101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips for Novelists and Screenwriters - Book Review by I.G. Frederick
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Book Review
Book Review
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updated Aug 01, 2009
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If you have writing aspirations 101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips for Novelists and Screenwriters, by Larry Brooks isn't just another book about writing.
Brooks will make you smile while making you think. And, readers who follow even some of his tips, will become better writers. I personally can attest to the effectiveness of Brooks' advice. The novels I wrote while taking classes from him, unlike the previous six, got published.
101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips is, as Brooks describes, "deliberately presented in random order with no hierarchy or sequential logic whatsoever." Organizing them "seemed a bit too obvious, and obvious is boring." Although the structure is random, many of the tips build on each other (following the road map can get a little convoluted: tip #6 refers to tip #96; tip #75 refers back to tip #14, etc.)
This lack of organization serves readers by keeping them off guard, allowing them to find inspiration in the various options for honing their skills as authors. They can work their way through the book, trying out each tip in the order presented, or randomly page through it selecting which ones they will want to try next.
Brooks has spent years studying what makes story architecture work and more importantly how the lack of it can destroy any novel's or screenplay's potential for getting published/produced. His tips range from simple to complex, covering anywhere from a few sentences to a few pages. Some will make readers hit their foreheads on their desks in epiphanies while others will cause them to think "duh, of course."(However, which tip causes which reaction is likely to change with each reader.)
One could read 101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips quickly at one sitting. However, I recommend a tip a day or even tip a week -- using the time in between to practice and determine how that particular tip will impact one's own writing.
According to Brooks, "Writing is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. For many it’s an addiction." Anyone who wants to turn their addiction into something productive should read this book.
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Brooks will make you smile while making you think. And, readers who follow even some of his tips, will become better writers. I personally can attest to the effectiveness of Brooks' advice. The novels I wrote while taking classes from him, unlike the previous six, got published.
101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips is, as Brooks describes, "deliberately presented in random order with no hierarchy or sequential logic whatsoever." Organizing them "seemed a bit too obvious, and obvious is boring." Although the structure is random, many of the tips build on each other (following the road map can get a little convoluted: tip #6 refers to tip #96; tip #75 refers back to tip #14, etc.)
This lack of organization serves readers by keeping them off guard, allowing them to find inspiration in the various options for honing their skills as authors. They can work their way through the book, trying out each tip in the order presented, or randomly page through it selecting which ones they will want to try next.
Brooks has spent years studying what makes story architecture work and more importantly how the lack of it can destroy any novel's or screenplay's potential for getting published/produced. His tips range from simple to complex, covering anywhere from a few sentences to a few pages. Some will make readers hit their foreheads on their desks in epiphanies while others will cause them to think "duh, of course."(However, which tip causes which reaction is likely to change with each reader.)
One could read 101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips quickly at one sitting. However, I recommend a tip a day or even tip a week -- using the time in between to practice and determine how that particular tip will impact one's own writing.
According to Brooks, "Writing is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. For many it’s an addiction." Anyone who wants to turn their addiction into something productive should read this book.
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