55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer - Writing Tools

The writer is a real professional, he has a great sense of humor. The book gives A LOT of great informations about writing. You will probably have to read it 3 times in order to write much, much better!

I needed this book for an English Composition class in college. It was without a doubt the most useful "textbook" I've ever gotten. It has great tips for writing for any level. We actually used a list of the tips in a Journalism class I was in, showing the usefulness of the book.

Great tips for any beginning or struggling writer. Though I struggle with agreeing on Tool 4, Clark's tools are helpful to keep any writer disciplined. I've recommended this book to a friend an old classmate and he's continued to practice his craft. I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who believes they have a story to tell.

I've spent the last six months voraciously reading as many books on writing, writers,and the overall art of binding ideas to letters and this one, if not the best, is easily the most useful. I think my favorite so far was "Bird by Bird" which is only hampered by its lack of any kind of technical instruction. Writing tools has no such issues; not only is Clark a virtuosic writer capable of showcasing any sort of style or technique while simultaneously describing it, but he also draws from news, fiction and everything in between for examples of the best and worst.

I bought the Kindle version and it was great, there were no issues with it at all. Now, concerning the book, I had no idea I knew so little about writing! I took lots of notes with it since each chapter was infused with so many learning points and great examples. The author's writing style is very effective as well, I did not find myself skimping any text like I do with so many other books (I'm very impatient).

I bought a separate book on writing called "Word Up!" and I find this book focused more on style and efficacy while the other one discussed more on academic correctness. Both books share some points but I would buy this book instead if I wanted to become a writer.

This book provides practical writing advice, the kind you are unlikely to get in a writing class. This is the nuts and bolts of the writing craft. Well worth a look for professional writers and those who aspire to be writers.

This book have given me a wealth of information. I will list some of the chapters and their contents in order for you to make a more informed decision about whether to buy this book.

*NUTS AND BOLTS:
1.Begin sentences with subjects and verbs.
2.Order words for emphasis.
3.Activate you verbs.
4.Be passive-aggressive.
5.Watch those adverbs.
6.Take it easy on the -ings.
7.Fear not the long sentence.
8.Establish a pattern, then give it a twist.
9.Let punctuation control pace and space.
10.Cut big,then small.

*SPECIAL EFFECTS:
11.Prefer the simple over the technical.
12.Give key words their space.
13.Play with words, even in serious stories.
14.Get the name of the dog.
15.Pay attention to names.
16.Seek original images.
17.Riff on the creative language of others.
18.Set the pace with sentence length.
19.Vary the lengths of sentences.
20.Choose the number of elements with a purpose in mind.
21.Know when to back off and when to show off.
22.Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction.
23.Tune your voice.

OTHER NOT LISTED CHAPTERS:
*BLUEPRINTS:
24-39
*USEFUL HABITS
40-50

This is a VERY useful book for writers and anyone else interested in writing for, let us say, pleasure.

Seriously... if you want to give yourself a legitimate writer's workout? If you want to find a treasure trove of ways to get past writers block, and encounter the other side of the writer's dilemma spectrum: Too much damned good writing... then pick up this book!

I enjoyed this book of writing strategies. I was able to identify some aspects of my own writing style as well as recognize some of the strategies employed by writers I admire. I will be using some of the new tactics learned here in my next book.

The writing exercises in the book are worth the cost of buying it. It has all the tips and advice any writer would need to write better. He gives examples for all of his teaching. I can't be without it.

i initially had to purchase this for my journalism class and we would read a few tips for each class. now that the semester has ended, i still hold onto this book and refer to it every now and then. i find it very useful and roy peter clark speaks on personal terms to explain how great writers really do what they do. i learned about different factors of good writing that i had never noticed before. i highly recommend it. and also, its not a boring read. rpc has a way of making an educational book like this, entertaining.