How Writing Works: A field guide to effective writing

by Roslyn Petelin

This is Roslyn Petelin's promise: whether you already write reasonably well or not, her book will exponentially improve your writing. It helps you to use the right words in the right order in the right places at the right time for the right reasons and the right readers. Distilling her 30 years of experience in teaching writing, this book is a practical introduction to the elements of grammar, syntax and style you need to write well. She covers social media and writing for online publication, and also digital document management. How Writing Works should be on the desk of everyone who needs to write: students, professionals in all fields, and creative writers.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Linguistics

336 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential reading for English teachers. No matter how well you think you write, you will learn something here that will help you improve.

[Anika Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted on Tea in the Treetops blog in December 2016:

The ability to write well is valued in just about every industry these days. Clear communication is especially important in our online society where more and more communication is textual rather than face to face.

How Writing Works can help you to improve not only the technical aspects of your writing, but also help to construct documents in a way that best communicates your message.

Do you know your phrasal verbs from your verbal phrases? This book can help with that, but it can also help you to learn the correct placement of a semicolon. The first few chapters deal with the mechanics of writing, including sentence structures, punctuation and tone. Later chapters discuss structuring, editing and writing for professional documents, both printed and online. Document types include media releases, manuals, academic writing, plus perhaps some of the most important documents most people write: job applications and résumés. Exercises at the end of each chapter help to test your knowledge as you go.

There are plenty of books around about current use (or usually, the misuse) of English grammar. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss has been a bestseller since its release in 2003, and among others I've run into is the hilarious and irreverent Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares by Jenny Baranik. They poke fun at the complexity and pedantry of English language, but aren't particularly useful when readers are looking for specific help with their writing.

How Writing Works deals with the more technical aspects of writing, while still managing to engage with witty examples and quotes from other respected writers. You are likely to keep this book on your desk, and use it often.

Roslyn Petelin is one of the co-ordinators in the Writing, Editing and Publishing program at the University of Queensland, in which I am currently enrolled. So yes, Ros is one of my lecturers and no, I am not writing this review for extra credit! I can tell you, however, that Ros knows what she's talking about. She also facilitates the Uni of Queensland's Edx English Grammar and Style online course, which runs over eight weeks and is free to enrol.

While technical discussion of writing can be a dry topic, I found How Writing Works to be an easy and accessible read.

[Nahima · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive guide that really gets to the nitty-gritty of writing, down to the word-class and punctuation level. What I found most interesting about this book is that it is not only how writing works but also gives handy, experienced insight into what to do in a professional writing setting. All this in a clear and concise package that has been so useful in my uni journey so far. A must read!

[Dominic]

HOW WRITING WORKS is as blunt of a textbook as they come. There is a difference between this and Robert Mckee's STORY as even in the non-fiction material of that there is a clear narrative structure. Mckee's style only became noticeable after reading this text. It was definitely a help having read that first as a way of easing in to this book.

In terms of reading this book it was an all out slug to get through it, by far this was the hardest read so far. This is not to say that I hated it and didn't learn anything but it was a remote space from the enjoyment of learning that academics speak of.

This is a throwback to a traditional learning method of just listing information with low to no care of adding a through narrative helping to bridge the information. The book is essentially dot points and sub headings that you can pick out at random. A catalogue of literary skills. This is quite ideal for my reading of the text. I don't remember everything as it is all quite bland information. Putting a narrative through it would have been distracting and come across as a gimmick. For me to benefit from the information this book has to offer I will need to go back and pick info out.

[Olwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent textbook for writers in any field....not just creative writing but corporate communications, sending letters, writing memos. And academic writers too.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the least engaging book about writing I have read.

[Helen Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read up to page 114. Then I went ahead and read most of the chapter: How Digital Writing Works.
I particularly enjoyed the first couple of chapters. I immediately acted upon Petelin's encouragement to write in a journal. 1st December 2017 is my first journal entry in my first ever use of a double-entry journal using a Dot Journal formatted book.

Here is one thing I learnt from this book: "A final note on verbs. Ensure that you have correctly separated verbs within word pairs in cases such as the following: Thank you. I will follow up on this. I must have that report by lunchtime. I'll set up the template for you. Words within these pairs need to be joined when they function as adjectives or nouns (see below): Thanks for that thank-you note. Here's my follow-up report. This is a must-have book. They have a great set-up." (p. 91 - I am unable to include the bold and italics typeface used in the book). And so, I must go and fix up the last review I wrote on Goodreads and make the above correction.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Some chapters were a bit technical for my interest levels. But would recommend for those who have an interest in grammar.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful, logical and accessible; more than a handbook, this guide will be close at hand for me to refer to again and again.