Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Although WRITING MAGIC is geared towards young adults, this is the perfect helper for anyone who has ever wanted to write a book. Creating stories is hard work. It takes practice, discipline, and dedication. It would be nice to think that writing a book simply means sitting down and typing up words, but, alas, it really doesn't work that way. Thankfully, though, we have Gail Carson Levine, Newbery Honor author of some of my favorite books (ELLA ENCHANTED, THE TWO PRINCESSES OF BAMARRE, and FAIREST, to name a few) who has taken the time to put together WRITING MAGIC. Filled with tons of wonderful tips about becoming a great writer who creates even greater stories, there are also writing exercises to get those creative juices flowing.

The book is broken down into five sections, with several categories in each:

Section one is entitled Liftoff, which includes A Running Start, Why I Wrote This Book, Shut Up!, Eureka!, Getting into It, and Noticing.

Section two, Heart and Guts, includes The Nitty-Gritty, The Kiss of Life, Character Helper, Suffer!, Talking, Back to Beginnings, Where Am I?, Who Am I?, Voice, and Happily Ever After--Or Not.

Section three, Plowing Through, includes Stuck!, The Operating Room, and Writers' Groups and Other Helpers.

Section four, Digging Deeper, includes Show and Tell, Abracadabra!, I'd Recognize Her with My Eyes Closed, Speaking Body Language, Method Writing, Writing Funy/Writing Punny, The Right Moniker, and Fiddling with Fairy Tales.

The final section, called Writing Forever, includes Writing for Your Spirit, Putting Your Words Out There, and Exeunt Writing.

I loved the writing exercises included in WRITING MAGIC. From the simple (writing brief character descriptions) to the more advanced (writing convincing dialogue), this book is a great tool for anyone. If you've ever wondered how to get started writing a story, ever questioned how to get that great book idea down on paper, this is the guide for you. Pick up a copy of WRITING MAGIC, try the exercises, take Ms. Levine's words to heart, and you're guaranteed to write anything--story, e-mail message, diary entry--with an easier flow and style. ( )

A book from Newbery honor author Gail Carson Levine. It's not about writing about magic, although Levine writes a lot of fantasy, so she uses a lot of fantasy as examples. Levine covers a wide range of topics, from conversation and writer's block, conflict and tragedy. She targets junior high students (although younger students who love to write will find the book of interest as well). I would hesitate to give this to an older high school student who was serious about writing; I'd rather give a writing book not targeted to kids. The information is good, although I found the style a little too informal, even for a teenager book, and the writing assignments sometimes seemed somewhat juvenile for the targeted age. Perhaps that's just me.

I bought this book after an online friend reccomended it to me, as i was looking for ways to improve my writing. I found it to be a lively book with lots of interesting ideas, and it encouraged me to have more confidence in my writing. It is perfect for any young teenagers who want help with writing fiction. ( )