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jtisreading's review
3.0
Without a doubt, Word Painting is worth reading if you want to continue working on your descriptive writing techniques and development of Setting. There is a lot of useful information and the exercises are well thought out and helpful. McClanahan is an enjoyable author to read and uses a lot of personal stories to create analogous relationships to writing.
The book still has problems. It rambles, structurally at times it is incoherent, and the analysis of som writing could be better. Since this is a book on writing it becomes a big deal. Is it worth the read? Sure. But don't feel bad flipping through areas that feel mundane (for me the last chapter was almost pointless, but that may also just be me)
The book still has problems. It rambles, structurally at times it is incoherent, and the analysis of som writing could be better. Since this is a book on writing it becomes a big deal. Is it worth the read? Sure. But don't feel bad flipping through areas that feel mundane (for me the last chapter was almost pointless, but that may also just be me)
warwriter's review
5.0
An excellent book on description. The author uses classics and other writers to illustrate different types of description, in addition to her own works (only a very few number of times, though, thank heaven). This book has great exercises that will help you see your writing in a more descriptive way. If you have problems with describing your people, places and things, this book will help with that, as well as give you quick pointers on tone, plot, and theme. Here's a tip that I've learned: Scatter your description instead of dumping them in long text blocks (my habit when I describe, which is sparingly).
dreamweaver's review
I had only a little bit left, but I had forgotten pretty much everything that preceded the remaining part. I'll probably reread it at some point.
readingthroughthelists's review
4.0
As a writer of fantasy, it can be easy to turn one's nose up at literary fiction and, by extension, writing books that focus on literary fiction (McClanahan does include some passing references to sci-fi/fantasy and historical fiction, but it's clear this is far outside her area of expertise). However, learning to write vivid, precise descriptions of people, places, and things can help set good fantasy apart from the merely mediocre, and thus writers of genre fiction can certainly benefit from opening this book. Some of the writing exercises have already proved useful.
One thing I particularly liked about Word Painting was that McClanahan fills her book with examples of authors who write well. I feel that it is entertaining, but also all too easy, to fill one's 'how-to-write' book with examples of how NOT to write. While it is fun to laugh at the mistakes and foibles of beginning writers, it doesn't teach you how to do it better. But McClanahan has chosen genuinely good examples of the points she wants to make, and readers and writers alike benefit from her thoughtful analysis.
One thing I particularly liked about Word Painting was that McClanahan fills her book with examples of authors who write well. I feel that it is entertaining, but also all too easy, to fill one's 'how-to-write' book with examples of how NOT to write. While it is fun to laugh at the mistakes and foibles of beginning writers, it doesn't teach you how to do it better. But McClanahan has chosen genuinely good examples of the points she wants to make, and readers and writers alike benefit from her thoughtful analysis.
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