Reviews

Words, words and more words - these are the all important tools of the trade for any writer.

Sometimes the joy of stringing them together into something eloquent is indescribable. You know exactly what you want to impart to the reader but you’re stuck for the right word to convey the meaning. And sometimes you find the right word and overuse it.

Whether you’re writing a novel, a non-fiction article or a book review you want to make your point and keep the reader’s interest. Using the same hackneyed expressions is one sure way to lose them. Unfortunately that happens a lot in book reviews. The same words keep turning up time after time.

That’s why I call THE SYNONYM FINDER a book reviewer’s best friend.

Example: If you read book reviews you’ll see the word intriguing pop up a lot.

What if you’re writing a review and want an alternative, but you just can’t think of one?

Grab a copy of J.I. Rodale’s THE SYNONYM FINDER. Look up the word intriguing and you’ll find: interesting, absorbing, appealing, fascinating, stimulating, arousing, stirring, exciting, beguiling, diverting, charming, captivating, seductive, engaging, inviting and winning.

That’s only one example. This thesaurus contains an astounding 1,500,000 words. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here it ain’t been said yet.

It’s in dictionary format which I find much easier to use than one organized by subject. There are subdivisions for different parts of speech and different meanings of the same word; also includes slang, archaic, scientific and other special terms.

I can’t recommend it highly enough. My own paperback copy is so dog-eared; I’ve put the hardback version on my wish list.

If you do any kind of writing THE SYNONYM FINDER is absolutely vital, indispensible, essential, compulsory and a necessity.

“$30 Writing School” by Michael W. Dean is a comprehensive tome of information for the aspiring writer. It’s not a get rich type of book promising you a world of riches as an author, but more a down to earth, nuts and bolts instructional manual regarding many aspects of writing. Along the way, Dean also includes quite a bit of motivation for the new writer as well as sharing much of his own journey and experiences.

Dean writes in a conversational manner and includes many of his own personal anecdotes regarding living as a writer. He acknowledges that some people do make a lot of money writing, but many don’t. While he is a full time writer, he doesn’t have expensive cars, mansions, and the like. He also admits he would not trade the writing life for any other.

Some readers might not like Dean’s mentioning of his previous drug use and multiple girl friends on numerous occasions. Equally, some might not like his frequent references to his other works. I personally did not mind them, and felt it helps you get to know Dean a little better. Maybe some don’t want to know about the girls he’s dated, especially two cute girls in their 20s at the same time while he is 40. However, I think if you let this detract from some excellent advice regarding writing as a career, you will be missing the forest due to a few trees.

The book is almost 500 pages long and contains information about many aspects of writing. Chapters topics include: English basics, outlines, more English rules, how to write, more on writing such as why, working with editors, hardware used for writing, software for writing, selling your book, more on the business of writing, writing on the road, self-publishing, copyrights and rights, promotion, in-store appearances and touring, Dean’s closing remarks to motivate you to write for the sake of art and contribution - not just money.

The book also includes some interviews with other authors, a recommended reading list, some websites, and a CD-ROM that contains more interesting and useful information, including book proposals, reviews, press releases and more.

Again, I must say this book contains some excellent advice on writing. Dean offers practical suggestions on writing and selling, and illustrates the process with his own experiences. Do you think just showing up at a book store to sign your newly published book will draw thousands of admiring fans lined up around the block? Read Dean’s chapter to find out what many book signings are like, and how to make the most of them. Thinking of self-publishing? Dean has some good advice to go along with other self-publishing books you might pick up. Dean recommends a few writing books besides his, and one is “On Writing” by Stephen King which is an excellent book. I mention this to illustrate some of the great advice Dean provides.

Editing is extremely important and Dean provides good guidance in this area as well. Just as he does with the chapters on hardware and software. I could go on, but you are getting the point. This is a very good book for the aspiring writer. If you want to know what the life of writing is like, at least for Michael Dean, and gain some valuable insight into the world of writing, “$30 Writing School” is a great book to teach you just that.