Let’s face it, snark is too easy and too frequently the refuge of spiteful underachievers. Practice. High school being the prime time for Stephen King, & all): the guy has useful insight, no shit, because he is not only prolific & uber-successful (he got $400,000 for his first novel “Carrie”! Hello fellow book lovers! They both (Vargas Llosa and King) tell us to seriously commit to writing, to write, write, write, write, WRITE, but, even more splendidly, they endorse heavy reading (duh!). This book on writing was even better than I expected. ), but because, let’s all admit it, he’s pretty damn good. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. A review from an author who requested anonymity for their candor. Part biography, part ‘How-to’ manual, this book is a must-read for anyone and everyone. just sit down & do the writing -- alas, the hardest part... What a great list of takeaways you have here, they sum up the bulk of the advice in this book perfectly! Be committed. I review books – but only the ones I like. For anyone who’s a Stephen King fan or aspiring writer, this should be a must-have. 2. Goodreads will only use your real name if that's what you put as your account name. Pick a user ID you like as an alias. Some people idolize Stephen King, others say his work is dreadfully overhyped, but love him or loathe him, it can't be denied that's he's a very successful writer. Maybe prose is not the forte per se, but story sure is (think of how many times he has tapped the vein of the zeitgeist to produce visceral, emblematic and modern monsters). After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged. Here's how to review a book on Goodreads: Navigate to the page of the book you'd like to review (you can find it by searching for it in the search bar in the header). But for creative writers who are hoping to establish a career in the publishing industry, there are important elements of a book review that shouldn’t be overlooked. Regardless, I appreciated his thoughts on writing and what made him a writer. There's this magic thing that happens sometimes: I can't wait to reread a book I haven't even finished yet. They loosely cover his early years, the time before he became a successful writer. Site created and maintained by Web Design Relief. This article has been viewed 44,551 times. Click here! Read Elements of Style. The section on grammar! by Pocket Books. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Most books are reviewed with short, one-paragraph descriptions that offer a little opinion to give readers some direction. Master Life with wikiHow Pro Expert Videos. I wouldn't say I'm a superfan, but since I am working on changing my status of, This is very much a book of three parts. We’d love your help. Do You Have To Write A Professional-Style Book Review If You Are Posting Your Thoughts On Goodreads? The Book section of The New York Times, which often offers long, multi-paragraph book reviews, approaches these reviews as special features or commentaries. Chris Batchelor Goodreads Enthusiast Goodreads is a social bookmarking tool for books, magazines, and other printed materials. It's rare to find an author that adventures into writing about his craft, but. We’ll send the link to this handy guide filled with, Writer’s Relief Virtual Assistant Packages, Writer: Free Resources And A Summary Of Our Budget-Friendly Full Service Packages, The Writer’s Relief Field Guide To Literary Agents, Publishing Poetry & Prose in Literary Journals, Inspiration And Encouragement For Writers. These digital copies seem to cost more than the actual books that you retain for life...unlike the digital copies that are lost due to memory limits of the Kindle devices...Kindle needs to bring the prices back down to reasonable levels that reflect the massive savings to them by not having to manufacture and print each book...I am almost starting to regret switching to this format...? You can say whatever you want, and your readers might love you for doing so. Whether you’re writing a long, feature-style review or a short, one-paragraph review, remember this mantra: A professional reviewer’s first and most important job is simply to say what the book is about. Second, when text reviews are left, they are quite often extremely negative. Along with examining the book in question, the reviewer might also discuss social context, the author’s background, and how the book compares to the author’s other titles. Like your answer, Noelle. FREE Publishing Leads and Tips! Just because you write in a certain genre doesn’t mean that’s all you read. As an author, it would reflect badly on me to give a book a bad review. “You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.” ----- I recall back when I was Learn how your comment data is processed. I also have an app that is basically like goodreads but your profile and reviews are all private. I listened to the Audible that’s read by King, and I highly recommend it. So I only post those that I like. Find your reviews for that particular edition of the book (via the My Books) tab, scroll down on that book's profile page until you see the "My Review" area and look for the "Edit review" link/button. As an author, it would reflect badly on me to give a book a bad review. It's a rare feeling, but one that happens whenever I'm in the midst of a new favourite book. I review books – but only the ones I like. Let them identify with it- don't tell them everything. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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