Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink

Truly a more intimate exploration into writing that the novice writers can appreciate. Educated and inspired by her  book on fiction writing , this was an obvious choice for my next read and perhaps it might have tainted my expectations in regard to series or sequels. Well in many ways it was the follow-up that fans were expecting, outsiders like myself will find themselves might themselves excluded. Here, let me tell you more in detail.Writer to Writer is a writing and advice guide by fantasy author Gail Carson Levine which is more or less a sequel to ‘writing magic’. While tacitly a stand-alone book, the book is intended for more experienced young adult writers (I want to emphasize young adult writers and NOT adults writing for young adults) that focuses on her blog interactions with her fans aspiring to writers. Comparatively, the book combines the most frequently asked questions with additional elaborations into the elements of writing like character development, dialogue, and plotting that perhaps readers of ‘writing magic’ found wanting. I am not sure how to explain it but there is a perceptible change in the tone in everything but more so in the writing cues that are just elaborate – they no longer just one sentence invitation but multi-sentence guides that will have you rewriting and reviewing almost everything you wrote. For more experienced fiction writers, this might be just the guides you need to take your writing to another level.There is one MAJOR problem though. Being the wordsmith she is, I suppose it’s only natural that she delves into poetry – something I could never appreciate. I do not write poetry at all and I never intend to. I would say that about one-fourth of the book is dedicated to reading, writing, and composing poetry that almost immediately made me stop reading the book. Additionally, her explanations about writing blogs met a similar fate because I do not ever intend to write a blog – I am not kind of person with something to say consistently be it on a schedule or subject.Two chapters aside, this is still a deceptively comprehensive book for intermediate young adult writers (and comparable novice writers) who would like to grow in their fiction writing skills. Usually, I stick to professional writing like the type you are reading now but once in a while I delve in fictional writing, that for various reasons, goes unfinished but having followed her cues I might pick up as seriously as I write these reviews. It’s a shame I could never publicly post some chapters and drafts I have written. My review is based on the kindle version and the presentation is the same across Kindle App, Fire, and Touch kindles.

A book about writing by one of my favorite authors? Um, YES PLEASE!!! Let's just put aside the fact that Mrs. Levine is an amazing author to begin with, and look at this nonfiction book specifically. Here, Levine presents commonly asked questions and answers from her personal experience as well as research. She gives us practical ways to apply practical advice to our own writing. AND, perhaps best of all, she gives you SOOOO much fodder for practice! So many crazy and cooky prompts to get your creative juices flowing! I loved all of the prompts. I loved the breakdown of the nitty gritty and the wide scope of topics she covered. I've read several of her blog posts and felt like this was just an expansion of that. If you're into writing and want to improve or just check out some really great ideas, this is your book! And, you can check out her blog too!

This book is full of great tips for writers and aspiring writers.

The best thing about this and Writing Magic, is that her lessons are easy to understand and apply for all ages. There aren’t nearly enough books written for young writers in language they can understand. Both of hers are amazing!!

Looking to improve your skills within writing, this book is an excellent read, plus it's from the amazing Gail Carson Levine, you cannot go wrong buying her books. :)

Granddaughter enjoyed!

apparently quite relatable for my kids

This has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool writing. My kids love it!

Good

Get in touch with your unique inner voice and write down, whatever comes to your mind ... let it flow and you will see, there are some very good stories inside your mind ;-) ... Happy writing!!!!