Editorial Review

Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph.Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. ... Read more

Reviews (254)

A mixed bag
This book has some good writing advice, which I appreciate, but I was annoyed by the intrusive religious comments. It should have been marketed as a Christian writing book, or else I wish they had left the religion out of it. I do not expect to find this when I purchase a writing book. I want to hear about writing, not about how God can make me a better writer.
Worth reading and Saving !
This is one of the books that I will keep and re-read.Very well written and inspiring.I LOVED IT !! Made me "want" to write and made me feel that I could actually write something worth reading.

Depressing
I found this book very depressing. Anne Lamott's constant self-deprecation throughout the book caused me to really doubt myself as well. I know she is doing it to show that she's human just like the rest of us, but I think she can show that without hating on herself every chance she gets (saying the 9-year-old version of herself looked like a neurotic cat woman, etc.) despite what she says about how you shouldn't do that. It's like hanging around with a bunch of anorexic models, it gets to you.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Literary    5. Reference    6. Writing Skills    7. Creative writing guides    8. Reference / Writing Skills   

Editorial Review

If you've got friends who are fiction writers, watch out: "Writers are spies, liars, and thieves," writes Robin Hemley in Read more

Reviews (3)

Life IS stranger than fiction...
This book offers tricks and tips to teach you how to use real life situations to develop characters, plot, setting and other elements of story. The author will have you eavesdropping in restuarants and spying onthe neighbors in an effort to see how easy it is to come up with believablestory.

An engaging well organized book.
Robin Hemley covers it all.He immediately engages the reader and his love, as well as his expertise in the craft, is evident in each page. The technical points are covered in a way that leaves you feeling as if you have just read a really good novel.The ethical questions are covered without getting too bogged down. A very inspiring and illuminating book on how to get started writing.B.Bruce, New Caney Tx.

An engaging well organized book.
Robin Hemley covers it all.He immediately engages the reader and his love, as well as his expertise in the craft, is evident in each page. The technical points are covered in a way that leaves you feeling as if you have just read a really good novel.The ethical questions are covered without getting too bogged down. A very inspiring and illuminating book on how to get started writing.B.Bruce, New Caney Tx. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Autobiography    2. Creative writing    3. Fiction    4. Problems, exercises, etc    5. Reference    6. Technique    7. Writing Skills   

Reviews (11)

Great book on writing.
Colleen Mariah Rae's book is a unique approach to learning the art of writing fiction. It's strictly an inside job, and Rae helps you find answers to your fiction writing problems within yourself. Her emphasis on imagery and detail is presented in a straight forward manner that sheds new light on the subject. But her advice on developing a trait continuum for your characters is help of the most valuable kind. I look forward to seeing more books from her in this series. Provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice
With Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story, Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction, Movies In The Mind is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index.

Inspire & Enhance Writer's Craft
This book is great, will reallyrev up your writing, and I'm not the only one who says so. TheFebruary 2001 issue of Wisconsin Bookwatch has the review :With "Movies In The Mind: How To Build A Short Story", Colleen Rae provides the aspiring writer with compendium of sound advice, techniques, and strategies for writing plausible, believable, resonating fiction. Each informative chapter is a gem of sound, practical, illustrative, and occasionally inspiring instruction and includes: Entering The Storymaker's Realm; Fiction's Building Blocks; Participatory Art; Digging The Clay; Whose Story Is It Anyway?; Unlocking Your Story; How To Birth A Story; and There's Always A Critic. Very highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their fiction," Movies In The Mind" is further enhanced with a section of Exercise Pages, a Reading List; and a user-friendly index. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Fiction    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Short story   

Reviews (2)

More, More, More!
I wish M.E. Kerr hadn't taken her own advice ("Cut! Cut!Cut!") and given us more breadth--I loved what was there, but I found myself closing the book and wishing there were many more chapters.What about"If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?" and "I'll Love YouWhen You're More Like Me," not to mention her silence on her recentforays into gay issues--what made her start focusing almost exclusively inthat area? I also wanted more biographical info that we didn't get in"ME ME ME," such as what things were like once she startedselling her young adult books and became so respected by students,teachers, and librarians.I've been a fan since high school (over 10years), have read all her books, and I hope she does a Volume II, becauseI'm dying for more!

The advice to writers AND the stories included were AWESOME!
I'm not a short story reader - I don't like 'em... really never have. So when M.E. Kerr's book came out - I was skeptical about buying it. Then I read a review, and decided to give it a chance. Thankfully I did! I learned not only tips on how to write better, but I learned how to pull a story together. What makes a story tick and I learned - most importantly - that everyone has a voice - you just have to find it. Now I'm ready and willing and maybe able to try my hand at writing a short story. If I can be half as successful as Ms. Kerr - life would be good!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Biography & Autobiography - Literary    3. Children's 12-Up - Language Arts    4. Children's Books/Young Adult Misc. Nonfiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Kerr, M. E    9. Language Arts - Composition & Creative Writing    10. Technique    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / Language Arts / Composition & Creative Writing   

Editorial Review

This freelance writer's bible, available for the first time in paperback, weighs in at more than 1,000 pages. For novices, there are chapters on query writing, negotiating contracts, and the like, as well as firsthand reports from various publishing professionals. The bulk of the book comprises comprehensive listings for more than 4,200 places to sell your words, from book publishers (more than 1,250) to magazines (more than 2,000) to greeting-card companies, script buyers, writing contests, and a handful of online markets. The entries vary in thoroughness (depending on how helpful a specific publisher was), but most are quite complete, including a description of the publishing company or publication, contact names, and tips from the editors on how best to get your pen in the door. The tips range from the truly useful to the nearly useless ("Ride a motorcycle and be able to construct a readable sentence!" recommend the folks at Read more

Reviews (8)

Very Informative
This book should be on every serious writer's shelf.The CD and software are simple to use, though lack some obvious features.

stunk!!!!!Worst Book in history
It was the most intresting book I have ever read!Very informative

No other book comes near it. The bible for writers
The book is near-perfect. Almost every question I have ever had, aboutfreelance magazine articles, is answered in detail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Canada    3. Composition & Creative Writing    4. Directories    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Publishers and publishing    7. Publishing    8. Publishing Guides    9. Reference    10. United States