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thesarahkay's review against another edition
4.0
A nice listen, and inspiring enough to get me to want to get back to writing. I direct approachable and relatable tips for every part of the process from creative block, to finding an agent, to surviving a book tour. I really appreciated that McCann shared his wisdom with such poetry and prose. To me, that set it apart from other writing books that are more brass tacks, but less artful. I’d easily read this one again, and I’ll probably bring bits of it to my writing group.
piedwarbler's review
5.0
Essential reading for anyone who wants to write, I’d say. Comforting, inspiring, reassuring.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
There are writing books that are instruction manuals, with exercises and chapters on plot, or semi-colons. Then there are the inspirational books about writing, that give little to no instruction, but leave the reader fired up and eager to put pen to paper. This falls somewhere in between, being both advice and inspiration.
Each chapter is brief and to the point, whether the subject is writing dialogue or finding an agent. McCann isn't wasting any words here, so each brief letter is packed full. I read this short book over a period of months -- the chapters run together when read all at once -- and I found it to be full of advice I'd be thinking of throughout the day. This is a generous and useful book.
Each chapter is brief and to the point, whether the subject is writing dialogue or finding an agent. McCann isn't wasting any words here, so each brief letter is packed full. I read this short book over a period of months -- the chapters run together when read all at once -- and I found it to be full of advice I'd be thinking of throughout the day. This is a generous and useful book.
katricia's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely some good advice and interesting turns of phrase in there. I think. Not like I'd know, technically. But it sounded like good advice, so. There are a lot of quotes from miscellaneous figures, and a lot of flowery one-liners... but y'know. Worth the time spent, I'd say.
annevoi's review against another edition
3.0
A lovely little book with some gorgeous writing and lots of excellent encouragement for creative people--writers specifically, but much of what McCann says is expandable to other artistic endeavors. I can't say I really *learned* anything, but I enjoyed the couple of hours it took to read this book, feeling I was in very good company. It's a little like sitting in a coffeehouse with a good, intelligent friend and hearing him expound on what he's been thinking about lately. Certainly a good investment of time.
antisocial_auntie's review against another edition
5.0
A nice, short book that is filled with hopeful and realistic advice. I recommend this to my teen writers to think about this author's perspective. And it was good for me to review. The audio book is read by the author and is well done.
zebac's review against another edition
5.0
Wise, poetic, demanding, a wonderful book - it is more philosophical than practical, although there are practical exercises there that have definitely helped me. And a shout-out to a terrific Irish musician, Colm Mac Con Iomaire whose two albums I've now downloaded.
Bears re-reading.
Bears re-reading.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Life advice disguised as writing advice very much in the vein of Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. It gets a bit platitude-y at times, in my opinion, but the later chapters have some really wry voices.
Also, dude can write a sentence about anything. That alone is worth reading.
Also, dude can write a sentence about anything. That alone is worth reading.