My rating: 3 of 5 stars
First, I will say that I picked this one up because revising has always been a chore for me. I know it needs done-my drafts are generally a mess! But it always seems such a daunting task that I get bogged down and end up procrastinating no end. I thought this book might help a bit.
It does seem to be more slanted to non-fiction writers, although there are certainly sections and examples pulled from fiction. It breaks the whole of revision into pieces: overused words, cliches and the like, sentence structure, etc. There are examples of the wrong (in the author’s opinion) way to do each, and then the revised version of the same passage. There are definitely parts that are the author’s opinion and approach to writing, and I will admit, I didn’t agree with all of them. But it is clearly written, does a good job of breaking out the whole process into parts that can be turned into a plan, and there’s a lot that makes sense. Someone who is good at revising, or who can focus on the multiple things that need attention might not find this overly informative, but I pulled some ideas to try for my next big revision project.
Worth reading? Probably, especially if you struggle with revising.
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My latest published book:
“Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories”. Twelve scifi and twelve fantasy short stories that can each be read in minutes. Available now Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and most other e-book retailers. More information here
I have written science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy stories. There are novels, novellas, and shorter pieces to fit everyone’s reading time. There are even some free stories, both here on the site and in other places. You can go here to find out more about the books I have published. They are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and most ebook retailers. Thank You
And So On... 