Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer
The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In the words of novelist Harlan Ellison, "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.
New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer.
Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:
• What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work—and avoid wasting valuable time
• Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level
• Staying disciplined when writing is your day job
• Why writers should never wait for inspiration
• Story-planning strategies that don't kill your spontaneity
• Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building
• How to get an agent and survive the writer's journey in more personal relationships
• Revising and editing with precision
• When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski's unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it's polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Screenwriter Straczynski (Becoming Superman) brings his 40 years of writing experience to this abrasive if intermittently insightful guide to the writing business. Aiming to deliver "accurate, practical, and advanced information that can't be found inside the classroom or within the pages of baseline writing books," Straczynski draws on his time writing scripts for Steven Spielberg and revitalizing such comic book franchises as Thor. These experiences give his tips real-world authority: his advice on how to pitch to a producer (start with an intro, describe the characters, then the story) and how to jump-start one's daily writing routine (eschew perfection and just write a sentence, even if it's awful) are practical and valuable. But his opinions can come across as dismissive—he rants against a Los Angeles Science Fiction Convention regular for not completing his manuscript——and his examples, such as explaining word-by-word the edits he made to previous drafts of this book end up being exhausting rather than exhaustive. Straczynski's goal to "reach back and help the next person up the ladder" of a writing career is laudable, but the execution is flawed. Aspiring writers can look elsewhere.
