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A review by readingthroughthelists
Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan
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.