Written and compiled by award-winning novelist Mary Deal, Write it Right – Tips for Authors is a major source of information for breathing life into your prose. Learn how to polish your writing with tips and examples, and make your prose leap off the page.Writing your opus, you may have encountered myriad questions about imperfect areas that you stumble across in the composition. The thoroughly … thoroughly explained tips offered in Write it Right – Tips for Authors clarify these worrisome issues, instead of simply taking a chance they’ll be acceptable.
These thorough and often humorous tips were written in response to author queries for articles that explain various problematic aspects, including:
- Grammar and punctuation
- Narration
- Character development and dialogue
- Preparing your manuscript for submission
- Your public image
If your writing hasn’t been perfectly smooth, you’ll find answers to your questions in Write it Right – Tips for Authors.
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After reading seven novels by Mary Deal, I ordered her non-fiction book, ‘Write it Right: Tips for Authors,’ last week, as I wanted to understand how this author approaches her work. All her novels and short stories are 5-star reads for me, so what’s the secret? Perhaps if you read this book, you’ll find out. I devoured it over two days because it’s easy and organized in small chunks, making it something I could peruse throughout the weekend whenever I had thirty minutes available. It’s the kind of instructional guide that you can refer to many times in the future, so it’ll be kept on my Kindle in an easy-to-access collection.
The book is an overall approach to the writing craft and publishing processes. Divided into sections pertaining to topics such as self-publishing, editing, story creation, and marketing, you’ll find short chapters with bulleted hints and narrative that offer suggestions for the newbie or the seasoned professional. Not everything in the book is meant for every writer, unless you are completely new to the craft. It’s meant to provide reminders and tips for authors who need a shove from time to time, too. Perhaps you struggle with when to use ‘had’ in writing past tense when talking about something from a long time ago. Maybe you forget that Americans don’t often use the ‘s’ in toward / towards or backward / backwards. It’s the little things that get us authors, and this book is one that will help make your writing even stronger.
Although I read every word, I plan to re-read certain sections. Some of the components take a while to sink in. If you read something and move on too quickly, you might miss the value Deal’s provided in her advice. Writers often think they’ve perfected something after enough edits, but you will always find more in another round. How do you know when you’re truly done? Read that section… and you’ll walk away with great advice and a new approach. I plan to flip through this again when I am in the editing phase of my next novel. I’m confident this will help me fix a few additional issues I hadn’t noticed. I also plan to re-review the marketing section next month, as there were some fantastic ideas I plan to test soon.
Many writers write a book about how to write. (Try saying that too quickly!) The difference with Deal’s book is that she knows how much to say about each topic. It’s never preachy. It’s always straightforward. It’s options to consider, not hard and fast rules in all instances, e.g. the use of a prologue. Personally, I love them. Deal points out why these might not be so good. I understand her points and will take those into consideration when I write one, as she’s not saying “Don’t do it!” She’s saying “Do it properly!”
The other fun part about the book is that Deal provides examples from writers we all know (the good and the bad). She points out her own mistakes. She provides samples of her work to show us how she’s included her tips, including a full-length story from one of her collections. I highly recommend this book as the kind you keep on the shelf or handy in your Kindle… you’ll find yourself re-visiting it frequently, and this is the sign of a very worthy and finely produced tool.
This is a comprehensive & easy to read guide that should be purchased by all budding authors. It gives clarity & focus on how to tackle your genre & characters, storylines & plots, grammar & covers, plus much more. Not only would new writers garner great tips from this volume, but seasoned & published authors should take a look too as it tackles some difficult topics such as writer’s block. Many of the resources are U.S. based, but a quick google threw up lots of similar suggestions. What better way to write like a pro than by learning from a best-selling author who knows her subject. Very insightful.
Write it Right: Tips for Authors by Mary Deal.
Write it Right is the type of book that all budding writers need beside them, on their desks as they write. Available to pick it up and flick through whenever you have a doubt. Whether it’s looking for storyline inspiration, confirming a suspicion, resolving a query or avoiding pitfalls, this is the book for you.
I would highly recommend this invaluable resource, not only for those who are just starting out but also for veteran writers. It is jam-packed full of constructive advice from a best-selling author and it’s all readily available at your fingertips for a fraction of the normal cost of such books. From grammar and character building to editing and marketing. This book is a little gem.
If I were you, I’d…
Buy it Right … now,
Read it Right… to the end, and
Write it Right