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A review by avalinda
Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark
5.0
The most important book on writing I've come across to date, with The Elements of Style being a close second. Writing has always been such an abstract and undefined struggle for me, involving mentally beating myself up, staring off into space, and producing one long hiatus after another. The quintessential dilemma. But Roy Peter Clark demystifies the writing process, revealing the structure behind some of the best works in history, rendering writing as a science we can all master instead of some obscure higher plane of existence. And I think we all need such a reminder.
The amount of research and distillation that went into this book must have been enormous, and it shows. I love how each writing tool was carefully curated, explained, and organized, with clear examples of how they operate - just like clockwork in the hands of the most skilled authors. I even found myself using some of those tools right away. I can already see the positive impact on my current writing project: where it lay in a tangled mess of words and ideas, random stops and starts, it's now a rough path forward, which is more than I had to start with about 6 months ago. So I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is a must-have book for any aspiring writer. You can't build anything without the right tools and a structure in mind, along with more intangible qualities such as patience, acceptance of criticism, and a knack for turning procrastination into preparation. Clark reminds us of these things politely but firmly, with decades- and centuries-old evidence. We owe it to ourselves and our unfinished work to give it all a shot.
And now, I'll stop here to get back to that poor little houseplant that is my novel. Its drooping branches have revived somewhat, and the green is returning slowly but surely to its leaves. I've just watered it from a can labeled "Writing Tools," and the sun has broken through the clouds to spread its life-giving rays. There's hope for this seedling yet. It's time to begin.
The amount of research and distillation that went into this book must have been enormous, and it shows. I love how each writing tool was carefully curated, explained, and organized, with clear examples of how they operate - just like clockwork in the hands of the most skilled authors. I even found myself using some of those tools right away. I can already see the positive impact on my current writing project: where it lay in a tangled mess of words and ideas, random stops and starts, it's now a rough path forward, which is more than I had to start with about 6 months ago. So I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is a must-have book for any aspiring writer. You can't build anything without the right tools and a structure in mind, along with more intangible qualities such as patience, acceptance of criticism, and a knack for turning procrastination into preparation. Clark reminds us of these things politely but firmly, with decades- and centuries-old evidence. We owe it to ourselves and our unfinished work to give it all a shot.
And now, I'll stop here to get back to that poor little houseplant that is my novel. Its drooping branches have revived somewhat, and the green is returning slowly but surely to its leaves. I've just watered it from a can labeled "Writing Tools," and the sun has broken through the clouds to spread its life-giving rays. There's hope for this seedling yet. It's time to begin.