Writing in a Nutshell: Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft

Writing in a Nutshell #4

by Jessica Bell

Revised 2019 Edition In Writing in a Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft , writer, editor, and publisher, Jessica Bell, guides writers through a variety of “before” and “after” writing examples demonstrating the transition from weak to strong writing, and encourages them to follow her example through clear and simple self-teaching steps. In Bird by Bird , Anne Lamott says a writer needs to focus on short assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how it reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. If you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. The same applies to learning how to write. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting, and piece by piece, it will come together. Not only is Writing in a Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft an excellent addition to any creative writing course, but it’s also a great primary learning tool for aspiring writers, and a great booster for more experienced writers to use to hone their craft. This book is also broken down into three separate workbooks (available to purchase separately) should writers not need practice in all Show & Tell in a Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing ; Adverbs & Clichés in a Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery ; and The Six Senses in a Demonstrated Transitions from Bleak to Bold Narrative .

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2014

About the author

Jessica Bell is a multi-award-winning author/poet and singer-songwriter who was born in Melbourne, Australia.

In addition to having published a memoir, five novels, three poetry collections, and her bestselling Writing in a Nutshell series, she has been featured in a variety of publications and radio shows such as Writer’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, The Guardian, Life Matters, and Poetica.

She is also the Publisher of Vine Leaves Press, and a highly sought-after book cover designer. She currently resides in Athens, Greece, with her partner and son, and a pile of dishes that still don’t know how to wash themselves despite her consistently teaching by example.

For more information visit: iamjessicabell.com

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A triple treat.
This is a great resource. One that I find myself browsing again and again.
It's simple and concise, filled with wonderful examples and images.
I just wish that I had the paperback...

[Daph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read three other books on writing the week I read this title, so maybe I was burnt out. The book is just okay... I didn't really learn anything and found the large list of examples to be too much. I ended up skipping most of them.

Don't get me wrong, there is good information here; I'm sure I'll be referring back to this book--I did make notes. There's wisdom in the pages.

[Amcii Cullum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed book on forming character, plot, theme, setting, etc. all necessary components for good writing with activities.