John Matthew Fox

Like other books about writing, this book has some overlap with other books and teaches some familiar concepts. However, that doesn't diminish its value. This book has useful exercises and perspectives for people working to tighten up their writing in this category. There was enough new information and approaches to make the book a worthwhile read. The exercises help take the book from theory into practice. The push toward selling his website was annoying and took away from some of the book, but I'd still recommend the book overall.… (more)

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an HONEST review. I am always excited to read a new perspective on writing. Even if the material overlaps information previously read in another (or multiple other) book(s), it can be helpful to hear it worded differently or with new examples to help it stick or click with you. I would say I already saw/read much of the information in this book somewhere else (about 65-70%) but there were a few new twists/concepts/variations (about 20-25%). And then there was the information I just didn't care about (about 5-10%)...stuff like how to find time to write, writing retreats, etc. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I was able to take some value from it for my future writing projects. I will definitely go back and re-read certain sections over time. Solid writing reference.… (more)

This book on writing is full of useful, down-to-earth advice and thought-provoking exercises. Although it's useful for aspiring authors as well, at least some of the hints and exercises assume that one has some work under development I've not yet written any fiction worth pursuing, so I couldn't try those myself. (For example: "What is the first thing your main character says? ... Revise based on what you learned in this chapter.) But others are potentially beneficial for anyone ("Here’s a micro-emotion challenge: Make a reader feel sad in less than fifty words."). I found myself highlighting plenty of passages for future reference. I also enjoyed the numerous examples that Fox employs from other published works and authors.… (more)