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- The Complete Writer
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- Authors: Beverly Walton-Porter, Mindy Phillips Lawrence, Pat McGrath Avery and Joyce Faulkner
- Reviewer: Judith Woolcock Colombo
- Publisher: The Red Engine Press
- Format: Adult, Nonfiction, Paperback, 174 Pages, 2005, $17.95
- ISBN: 9780974565261
- Rating: * * * * Quills
- www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0974565261/scriquil
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- Gone are the days when the writer was romantically cast as a disheveled loner scribbling away in his garret or as a spinster whiling away her time penning novels based on withdrawing room conversations and the plight of the gentry. Writing, although still an art, has also become a business capable of supporting the author. However, like any business it must be nurtured in order to prosper. The Complete Writer is a collection of essays that strives to guide the new as well as the established writer through the heartaches and pleasures of writing for profit.
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- The book's authors are all seasoned writers who bring a wealth of experience to this work. The articles are varied in content, length and depth. The book is divided into sections covering topics, such as freelancing, the writer's spiritual side, networking, how to get the most out of your computer by the effective use of MS Word tools and the Internet, time management, traveling for research, writing resumes and query letters and dealing with writers' block.
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- Live Your Freelance Writing Dream by Beverly Walton-Porter encourages writers to look for opportunities on the net. The points made in this article, although general, are good advice to maintain the writer's spirit. On the other hand, Developing an Effective Press Release also by Walton-Porter is specific. The essay explains clearly what a media release is and why it is needed. The author outlines how to create an effective press release in five steps and gives a list of websites with good examples so that the reader may get a feel for "the rhythm of writing they use."
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- Pat McGrath Avery's essay Making $$$ In the Non-Fiction Market covers a wide area of marketable nonfiction writing, including technical writing, motivational writing, how-to books, biographies and history books. She also discusses the skills needed to write for business and how to go about soliciting those jobs. Avery advises the aspiring freelance writer to seek out human-interest stories that will appeal to the target audience.
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- At the other end of the spectrum, essays like Joyce Faulkner's Exercising the Writer's Soul- Tai Chi addresses a writer's mental wellbeing. Faulkner talks about the stress of writing and how she relieves it through the practice of this relaxing series of movements. Faulkner's point is that writing can be all consuming and stressful, and in order to not damage ourselves, we need a physical outlet to alleviate the stress. Mindy Phillips Lawrence, in her article on writing and mindfulness, warns against allowing ourselves to be distracted by the minutia of daily life instead of focusing on the here and now. If you are writing, think only of your particular project and nothing else.
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- Some of the articles express the authors' opinions and are suggestions rather than prescriptions, however, overall The Complete Writer is filled with sound practical advice that will aid you in your career as a writer. I found the book to be excellent and well written. I acquired new knowledge and was reminded of concepts that I had forgotten.
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