Over the years I've read a number of writing advice books. Some are helpful while others are more of an outlet for the author's bragging. Roy Peter Clark's Help! for Writers is of the incredibly helpful variety. Some writing books go in-depth on a particular genre, but Help! for Writers does a good job of encompassing many types of writing whether fiction or non, short pieces or long. One of my favorite pieces of advice is about writer's block. Clark suggests lowering your standards at the beginning to get started, the raising your standards later in the process. As someone who tends to get stuck because I want it all perfect right away, it was helpful to be given permission, in a sense, to let a first draft be less than stellar. Clark's quick tips are ones I'm sure I'll reference time and again for my writing.
5/5 >
Review copy provided by the publisher, Little, Brown and Company.
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He sounds like he has an interesting way of looking at things.
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