t well suited to the audio format, at least not for me. It’s not the kind of book you can listen to for however long you’re out for a walk or whatever, which is usually how I consume audiobooks. It’s the kind of book that’s meant to read some of, take notes, and work the exercises. I find the exercises worth doing.

It’s not a write this genre or that kind of book. It’s not focused on one element like plot or dialog or characterization. It serves more as a view from 50,000 feet kind of guide, briefly looking at a bit of everything. For someone starting out, that’s ideal.

The writing style is excellent — conversational and engaging. The narration is fantastic.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2022
I really enjoy books on writing and over the years I’ve read quite a few of them. Even if a book covers information I’ve heard before I still consider it worth reading. I could be wrong but I believe it was Zig Ziglar who once said “repetition is the mother of learning.” And I agree because sometimes it’s hearing the same information told in a different way that will make the information click for you. And I have to say I absolutely loved the way Thomas Foster imparted knowledge in How To Write Like a Writer. His writing style is easygoing, almost conversational. The chapters are short, only a few pages and follow a set pattern: he imparts a piece of writing advice using a particular writer as the focus (a journalist/novelist/etc), gives a coaching tip, and then ends each chapter with a notable quote. I really enjoyed this book and think it’s worthwhile for anyone from a novice writer, to a professional writer, to anyone just interested in the subject of writing itself. Thanks so much to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of How To Write Like a Writer.
4 people found this helpful
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Daniel A.
1.0 out of 5 stars Printing issues
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
I received the book with a completely blank cover. I’m assuming some kind of printing error. I cannot comment on the contents of the book, as I have not read it but the blank cover is concerning.
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Joseph Blackhurst
4.0 out of 5 stars More of a book on academic writing
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2023
This was a pretty good book and offers some unique lessons. The majority of chapters seem to lean towards non-fiction and academic writing and offer less value to improve the reader's fiction writing. On one hand, it's refreshing to find a writing book that tackles the academic writing perspective.

However, customer expectations with writing books are that they're fiction-focused unless stated otherwise, and the marketing and sales material did not make it clear that this book really isn't a book on fiction writing, and to say the book helps all types of writing really isn't true since several chapters are only non-fiction and academic research focused. Ultimately, I didn't buy what I expected but I still got value from it.
One person found this helpful
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Kitties & Kindles
4.0 out of 5 stars Writing
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2022
How to Write Like a Writer, A Sharp and Subversive Guide to Ignoring Inhibitions, Inviting Inspiration, and Finding Your True Voice by Thomas C. Foster was only the second book I’ve seriously looked at for a greater knowledge of how I might write a better review.
I wasn’t paying attention in school and suffered from the boring old formats.
The author compelled me to see that I will learn from exercising my abilities and better understand my writing with practice. Also that failure can teach me a lot. I need to to a lot more thinking and practicing. I love the “reading journal” and “practice rewriting news paper articles” for practice.
I could go on and on but I just say that I found it helpful.
I’m no writer nor will be, but I’ve definitely been inspired to try. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for some solid insight.
Thanks Harper Perennial via NetGalley.
My favorite quote:
“All writing is an act of imagination. Use yours. Discover or invent the best way to say what it is you have to say in your writing. Don’t write the way you think a book would have you do it. Write the way you think and feel will best do the job.”
7 people found this helpful
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