The best thing about this book is that you can listen to the author's succinct podcasts online (via iTunes). That's why I read the book. Fantastic pointers for creative writing and journalistic writing alike. Unlike many writing books, this one feels contemporary and contains fresh viewpoints. Which is hard, when writing about writing. Definitely one of my favourite books on writing. ( )

Writers are born, not made. Wrong! Wrong!!! You are imaginative and know basic grammar so get writing. How to allow yourself to be imaginative is a whole different subject. Look at my Random short stories blog to show what you can do with a single word. The key is to brainstorm the word to see what pops up. But back to Writing Tools which looks at fifty tools divided into:

Nuts and bolts-grammar, punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction etc;

Special Effects-be concrete and simple and know how to make the writing guide the response of the reader etc;

Blue prints-tricks of structuring; and

Useful habits-reflections of how to start and keep writing.

Each of the tools are 3-4 pages long with examples drawn from journalism and fiction to illustrate the points raised. There is summary page of the 50 tools on his blog site. Talking about how to write is as about useful as cooking advice, you need to see and taste it to see if its worth taking. So this is a piece of my writing with a makeover using the tools. So which version do you prefer? Strongly recommended book for you bloggers, budding reporters and secret scribblers.

Original version

So why ,if you are still with me, would you bother to read what appears to be such a distasteful book? The clue is in the structure and descriptions of the book repetitive phraseology of medical sexual teams and the descriptions of the car and body parts. It means that you the reader experience the alienation and emptiness that is the heart of the story. The story is not erotic in any sense as it point to the emptiness of lives that depend on more and more extreme highs and drugs to keep the sexual tension going. Death then becomes the ultimate sexual act. Nowhere does love and community figure in a world of motorways, airports, roundabouts and technological emptiness. What ever the feelings and motives of the writer, the story serves as a warning of a society that obsesses objects and appearances over personal relationships and social community-who cares for the children in this vision of our lives?

The tools used

1 Begin sentences with subjects and verbs

3 Use active and not passive verbs

9 Let punctuation control pace and space

10 Prefer the simple over the technical

16 Seek original imagery

23 Read to tune your voice

31 build around a key question

The revised version

So why, bother to read such a distasteful book? The recurring use of clinical sexual terms and the similar descriptions of car and body parts is a clue. The act of reading makes us emotionally distanced observers of a world running on empty. Sex means ever more extreme risks until Death becomes the ultimate high. In a world of motorways, airports, roundabouts and technology where is love and community? We need to read, whatever the feelings and motives of the writer, to avoid making a society that obsesses objects and appearances leaving no place for a simple kiss or the love of parent ( )

http://ffedor.blogspot.com/2007/07/co... ( )

A handy book that is geared towards fiction writers, but which has a wide variety of tools that can be used to improve the writing of almost anyone. Highly recommended. ( )