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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does exactly what it says on the tin!, 10 Dec 2007

By	International Cowgirl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inspired Creative Writing: 52 Brilliant Ideas from the Master Wordsmiths (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Paperback)

First things first - no book is going to teach you 'how' to write. We can't all be concert pianists or professional footballers or brain surgeons, and writing well requires a fair smattering of natural talent as well as a huge amount of hard slog. What I like about this book is its honesty. As the title says, here are 52 brilliant ideas. No magic formula, no guarantee of churning out the next Jeffrey Archer (thank God for that), just 52 short, sweet and most of all useful suggestions to get you started. That's it. Broken into easily digestible chapters, the book makes a feature of various exercises (of the literary kind rather than sit-ups) and a Q and A section for those in need of troubleshooting. It's not unlike the average creative writing class - except better, really, because you don't have to have coffee afterwards with a load of annoying women wearing pashminas.

As the blurb says, 'you won't have to wade through waffle, or thresh through theory'. Told in simple, unpretentious prose, 'Inspired Creative Writing' covers all the basics, from getting started, to honing your dialogue, to writing believable characters, right down to the final editing process. It's kind of equivalent to someone holding your hand, coaxing you along on the days when the blank page seems too daunting. Good, sound practical advice that will almost certainly get your creative ball rolling... The rest is up to you.

And for once, the author has cast-iron proof that he knows what he's talking about. Most people who pen a creative writing guide are complete nonentities, never seen in print before or since, but Alexander Gordon Smith is the co-writer of The Inventors, the best kids' book of 2007 (and yes, that does include Harry Potter). The guy definitely knows his onions! Highly recommended.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, 9 Dec 2007

By	Adam Barber "Adam Barber" (Aberdeen, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inspired Creative Writing: 52 Brilliant Ideas from the Master Wordsmiths (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Paperback)

I've read so many great reviews of this book and I wasn't disappointed. It's not a writing-by-numbers book like so many others on the market (which, I've found, only serve to stifle creativity by moulding your writing into certain patterns). Instead, this book is all about freeing up your creativity, teaching you to look at the world and yourself in different ways. Yes it contains plenty of excellent advice on the technical side of things, but it's about more that this, it's about learning to express yourself, to unlock your full creative potential, and to write something wonderful. I guess the most important thing is that this book is passionate, and that passion for writing is contageous - you read it and you just want to start writing and never stop. I've written some of my best work after reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone.

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5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars How to get into a mess with your writing, 27 Nov 2007

By	Mr. M. R. Geary (Cambridge, GB) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Inspired Creative Writing: 52 Brilliant Ideas from the Master Wordsmiths (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Paperback)

This is the worst book I have read on writing.How anyone can have the cheek to put such a mess up for publication is beyond me.'52 Brilliant Ideas' turns out to be an unconnected set of 'themes' which are just frothy and obscure.Quote-"We're all wearing blinkers, and like a plough-horse finally lifting its head to see the mountains---"waffle, waffle, waffle.The very worst are the tiny windows in each'Brilliant Idea' entitled 'Here's an idea for you' in which the reader is encouraged to play senseless writing games which are'fun and inspirational'I couldn't see the point of any of the photos,either.Just a dreadful book!

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