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perilous1's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a terrific self-editing resource for writers of every genre.
It’s been a long time since a craft guide has left such a prose-altering impression on me. It isn't difficult to agree with the author’s early assertion: “Good writing is more than good grammar.” But getting my head around what “good writing” looks and feels like has always been something of a nebulous endeavor. Is there a difference between passive writing and passive voice? How can I avoid using ‘saw,’ ‘heard,’ ‘felt,’ and ‘knew?’ Is telling rather than showing always a no-no?
“At the developmental and line editing stages, editing is as much an art as it is a skill.”
Newland draws on her considerable experience as an author, book reviewer, and line editor--offering readers a comprehensive breakdown of the differences between active and passive prose. Dodging legalism, she opens by encouraging readers to see her advice as guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules, along with challenging them to reexamine their own previously held assumptions. The book is broken up into dozens of concise sections that are all relevant to the prose-tightening process. Newland’s voice is competent and instructive without being dry, and she supports her points with clear illustrations. She frequently utilizes examples from her own past writing projects—which I found both brave and charmingly self-deprecating.
While active prose is the focal point, the book contains an extensive and satisfying diversity in related editing topics. There were a number of genuine aha-moments for this reader. Some principles finally “clicked,” while other concepts were—at the very least—shown from a fresh vantage point. I particularly appreciated the metaphor the author employed to explain why metaphors shouldn't be overused: “It’s like placing a lot of artworks in close proximity without frames to set them off; you can’t see them properly and your enjoyment of them is compromised.”
Note: It may help to know up-front that the author is Australian, so readers can expect her spellings to reflect this fact. (Although, if something like that fazes you, I can recommend a glut of British literature to help you get over it. ;) ) She actually does offer a section dedicated to the variances in spelling and word choices between British and American English—which was one of the better and impartial explanations I’ve ever come across.
The one down side to this book?
I don’t personally care for the cover—the anthropomorphically animated letters struck me as children’s book-like. I’m afraid the art choice doesn't quite do justice to the invaluable content of this guide.
“The writer who breeds more words than he needs, makes reading a chore for the reader who reads.” --Dr Seuss.
miahuang's review against another edition
1.0
1.5/5
read this for a creative writing class. this book could be summarized in a simple sentence: show don't tell. But instead, the author decided to write a whole book on it. Honestly, this should've been just an essay at most. The examples given in the book were just not that good in general (mainly just the author plugging her own works as the writing samples lol)
read this for a creative writing class. this book could be summarized in a simple sentence: show don't tell. But instead, the author decided to write a whole book on it. Honestly, this should've been just an essay at most. The examples given in the book were just not that good in general (mainly just the author plugging her own works as the writing samples lol)
herelieshenry's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
incredibly useful resource for writing fiction; very clear & concise.
dernhelm's review against another edition
5.0
Informative and a great reference for writers, especially beginning writers. Contains a lot of tips I wish I'd known when I was starting out.