Reviews of Writing Books
Page Two of ThreeWrite Right! by Jan Venolia
Ten Speed Press, September, 2001Paperback, 209 pages
ISBN: 1580083285
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
This handy little grammar and style guide covers the common errors writers make in punctuation, grammar and usage. The book begins with grammar basics: parts of speech, elements of a sentence, verbs and pronouns. The second section of the book covers grammatical guidelines, punctuation and copyediting. The third section covers the craft of writing, word usage and style considerations. The final section of the book includes a glossary, a list of commonly misspelled words, lists of additional resources and website links. Humorous quotes and illustrations are included throughout the book, which help prevent the book from becoming just another dull grammar reference. Write Right! is a convenient grammar handbook that will take up little space on your work desk, but will provide a great amount of value.
The Writer's Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb
Writer's Digest Books, September, 2001Paperback, 232 pages
ISBN: 1582970521
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
This new book from children's author Nancy Lamb can help children's writers learn more about their craft. Nancy Lamb has published over 40 books for children and adults; in this guide she explains what she has learned during her career. The book is filled with suggestions and tips for crafting children's stories, as well as warnings about things to avoid. Plotting from beginning to end, structural design, characters, scenes, dialogue and point-of-view are just some of the concepts Lamb discusses. Lamb provides experiences from her own writing, which helps readers better understand the process and learn what to do to help make their stories more appealing to children and editors. Lamb also provides examples from popular children's fiction, character checklists and more to help beginning children's writers. Reading assignments and thought-provoking exercises are also given. This is a must-read for children's writers.
Writing Book Reviews
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Return to the February 2002 issue of The IWJ.
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