SO, YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?

Soup-to-nuts overview on all aspects of developing a writing career, from picking a genre to publicizing a finished work.

The thing that sets Hambleton and Greenwood’s upbeat how-to for aspiring young scribblers apart is its myriad interviews, not only of established professionals such as Wendelin Van Draanen and Todd Strasser, but of young writers who may not be as familiar. Additionally, the authors sample some of these young wordsmiths’ work, which, although it stops the narrative flow, gives readers both a taste of their material and the feeling that this is something that’s achievable. The tone of the book is positive and self-help-y, but the advice is straightforward and practical. It includes quizzes, writing exercises to loosen up the brain and a handy section on further resources as well as a (too) short glossary of terms that all professional writers should know. Because it’s aimed at word slingers of all types of material and genres, some which the authors define and explain, the information is by necessity somewhat general and superficial, and writers seeking to work in specific genres will have to do further research.

Part instructional, part inspirational, this writing primer is a good first stop for budding young scribes.