Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Book Review: The Kick-Ass Writer

4 STARS



The journey to become a successful writer is long, fraught with peril, and filled with difficult questions: How do I write dialogue? How do I build suspense? What should I know about query letters? How do I start?

The best way to answer these questions is to ditch your uncertainty and transform yourself into a KICK-ASS writer. This new book from award-winning author Chuck Wendig combines the best of his eye-opening writing instruction--previously available in e-book form only--with all-new insights into writing and publishing. It's an explosive broadside of gritty advice that will destroy your fears, clear the path, and help you find your voice, your story, and your audience.

You'll explore the fundamentals of writing, learn how to obtain publication, and master the skills you need to build an army of dedicated fans. No task is too large or small for the kick-ass writer. With his trademark acerbic wit and gut-punch humor, Wendig will explain:

How to build suspense, craft characters, and defeat writer's block.
How to write a scene, an ending--even a sentence.
Blogging techniques, social media skills, and crowdfunding.
How to write a query letter, talk to agents, and deal with failure--and success!

Whether you're just starting out or you need one more push to get you over the top, two things are for certain--a kick-ass writer never quits, and chuck Wendig won't let you down in this high-octane guide to becoming the writer you were born to be.


This was the first book I read this year and I'm glad I did. I love Wendig's style when giving advice. He's not one to sugar coat things and I think that's an important quality when talking about writing.

This book is broken up into three parts and every chapter has 25 pieces of advice about a topic. And those topics range from being a writer, to tips about creating characters, to getting published. It's pretty thorough.

The only reason that I didn't give this book 5 stars is because it's a little bit repetitive (although some things do bear repeating) and there's a whole section about writing horror that I kind of skipped. But it makes sense, he writes horror, I don't.

So, if you don't mind a realistic, rough around the edges, approach to talking about writing, I highly suggest you pick this book up.   

What writing book have you read recently? Tell me in the comments!

Have a great day and Go Write Something!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

This Close...



Well hello fellow writer/readers, long time no see. I took a break from blogging after finishing my Writing Tips series. But now I'm back to your regular Wednesday updates.

So what have I been working on lately? I'm still trying to finish Moon Dragons. As of this blog, I am 3 scenes away from completing the first draft. 3 freaking scenes, and I still have a hard time writing. I realized yesterday as I was writing the climax that there is a lot of stuff I missed writing earlier on.

But that's okay. It happens in the first draft. You might get to the end and realize that you have not done a good job of setting up your epic conclusion. And that is what editing and rewriting are for. Make notes as you go and then fix them on your next go around.

I'm pretty sure I'll get this draft finished by the end of the week. And what happens then, you ask? Well, I'm going to let it sit and mellow like a fine wine for a month or so. Got to step away from the project so that I can approach it with fresh eyes.

And in the mean time, I'm going to start real work on my New Crow project. I'm calling it the New Crow, because I had a Crow project a couple years ago and about the only similar thing between these two projects is the main character and a nightclub. I'm pretty excited about this project and I can't wait to jump fully into it.

So the next time we see each other, I will have Moon Dragons draft one complete and I'll be able to tell you what's up with New Crow.

What are you working on right now? Something new, something old? Are you on a first draft or within the rounds of rewrites and editing? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading! Have a great day and Go Write Something!