Quickie Book Review: The Writer's Portable Mentor, by Priscilla Long
It is important to note that I do not know this woman, nor have I ever met her (At least I don't think so. I believe we may have attended the same writing group for a while but her picture didn't look familiar.) I would also like to point out this is my first and so far, only book review.
I will post more when I have finished the book but I had to post something to let people know how great this is. When I read a book on writing, I get something to think about, in much the same way you do when you meet another writer at a conference, then the book goes on the shelf, and I rarely look at it again. There have been a few exceptions, but by and large, I don't find something that is so good I am compelled to blog about it.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a large selection of writing books. I justify this habit by telling myself, and my wonderfully understanding husband that this is a tiny cost when compared to the Escalade sized bill I would be sitting on were I to get an MFA.
With "The Writer's Portable Mentor", I continue to find something to underline for the next time I read it. This is a book I will have to go over several times. She has packed this book with everything from lessons on productivity (more reasons to write every day), nods to other writing teachers, grammar discussions, and something I haven't seen in many books; instructions on how to observe the world around you, process that information, and put it down on paper and polish it in such a way that you achieve something really great, and different. She discusses things like the "virtuoso sentence" and how to break down things we admire and strive for the same type of greatness, and much more.
This book makes me want to be a better writer in a way I hadn't felt before, and the material in the book gives me things to do to try to achieve that.
The information she presents is well put together and extremely helpful, and at the risk of sounding dramatic, and again, I do not know Ms. Long-inspiring.
This one book covers what many, many others do. If you could just buy one writing book, this may be the one to get, in my most humble opinion.
What other writing books do you guys love? If I get enough comments I will post a list.
I will post more when I have finished the book but I had to post something to let people know how great this is. When I read a book on writing, I get something to think about, in much the same way you do when you meet another writer at a conference, then the book goes on the shelf, and I rarely look at it again. There have been a few exceptions, but by and large, I don't find something that is so good I am compelled to blog about it.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a large selection of writing books. I justify this habit by telling myself, and my wonderfully understanding husband that this is a tiny cost when compared to the Escalade sized bill I would be sitting on were I to get an MFA.
With "The Writer's Portable Mentor", I continue to find something to underline for the next time I read it. This is a book I will have to go over several times. She has packed this book with everything from lessons on productivity (more reasons to write every day), nods to other writing teachers, grammar discussions, and something I haven't seen in many books; instructions on how to observe the world around you, process that information, and put it down on paper and polish it in such a way that you achieve something really great, and different. She discusses things like the "virtuoso sentence" and how to break down things we admire and strive for the same type of greatness, and much more.
This book makes me want to be a better writer in a way I hadn't felt before, and the material in the book gives me things to do to try to achieve that.
The information she presents is well put together and extremely helpful, and at the risk of sounding dramatic, and again, I do not know Ms. Long-inspiring.
This one book covers what many, many others do. If you could just buy one writing book, this may be the one to get, in my most humble opinion.
What other writing books do you guys love? If I get enough comments I will post a list.
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