Becoming a Writer
Featured book: Brande, Dorothea, Becoming a Writer, New York, Penguin Putnam Inc., 1981 (Reprint of the original publication, New York, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1934.) What this book meant to me as a writer: Becoming a Writer stands apart in its focus on the writer’s transition from self-doubt to self-reliance. Dorothea Brande says many students…
The Craft of Fiction
Featured book: Lubbock, Percy, The Craft of Fiction, London, Jonathan Cape, 1921. What this book meant to me as a writer: My reaction to The Craft of Fiction is mixed. Lubbock’s work is a tough read, published in 1921 in a verbose analytic voice. Even so, I found timeless wisdom here and there, enough to…
Aspects of the Novel
Featured book: Forster, E. M., Aspects of the Novel, San Diego, New York, and London, Harcourt, Inc., 1955. (Original publication 1927) What this book meant to me as a writer: Forster’s classic book, Aspects of the Novel, has been quoted in many writing guides. The first time I picked it up, I was heart weary…
Writing in an Age of Silence
Featured book: Paretsky, Sara, Writing in an Age of Silence, London and New York, Verso, 2007. What this book meant to me as a writer: Five years after 9/11, with the Patriot Act and recently formed Department of Homeland Security running full tilt, Sara Paretsky, author of the V I Warshawski detective series, wrote a…
Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books
Featured book: Shulevitz, Uri, Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books, New York, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1985. What this book meant to me as a writer: An artist friend, Vickey Fuqua, asked if I knew of any guides for illustrating children’s books. Vickey’s artwork includes water colors, designs for fabrics, posters for children’s…
Writing to Change the World
Featured book: Pipher, Mary, Writing to Change the World, New York, Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2006. What this book meant to me as a new writer: Writing to Change the World is a guide for writers who want to connect with readers on cultural and political issues. Mary Pipher’s intended…
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
Featured book: Goldberg, Natalie, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, Boulder, Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2016. (Original publication 1986) What this book meant to me as a new writer: Are your children wild for something to do? When my son was young, we moved and didn’t know anyone, a situation much like today’s epidemic-imposed…
The Emotional Craft of Fiction
Featured book: Maass, Donald, The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface, Writer’s Digest Books, 2016. What this book meant to me as a writer: Are you frustrated when you hear “show don’t tell,” “we want a visceral reaction,” and similar admonishments we writers give each other? If you want…
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Featured book: Lamott, Anne, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, New York, Pantheon Books, 1994. You may know of this time-honored advice for beginning writers. The book appears on reading lists for many writing conferences and courses. You can find Bird by Bird in hard-copy or e-book from Barnes & Noble, Amazon,…
![Writers [on Writing] II](https://susanekoenig.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/img_7482.jpg?w=1200&h=900&crop=1)
Writers [on Writing] II
Featured book: Writers [on Writing]: More Collected Essays from The New York Times; Introduction by Jane Smiley, 2003 Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, New York (Vol. II). Last month, in the first installment of this series about books on writing, I reviewed The New York Times initial collection of forty-six essays by noted authors.…
![Writers [on Writing]](https://susanekoenig.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/img_7479.jpg?w=1200&h=900&crop=1)
Writers [on Writing]
Welcome to my inaugural book review of books on writing, the first in a series on the topic of creating prose. Featured book: Writers [on Writing]: Collected Essays from The New York Times, Introduction by John Darnton, 2001 Times Books, Henry Holt and Company, New York. (Vol. 1) What this book meant to me as…
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