Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After being told for years that I should "just sit down write a novel", I decided to do just that; sit down and write a novel. Surprise! It doesn't work like that--although in my Aspie brain I was certain that it worked like that for every other writer on the planet and I was just intrinsically, and irreparably, lacking. Surely, I thought, there must be a book or two on how to write books? I can't possibly be the only person in the world who can't pound out best-selling first drafts in six weeks, right? Right? The universe sighed and shook its head. "Oh, child...." And so I have spent the past year reading every book I can get my hands on regarding everything from voice to POV, from syntax to context, from showing to telling, from snowflakes to arcs. I discovered there is more fine-tuning of technical aspects in writing than there is in ice-dancing a Russian ballet. Still, something was missing. "But universe," I whined, "I want to take people on a journey. I want them to feel like they're on an emotional rollercoaster. No one talks about that, so am I just some touchy-feely, over-the-top idealist who needs to turn it down a notch or five?" The universe answered by chucking this book at my head. The first thing I gleaned from this book was that I wasn't flawed but rather I had been inherently right in my need to write from the heart. I learned that my characters can't be real until I give them that spark of life that comes from me. I learned I wasn't wrong in what I wanted to accomplish. What I did learn was how to accomplish it. Like "Bird by Bird", this book was a game changer for me. The examples given clearly demonstrated the techniques being discussed. The assignments, as they were, helped me explore aspects of my characters and my story that I had always felt were there, but hidden. I now have more avenues available to develop a deeper, more meaningful journey for the characters and the readers. This book will be close by, a constant reference, as I finish my first draft and happily begin my second. If you enjoy books on writing craft, then this is one you will treasure. Where others teach you how to write with your head, this one will show you how to write with your heart. Thank you, Mr. Maass.