Guest Post + Giveaway - Roy Peter Clark

I am pleased to welcome Roy Peter Clark to One Book Shy.  He is currently on tour with his new book Help! for Writers. You can read my review and thoughts here.

Roy is joining us to share his thoughts on the things writers have to deal with and overcome in the modern world.  

The most difficult challenges writers face today

1. More than ever, writers have to be versatile, able to write long or short, fast or slow, reports or stories, independently or with others, online and on paper, in multiple genres and platforms for a wide variety of audiences.

2.  Writers must seize control of their careers.  In a bad economy, with newspapers and magazines shrinking in staff size and resources, the writer must always be planning for the next move. The key is to keep learning: reading, writing, talking about the craft.

3.  The panhandler says “Can you spare some change?”  I want to say, “Can you spare me the change?”  Change is no longer something that happens, that injects itself into normal patterns of life and work.  Change has become the normal pattern.  With change, especially technological change, comes gain and loss.  Writers must ask:  “What new opportunities can I embrace?” But also, “How can I compensate for what’s been lost.”

4. Back in the day, our job was just to write.  If the writing was good, it could attract an audience.  If not, we deserved to be ignored.  Now there is a new paradigm.  The writer must be willing to promote the work and to develop that work into a brand.  Stephen King is many things, one of them is a brand. With so many choices on the Internet, readers do turn to reliable names, sources, and brands.

5. The institutions that used to support writers are shaky. Newspapers and magazines are in decline, as are publishing companies, which seem more risk averse than ever. Old economic models seem beyond repair.  The good news is that with new technologies, old borders and barriers have crumbled.  At very little cost, the writer can publish his or her own work through websites, blogs, social media, and on-demand publishing.

6. While some of these new realities may seem dispiriting, more comforting is the news that good stories have not become obsolete, that curiosity and critical thinking remain in demand, that those of us who live inside the language have special creative powers that attracts others to us, including potential employers.  Keep the faith.  Hold the torch up high. Get your hands moving on that keyboard.    

Thank you Roy, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and answer my question.

Roy Peter Clark, a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is Vice President and Senior Scholar of the world-renowned Poynter Institute. The author or editor of 14 professional books, he is founding director of the National Writer's Workshops, regional conferences that attract 5,000 writers annually. His 50 tools, published in abbreviated form on the Poynter Website (www.poynter.org), have already gained foothold worldwide.

You can find out more about Roy and Help! for Writers  at Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and at Poynter.  

Now for those of you sharp-eyed readers who noticed the word GIVEAWAY and the little GIVEAWAY logo above...we're having a GIVEAWAY!   Thanks to the author and Anna at Little, Brown and Company we have a copy of Roy's book for one you lucky ducks..

• Must be US or Canadian resident, at least 13 years old
• No PO Boxes
• Leave a comment WITH your email address on this post
• Drawing ends midnight PST September 30th, 2011
• Winner will have 72 hours to respond to winning notice

If you don't want to wait for your own copy:  

Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Help! for Writers by Roy Peter Clark

TITLE:    Help! For Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces

AUTHOR:    Roy Peter Clark
INFO:    Paperback,Non-Fiction, 276 pages
PUBLISHED:   Little, Brown, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   The craft of writing offers countless potential problems: The story is too long; the story's too short; revising presents a huge hurdle; writer's block is rearing its ugly head. 


In HELP! FOR WRITERS, Roy Peter Clark presents an "owner's manual" for writers, outlining the seven steps of the writing process, and addressing the 210 most urgent problems that writers face. In his trademark engaging and entertaining style, Clark offers ten short solutions to each problem. Out of ideas? Read posters, billboards, and graffiti. Can't bear to edit yourself? Watch the deleted scenes feature of a DVD, and ask yourself why those scenes were left on the cutting-room floor. HELP! FOR WRITERS offers 210 strategies to guide writers to success.

MY TAKE:    I have always tinkered with my writing and seem to gravitate to books and classes that aid me in that pursuit.  Back in October of 2010 I had the privilege of reviewing Mr. Clark's book The Glamour of Grammar.  His newest offering is another book that will be residing next to that one on my bookshelf for years to come.


Roy Peter Clark's writing style is very easy for the reader to comprehend as well as enjoy.  As in the previous book, he breaks the material down into bite-size chunks that the would-be writer ~ or experienced author, can easily digest.  His manner and delivery are both entertaining and educational.  I found myself laughing at some points and taking copious notes at others. His comments and observations sparked several ideas that I had to jot down immediately. The book is presented in logical order taking you through seven simple steps of the writing journey. The author wraps it up with a list of 25 of his favorite writing books.  I found this to be yet another helpful resource from him.


In the post I wrote about my meeting with Diana Gabaldon, I noted that she told all of us that we don't have to write in a straight line from A-Z or start to finish.  You can write chapter 12 before you write chapter 3.  Go ahead and create the ending before the beginning...  Roy Peter Clark has reinforced that permission and "ah-ha" moment with this book.  In the section on "Getting Your Act Together", he shares several techniques to keep your written inventory organized.  With wall boards, index cards and many, many more tricks of the trade, Mr. Clark helps the writer keep it all straight. 


The book's opening line instructs the reader to consider Help! for Writers an owner's manual for their writing process.  I think this is a very apt statement as I have already found myself referring back to the book more than once as I work on a project.  I have a feeling that this will quickly become one of my "go-to" references when I come across a roadblock or just need a refresher.


I definitely recommend this book to writers, would-be writers and students.  It will become a staple on many home library reference shelves.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Treat yourself to a copy:  Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble


Join me a bit later as I welcome Roy Peter Clark to One Book Shy to share his thoughts on challenges facing today's writers.  Plus there just might be a GIVEAWAY........

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Glamour of Grammar by Roy Peter Clark

A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English

TITLE:    The Glamour of Grammar
AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Roy Peter Clark
INFO:    Hardback, Non-Fiction, 294 pages
PUBLISHED:  Little, Brown and Company, 2010
ISBN#:   978-0-316-02791-5
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Early in the history of English, the words "grammar" and "glamour" meant the same thing: the power to charm. Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools, aims to put the glamour back in grammar with this fun, engaging alternative to stuffy instructionals. In this practical guide, readers will learn everything from the different parts of speech to why effective writers prefer concrete nouns and active verbs. THE GLAMOUR OF GRAMMAR gives readers all the tools they need to"live inside the language"--to take advantage of grammar to perfect their use of English, to instill meaning, and to charm through their writing. With this indispensable book, readers will come to see just how glamorous grammar can be. 

MY TAKE:   I found this to be an engaging and helpful book.  Many times these guides can be rather dry and boring.  Not so with this one.  Mr. Clark has created an easy to follow guide through this mysterious language of ours.  While this could be classified as a reference or "how-to" book, I felt it was primarily a "great read" that was actually fun.

The author is a big advocate of using the dictionary and immersing yourself in the words.  He is obviously a master when it comes to both the construction and dissection of words and sentence structure.  I found it amusing and instructive that he also delves into communication via texting and Tweeting.  (My personal opinion is that both of these new forms of messaging are murdering proper language.)

The structure of the book is extremely user-friendly.  The short chapters with titles such as "Learn seven ways to invent words" and "Tame taboo language to suit your purposes" are easy to read and get right to the point.  An appendix at the end of the book makes it a simple task to go back and find a particular passage.

I think this book would make a fabulous gift for students, those for whom English is a second language, and for any writers or would-be writers in your life.  It has a permanent place on my bookshelf.
   
MY RATING:    4.5/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon, The Book Depository, IndieBound

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome by Caroline Taggart

The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome

TITLE:    The Classics:  All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome

AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Caroline Taggart

INFO:    Hardback, Reference, 169 pages

PUBLISHED:   Readers Digest, 2010

ISBN#:   978-1-60652-132-8
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from FSB Media for review

FROM GOODREADS:  The thought of ancient civilizations is enough to make anyone groan. Between long hours of tedious mathematics and years of droning Latin classes, it's no wonder that the Greek and Roman societies are most often thought of as dull subjects from school. The Classics, however, flips this long-standing opinion on its head, revealing the clever humor and impressive technological and scientific advancements made by these societies. Between the ninth century B.C. and the seventh century A.D., these great civilizations thrived, leaving behind a legacy felt in every part of the world-from language to medicine, from art to architecture.   


The Classics lets you understand the importance of...

• The Greek alphabet, from alpha to omega
• The history and characteristics that define Greek and Roman architecture and its influence on modern building
• Greek and Latin words, which make up more than 30 percent of the words in the English language, and how you can build your vocabulary by learning the roots 
• The Greek and Roman gods, the mythology surrounding them, and the part these figures play in our culture
• Almost 1,000 years of Greek and Roman history, from the birth of democracy to Caesar's empire
• The philosophies taught by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and what their ideas have contributed to the world we live in today
• How the modern cultural staples such as the Olympics were formed by classical literature, written by authors such as Homer and Cicero-what happened, what does it mean, and why is it still being read and taught today
• And much more!

This concise and witty text makes both a fascinating introduction to the world that became the foundation for Western Civilization and the perfect refresher course for the individual looking to brush up on years of schooling. The Classics puts the same information available in volumes of stuffy textbooks at your fingertips in one entertaining read, guaranteed to inform and delight.

MY TAKE:   I got a kick out of this sometimes irreverent book.  Ms. Taggart takes what can sometimes be a very, very dry subject and injects quite a bit of wit and humor into it.  She touches on things such as the roots of words in language, the greats such as Homer and Aristotle, and then pokes a bit of fun at their logic and rhetoric.  It makes for a relatively easy read and a quick source of reference.  Very informative and interesting book.
   
MY RATING:    3/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon.com