This book provides the bare essentials and really helped me hold to the basics. Also, Swaine and Butcher's (see the blog on his website) emphasis on the scene-sequel is helping me with rewriting and scene organization. ( )

Despite many tepid reviews, this book gave me a lot of practical advice on writing a novel. The author usually had good examples to illustrate his points. ( )

There were several excellent pieces of advice, but it was like finding the wheat among the chaff. Worth reading for the good stuff, but not necessarily worth buying unless you can find an inexpensive used copy [what a terrible thing for an author to recommend, but I'm a reader too].
[a:Maggie Anton|79249|Maggie Anton|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1337899260p2/79249.jpg] ( )

Formulae are for math class and baby feeding, not for writing. Still, it does point out a few things useful to a writer wannabe. Curiously, I've never run across any of James Frey's novels. ( )

I buy a lot of "how to write" books and never read them. It's a way to appear professional about my writing without actually having to DO any.
So the other day I pulled this one out of my shelf because I am having trouble with a character in my novel who just will NOT behave interestingly, and Mr. Frey gave me the answer right away, set my grey cells to pumping and got me back in the seat. Best writing book I've read in a long time - unlike Sol Stein's books, it isn't all about the author. James Frey puts it on the line in clear, elegant, fast reading and fast thinking prose. Now I'm a total fan. If you haven't read it, get it and READ it. ( )