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What is most often associated with a spider in the minds of the majority of people? Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
While I find _Telling Lies_ even more helpful during the writing process, _Spider_ offers a fuller menu for the writer: not only does Block address specific tools of writing like foreshadowing, mining life experiences, and background information, but he also tackles some bigger issues about writing routines, marketing one's work, what to expect from editors, and the best ways to become successful. He also gives solid practical advice on more "advanced" writing issues for those who have established themselves and may be facing specific dilemmas regarding ghostwriting, living on a writer's income, and other realities of the writing life (not forgetting the harshest reality: rejection). And for those in a philosophical mood, he looks at the writer's mindset: how to set a writing goal, how to achieve it, and even how to determine what kind of writer you are.
Altogether, _Spider_ is a refreshing combination of down-to-earth conversation about the nuts and bolts side of writing and serious thoughts on the more elusive questions liable to bedevil the writer. It's a great resource whether you need a pep talk to get started, find yourself bogged down during your writing, or just want to get the perspective of a lively mind on the whole writing life. I advise every fiction writer to keep a copy on her desk.
The funny thing is, while I always found his columns useful and insightful I never really enjoyed the few novels I have read by him. Odd in a way, but that really doesn't take away from this book. He has a way of illustrating his ideas and making his points that is breezy and fun, and I found myself unwilling to put the book down until I read the next essay (and the next, and then the next...).
Think of this book has less of an official how-to-write manual and more like an evening in a restaurant listening to a writer talk about his craft over dinner. You'll be surprised at how much you'll gain from it.
I recommend this book for any would-be writer. For more in-depth book reviews I've done, search for goldenrulecomics on Squidoo.com.
He does have a conversational tone in his 'how to write' books, so you have to plow through a lot of verbage to get to the good points. I think that was basically to flesh out the book to bring it up to 250 pages.
If you can read fast and get through the extra verbage, this book does have some very good points to keep in mind when writing a book of Fiction, which if you use, would make your own story more interesting.
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