Keenan's Book Reviews

No Plot? Not Problem! A Low Stress-High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

Write Naked by Jennifer Probst

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Writing for Comics with Peter David

Highsmith, Patricia. Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction. 1983. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1990.

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Good Naked by Joni B. Cole

Writing can be challenging, outstanding writing usually is, but writers don’t have to be miserable. Author, editor and writing instructor Joni B. Cole offers some perspective for writers in Good Naked.

Cole dispels myths of writing. For instance, writers rarely produce perfect first drafts; mediocre writing is okay because it is a place to start. You don’t have to suffer to produce art, but you do have to put in the effort and deal with the difficulties.

Writers need a balanced optimism. Acknowledge the challenges, but believe you can overcome them. Add to it a touch of humility; Cole believes real writers put aside pride and get the help they need to reach their goals, such as joining a writing group.

Cole also runs counter to some popular advice on writing. She doesn’t believe in outlines. Instead, work the parts that are meaningful, that call out to you. You can arrange them and fill in the gaps later as the big picture forms in your mind. It’s easy to imagine her chapters coming together this way, with images, stories, ideas and remembrances being assembled and reworded until they flow together.

Each chapter of the book is an essay. Though the book as a whole has an order and flow, one could read or reread a helpful chapter without needing to flip back to preceding pages to make sense of it.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

The Big Thing by Phyllis Korkki

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

Write Naked by Jennifer Probst

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Cole, Joni B. Good Naked: Reflections on How to Write More, Write Better and Be Happier. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2017.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Write Naked by Jennifer Probst

Romance writer Jennifer Probst has written more than a score of published books. In Write Naked, she shares her experiences, both successes and mistakes, of building her career as a professional writer.

Probst was not an immediate success. She wrote six books before writing one that was published. One of the lessons of the book is that it takes persistence, time and effort to develop you skill and find a place for your work. Even after writing successful books, the book you’re working on can be a struggle; Probst confesses to finding challenges in writing her most recent books.

Success itself can be a challenge. When she finally made it, she made it big, with a large sale and a book that hit the bestseller lists. After that, the pressure was on. She felt the expectations of her editor and readers to produce another hit that they would love. The pressure to meet those expectations made the next book much harder. It was successful, but not as successful, which she found very disappointing. She points out the reality that you won’t hit a home run every time you step up to the plate, but a base hit is still a success.

I admit that I’m not a fan of romance. However, I am a bit in awe of the ability to many successful romance writers to produce. They turn out books and their books sell. This requires work—they have to get it done. Probst’s advice includes dealing with that aspect of writing. She treats it as her business. She writes every day. She sets goals. She creates deadlines (or gets them from her editor) and meets them. She sets aside time to promote her books and interact with readers. She also says no to things that don’t fit her life and career as a writer so her time and energy isn’t drained away from where it is needed.

Some might thing Probst’s revelation of her experience takes some of the romance out of writing. Of course, whether it is romantic or not, there are realities to making a career of writing. An aspiring writer will need to deal with it.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

No Plot? Not Problem! A Low Stress-High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Probst, Jennifer. Write Naked: A Bestseller’s Guide to Writing Romance and Navigating the Path to Success. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 2017.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

As I read Writing Down the Bones, the writing guide by Natalie Goldberg that was first published in 1984, I found myself being more courageous and honest in my writing. At least I’m more that way in the writing I do for myself.

That is where it starts. Better writing comes from the practice of writing. Goldberg recommends timed writing as a practice. Set the amount of time you plan to write, even if it is as short as 10 minutes, and write as fast and freely as you can.

I’ve been doing something similar for a while. What helped me break through to more scary and fruitful territory is Goldberg’s advice to write a little more. If you feel you’ve written all you can about something, write a little more. I found it pushed me to write down thoughts and feelings I didn’t want to admit I had. I don’t know that these confessions to myself had made me a better writer, but when I break through I feel like I may be able to deal with something I’ve been avoiding.

In both of these practices, writing is a kind of meditation, which Goldberg discusses in several of the book’s short chapters. She draws on Buddhist practices such as meditation throughout the book.

Her Buddhist practices also involve being present, which she suggests is helpful for writers. Be present in your everyday life and in your writing. Be attentive, listen, and you will fill your mind with the wonderful things. These become specific details that ground your writing in real life. Instead of writing about something, you can write what is; your readers will conjure up on their own the emotions associated with the experience you capture in your words.

“Whatever is in front of you is your life, so please take care of it,” Natalie Goldberg, Afterward to Writing Down the Bones

Goldberg believes writing should be tied to the rest of your life. Whatever you’re doing, you’re a writer, and even though you can and should give your full attention to the person or task in front of you, the writing mind is still being primed for its work. And writing is work; it requires effort. Like any worthwhile thing, you get out of it what you put into it. Writing is a process and it needs to be approached with joy, honesty and patience if it is to bear fruit.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper

Switch on Your Brain by Caroline Leaf

Take the Leap by Heather McCloskey Beck

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. 2^nd ed. Boston: Shambala, 2005.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Shut Up & Write! by Judy Bridges

Shut Up & Write! is a guide for new writers by author and teacher Judy Bridges. It is one of the most straightforward and simple writing guides I’ve seen, which I like. As you go through it and read about the process and techniques described, you may feel she is describing the very process she use to write the book in your hands.

There are several other things to like about this book. I’ll mention a few here in no particular order except the last.

The book is broad; it covers the writing process from idea to publication. It remains a short book, though, and doesn’t get into excessive detail. I think it is enough to have a generally direction. As a beginning writer, you should be writing and making your work as good as you can; you can figure out the details you need as you go.

Bridges doesn’t elevate fiction writing over nonfiction. If someone writes histories, news articles, technical manuals or advertising copy, they are still writing. Many of the same skills and requirements apply to any type of writing.

I like Bridges’ suggestions for organizing or plotting a story. It is very simple and visual. It is also something that could work for a short piece or a long book. Good planning tools should help one write, not spend a lot of effort on planning.

Possibly the best thing about the Bridges’ advices is that she does not sugarcoat how hard it is to write a book—at least a good one. She tells her readers to put at least two years into a book. Admittedly, many of her students and the audience for this book will be aspiring or part-time writers with limited time, but writing a quality book is about more than time. This realistic expectation will help readers who hope to write a book get in the right mindset.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

No Plot? Not Problem! A Low Stress-High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

Bridges, Judy. Shut Up & Write! Milwaukee, WI: Redbird Studio Press, 2011.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

We are all writers. Language and writing come naturally to us. We learn the notion that we are bad writers somewhere along the way, most likely in school. We are trained to be self-conscious and anxious about writing; we need to break that training and start having fun.

This viewpoint is the starting point for Julia Cameron’s advice to writers in The Right to Write. She envisions millions of people writing. They’ll write naturally and organically for the joy of writing.

That is the other major theme that runs through the book: write for the sake of writing. Writing has a lot of benefits even if you only write for your own eyes. It is a way for us to express ourselves and examine our lives.

Cameron has a lot of advice for writers but it is generally not prescriptive. Each writer has his own way. Cameron’s advice is aimed at helping him discover it. That does not mean her advice is impractical. She has some hardnosed comments about what it takes to overcome the blocks would-be writers create (or accept) to their own development.

As Cameron describes it, the writing life is not about being a writer. It is more about becoming the person and writer you can be. It is a process of learning and discovery. She tells several stories of writers who, for various reasons, stop learning and stop being open. The result is that they stop writing or find it difficult. Always be learning is good advice for anyone who wants to improve at something, whatever it may be.

Writing should be integrated into life. Your life, interests, experiences, relationships, emotions, and all the things you take in through the senses are fuel for writing. The more you live, the more you’ll have to write about and the more you’ll want to write.

The book contains many exercises to help a budding writer develop. One of the main things is simply to write every day. She describes daily writing that is intended to get one used to writing without the inner censor putting on the breaks. You also get used to writing even when not in the mood, though once you start writing your mood is likely to come around.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide for writing a popular genre novel, this isn’t it. If you want some practical advice and encouragement from a professional writer who thinks you can write something worthwhile, and enjoy it, then The Right to Write is a good choice.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

No Plot? Not Problem! A Low Stress-High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose

12 “Christian” Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Cameron, Julia. The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1998.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

250 Books Reviewed on Keenan’s Book Reviews

Since starting this blog, I've posted reviews of 250 books. The most recent 50 are listed below in alphabetical order and their are links at the bottom of this post for a continuation of the list of all 250 books.

First Time Reviews

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown by Paul Malmont

Attitude in a Nutshell by Sam Glen

Be All You Can Be! by John C. Maxwell

The Big Con by David W. Maurer

The Big Roads by Earl Swift

Canals and Their Architecture by Robert Harris

Creative Living for Today by Maxwell Maltz

Colossians

Deal with It! by Paula White

Defining Noah Webster by K. Alan Snyder

Deuteronomy

Eat That Cookie! by Liz Jazwiec

Elixir by Brian Fagan

It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado

Joshua

Judges

Just Say Thanks! by R. T. Kendall

Life is So Good by George Dawson & Richard Glaubman

Katy Depot Historic Site edited by Deborah Biermann

Majestie by David Teems

Make Miracles in Forty Days by Melody Beattie

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

Pastoral Letters

The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter & Raymond Hull

Power in Praise by Merlin R. Carothers

On the Mainlines by William B. Claycomb

The Pentateuch

Pulp Art by Robert Lesser

The Revenge of Kali-Ra by K. K. Beck

Revved! by Harry Paul and Ross Reck

Ruth

Scholastic’s A+ Guide to Book Reports by Louise Colligan

Second Corinthians

Second Thessalonians

Second Timothy

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Secrets You Keep from Yourself by Dan Neuharth

Stop Whining, Start Living by Laura Schlessinger

Titus

The Velveteen Principles by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio

The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark

Water by Steven Solomon

Additional and Expanded Reviews

Majestie by David Teems

Continuation of list of 250 books reviewed

Monday, September 10, 2012

New & Interesting Stuff Sept. 10, 2012

Attitudes are more important than facts

Book Review: Elixir by Brian Fagan

Candidates & Infrastructure

Courageous people aren't always so

Diversion Toilet Wins Gates Prize

From virtue comes money and every other good of man

New & Interesting Stuff Sept. 5, 2012

Second Timothy

Secrets You Keep from Yourself by Dan Neuharth

Titus

Just Write by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. Just Write: Here’s How! New York: Collins, 2012.

Walter Dean Myers is an author of mostly of books for children and young adults. That is the primary audience for Just Write: Here’s How!

Myers makes no bones about it. Writing is hard work. Myers, and he believes most other successful writers, has a process that helps he prepare for, write, and complete books. A writer needs to love the process of writing if he hopes to complete books and have them be of good quality.

Having said that, Just Write is not a highly technical book. Myers’ process if fairly straightforward. He uses a simple outline to get started (actually two: one for fiction and one for nonfiction). He fleshes these out into more detailed outlines.

Preparation is important to Meyers. Partly this is the hard work of putting together a good outline and developing an understanding of your main character. He also advocates plenty of research. Writers, especially when they are young, write about things they haven’t experienced personally, and research will serve both as a personal education and a source of authenticity for the book.

Don’t skimp on preparation and don’t shy away for rewriting. Myers considers rewriting important. He welcomes input from his editor that will make his books better.

Many examples come from Myers’ experience. He especially draws upon his unexpectedly pleasant success co-writing Kick with Ross Workman, a teenager at the time they collaborated. The process of working on Kick and other books provides illustrations for the points he makes. He holds up Workman as an example of someone with the attitude, work ethic, an especially interest in the process of writing that leads to success as a writer. Workman had the diligence and humility to learn, deal with feedback, and follow his book through to the end.

Workman also experienced the kind of crisis of confidence that Myers thinks is typical. A young writer will need to face this crisis and find the courage to continue and improve his work.

Myers’ style in this book is informal, conversational and direct. It is also personal. He writes about how he came to be a writer and how it has affected his life. He writes with a purpose, and that broader purpose to connect to and help kids has led him to speak to kids in trouble both to understand and to encourage them. Though written for youth, it may be a good place to start for budding writers of any age.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall