Reference Tools Books

This book provides a very detailed look at the physics behind sharpening blades. I would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to learns the fundamentals of sharpening.

I was looking for more of a how to book. This book does have a lot of information, different angles, types of stones and hones, and a method of sharpening for any edged tool or knife. It just doesnt really show how to do it all.

What should I say? No need anymore to write other books on sharpening. It is well written and very informative on every detail. If you would like to know everything about sharpening, buy this book and you're done.

You have to admire the author. He packs a huge amount of detailled and easily read information in this book. The electron photomicrographs, showing various sharp (and not so sharp) edges using various abarasives are excellent. Leonard also seems to know everything there is to know about the history of steel making, and abrasives. There are excellent chapters on just about every kind of woodworking tool imaginable, with plenty of excellent photographs. If I were a woodworker I would regard this book as being the one and only complete reference text.

BUT... my personal interest is in sharpening kitchen knives. And the chapter on knife sharpening is the least informative in the book, and really tells the reader nothing new that is not already available on many web sites.
For a complete knife book, you would be far better off with Chad Ward's new book "An Edge in the Kitchen", far better than this book by Mr Lee.
Also the advice to use plastic book binders as sharpening guides is quite simply useless - they slip off and/or distort under pressure.

I don't mean to disrespect Leonard Lee, or this book. But it is really for woodworking tools, not kitchen knives. Sorry!!

This is an excellent book that delves into the foundational knowledge that supports the techniques it illustrates for sharpening tools. I was fascinated by the exploration in the topics when bringing the techniques into practice sharpening my chisels and plane blades. It addresses many different types of tools and is a great reference for learning and continuing to learn how to sharpen tools, especially as they apply to woodworking.

This is a 50 card deck created by literary escort, Naomi Epel who would get writing advice/ideas from the authors that she toted around. She used an index card system where she had wrote phrases or questions. When she was feeling stuck, she'd pull out a card to induce ideas.

The cards have words, suggestions, ideas to help pull you out of being stuck or to spark your creativity with your writing. Accompanying the cards is a book that is slightly larger than the cards. The book contains suggested uses for the cards and meanings. I like in the introduction where Naomi says: "The spontaneity of pulling cards freed me from having to be too self-directive and my writing began to flow."

I have enjoyed using the cards and the book is interesting. I have been keeping the cards beside my computer when I write, and sometimes when I take a break I'll shuffle and see what comes up. This morning when I went to my computer, (after reading a book that had me thinking about writing down some goals)I looked at the cards sitting atop a pile of books. The top card facing me read: "Set realistic goals." -Wow, maybe they're psychic too!

The cards and book come in a nice box. Mine haven't been back in the box since I got them. This is a great gift for writers or anyone who enjoys creativity and expanding their thinking.

I bought the book used here sans cards and the book itself is interesting. It has about five references to the wonderful writer Julie Smith whose work I'm reading now as a result. She's terrific and until now I had not considered myself a mystery reader.

A few of the topics/ideas in the are common sense (well, actually they all are), but I am surprised at how having them in one place is inspirational. I wish I had this book on my writer's retreat last weekend for a craft lesson presentation.

The edition I have is a small paperback and has a colorful, interesting cover. It would make a great gift.

So, in short, I recommend the book as a gift for writer friends or for yourself to nurture your creative side. I'm so torn between the two, I'll buy another copy.

These pretty cards are an excellent device to jump-start ideas when that sneaky writer's block comes up. Great for brainstorm sessions and getting ideas organized. This is a fun tool for those who love cards - playing cards, tarot decks, and affirmations. Creative minds will have a blast using this "ingredient" in their recipe of book writing!

My soon-to-be published friend Debra introduce me to The Observation Deck -- which I now lovingly call "a writing class in a box."

This is not new, published in 1998, so I was late to join the fan club, and when I tell other friends about it, some look at me patiently and say: You just found it now!

The idea (should you choose to accept this mission) is to use the deck of get-off-your-duff cards to urge you out of writer's block.

This may sound melodramatic, but it has changed my life -- as a writer, editor, listener and observer of people, places and things.

When writer's block hits, pick from over 20 cards that might say: Take a walk; or zoom in and out; explore the underside; follow the scent.... You get the idea. My favorite is: EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER.

The purse-sized, 160-page book has a chapter on each of the "pushes" on the cards. My book is highlighted in yellow, with X in red and Q for wonderful quotes. I read a little, think a lot, and then an idea, or a new way to look at an idea that has been rumbling and grumbling around in my head pops into my thought process.

If you are wannabe writer (or better writer), this would be a great self-gift or for family or friends who are writers.

"The Observation Deck" is a cute boxed set from Naomi Epel for writers who suffer from writers block or other inspiration malfunctions.

The set from Epel contains 50 cards meant to inspire thoughts, stories or other ways of thinking during the writing process. A little book is also included that contains techniques that have worked for other writers such as "Eavesdrop" a little trick apparently used by famous writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty and many others. The book is more effective than the cards and I would like to see that thought continued in larger volume by Epel.

This set is a nice handy tool to have at hand when doubting your worth as a writer. Grab it for inspiration but rely on your own observations.

This book delivers. I've authored 4 books and learned much here that i wish i had known for the 4 of them! Great tips are spelled out simply and quickly (each chapter is a very quick read). The book is filled with examples both quoted and sometimes even placed (cleverly) within the text. Those times make the book fun to read--you can sense the authors wicked smile as he stuck those gems in.

So why 4 stars? A dozen or more of the 50 tools did not apply to my kind of writing. Despite the back cover and the introduction that claim the book is for any writer, it clearly has a heavy slant towards fiction writers and news reporters. Most the examples are theirs. Sadly, even in chapters where the point is universal, most of the examples are still theirs. There are many chapters (tools) that dont seem to apply to technical and other non-fiction situations: "Use dialogue as a form of action" and "write from different cinematic angles" and "pay attention to names" to name a few.

Any writer WILL gain a lot from this book, it's just that some will get much more out of it (and i guess i resented being "sold" that it applied to all writers equally when it really doesnt).

Writers are born, not made. Wrong! Wrong!!! You are imaginative and know basic grammar so get writing. How to allow yourself to be imaginative is a whole different subject. Look at my Random short stories blog to show what you can do with a single word. The key is to brainstorm the word to see what pops up. But back to Writing Tools which looks at fifty tools divided into:

Nuts and bolts-grammar, punctuation, sentence and paragraph construction etc;

Special Effects-be concrete and simple and know how to make the writing guide the response of the reader etc;

Blue prints-tricks of structuring; and

Useful habits-reflections of how to start and keep writing.

Each of the tools are 3-4 pages long with examples drawn from journalism and fiction to illustrate the points raised. There is summary page of the 50 tools on his blog site. Talking about how to write is as about useful as cooking advice, you need to see and taste it to see if its worth taking. So this is a piece of my writing with a makeover using the tools. So which version do you prefer? Strongly recommended book for you bloggers, budding reporters and secret scribblers.

Original version

So why ,if you are still with me, would you bother to read what appears to be such a distasteful book? The clue is in the structure and descriptions of the book repetitive phraseology of medical sexual teams and the descriptions of the car and body parts. It means that you the reader experience the alienation and emptiness that is the heart of the story. The story is not erotic in any sense as it point to the emptiness of lives that depend on more and more extreme highs and drugs to keep the sexual tension going. Death then becomes the ultimate sexual act. Nowhere does love and community figure in a world of motorways, airports, roundabouts and technological emptiness. What ever the feelings and motives of the writer, the story serves as a warning of a society that obsesses objects and appearances over personal relationships and social community-who cares for the children in this vision of our lives?


The tools used

1 Begin sentences with subjects and verbs

3 Use active and not passive verbs

9 Let punctuation control pace and space

10 Prefer the simple over the technical

16 Seek original imagery

23 Read to tune your voice

31 build around a key question

The revised version

So why, bother to read such a distasteful book? The recurring use of clinical sexual terms and the similar descriptions of car and body parts is a clue. The act of reading makes us emotionally distanced observers of a world running on empty. Sex means ever more extreme risks until Death becomes the ultimate high. In a world of motorways, airports, roundabouts and technology where is love and community? We need to read, whatever the feelings and motives of the writer, to avoid making a society that obsesses objects and appearances leaving no place for a simple kiss or the love of paren

I started to write as soon as I started to read, which is to say very young. I write daily; prevent me from writing and you will have to deal with the consequences: distant stares, mumbling, note-scribbling, sudden odd ejaculations (of words).

And I like to think that I have over the years gained some proficiency in writing. But there is always room for improvement and fresh insight into the process, and I regularly sample books on writing craft to pick up pointers.

Writing Tools caught my eye the other day. I was struck by the presence of the words "tools" and "strategies" in the title, rather than the "rules" and "guidelines" featured so prominently in many another book devoted to writing skills. And as advertised, I found in this book tools immediately welcome and useful in my writer's toolbox.

Clark's background is journalism, and many of the tools are devoted to increasing clarity and conciseness. But these are characteristics as important in fiction as in nonfiction, and the tools can be used on any form or genre.

Each 'tool' is covered in a short chapter, the 50 chapters grouped as "Nuts and Bolts", "Blueprints", "Special Effects", and "Useful Habits". (It would be more accurate to say that the chapters, averaging four pages, are not short but rather just as long as needed -- Clark stresses allowing words the space they need while keeping them reined in.) 'Homework' is assigned in the "Workshop" exercises for each chapter.

The book is replete with examples of fine writing in a variety of styles; Clark's critical analysis turns each of these examples into a lesson. He also asks us to ponder previous pages of the book and consider their alternative forms.

I said above that I found the tools presented in this book immediately useful, and I would hazard to say that any writer, of any degree of experience, could open this book at random and find something useful. Roughly half the book is dedicated to strategies for creativity and structure (Chapter 28: "Put odd and interesting things next to each other") with the remainder presenting tools for tightening up what has already been written (Chapter 5: "Watch Those Adverbs"). Writers could do worse than to copy synopses of these chapters onto cards, then draw a card at random as the 'tool of the day' to apply to works in progress.

After just one pass through this book, I already think of each chapter as a separate tool in the toolbox. Just as in my carpenter's toolbox there are tools for selecting, measuring, and cutting; tools and hardware for joining and building; tools for removal of material and for finishing and polishing. And just as in my carpenter's toolbox, I find satisfaction in knowing that I have the proper tools at hand to build new projects.

The book itself is the best tool of all. I am going to buy a copy, plus several to give or loan out.

This book should be in the library of every writer. I've been writing for 20 years and still found lessons that I needed to learn.

Being a Norwegian avoids me of being an native speaker of English. But, surprisingly enough, all the books that has provided me with the most useful writing tools are from english writers or tutors. The Norwegian language is not immediately compatible with english, but there is a lot of universal rules when it comes to writing. "Writing Tools" is a very good collection of tools for writers that wants to improve their skills remarkably. The strategic tools is explicit and easy to understand, besides being convincingly. A writers quest (among several) is to give the readers an experience, and send them on journeys to worlds that they have never seen, but has the ability to recognise. "Writing Tools" are helping you passing the obstacles and it gives you tools, but not rules for writing. That gives you the freedom to understand it and transfer it in to something each of us can use. "Writing Tools" together with "The Elements of Style" (Strunk and White) is an ultimate combination and will elevate your writing into something "in the vicinity of perfect".

I've used a lot of ideas from the book. I really enjoyed the section on getting endorsements for your book. And I contacted my local library after reading this book as well.

My copy of Carmen's book is dog-eared, underlined, highlighted and battered. I go back to it time after time for fresh ideas, as my first novel has just been issued and I need all the promotional tools I can get. Though some reviewers felt this book is "only for the self-published," they're wrong. These days, traditional publishers leave a LOT of the promotion up to the author. Don't fool yourself -- you'll need this stuff! In addition, there are so many great marketing ideas in the book and they can be used to make your next book proposal to a publisher really shine. They want authors who are willing to promote and who have concrete ideas how to do so. It could mean the difference between a contract and just another piece of wallpaper for your Rejection wall. I highly recommend it.

If I were self-publishing my book, I would give this book five stars. Only because I'm seeking a publisher I give it two. The book is well-written and full of ideas. I've met the author and she is sophisticated and experienced in self-publishing. I recommend it to anyone who publishes his own book.

You Can Market Your Book is designed to help you understand basic book marketing principles. No matter how your book was published, unless you are a superstar author, you are the main salesperson. Yes, you might be responsible for your own book distribution or with a traditional publisher, you might even have a publicist for a brief time, but ultimately it's up to the author. You need to be as aggressive as possible if you want to reclaim your garage or closets from the boxes of unsold books, or if you expect a royalty check from your publisher. Add this book to your marketing arsenal.

I sat down to read Carmen's book with a highlighter and legal pad in hand; from glancing through the book I knew I'd be writing down lots of great ideas for publicizing and promoting my new book. I was absolutely thrilled when, on page 23, I read, "As Christians, the first step in our marketing plan must be prayer." I've been praying for God's guidance throughout the planning and writing of my book, and was so happy to find that Carmen shared my Christian viewpoint and beliefs. She urges us to seek His will at all stages of book writing and promoting and marketing, and with everything we do. Godly encouragement is sprinkled through the book, and provided me with some much-needed encouragment.

At the end of every chapter you'll find very helpful resources, including author websites and references for more information about the subject of that chapter. Carmen covers a comprehensive range of topics throughout the book, taking the reader step-by-step through marketing tools like reviews, promotion, etc. Many/most of the ideas are inexpensive and simple, but I know will be effective.

By the time I finished the book there were pages dog-eared, sticky notes sticking out of various pages, and almost a legal pad full of ideas I will be using to market my previous books, as well as the one coming out next.

This book is a must have for any author!

Every quilter should have this book.Great for working out yardage for quilts. Lots of useful information.

This book is a great reference tool for any quilter. Highly recommended resource for your quilting reference book collection.

Really a great read. Concise,quick reference for me to use

This book takes a lot of the guess work out of how much fabric you need for various quilting projects. It has more information than I thought it would. For once I am looking forward to finishing up my projects.

Terriffic info, easily understood, with helpful illustrations. The authors have organized their combined expertise so any question is readily answered. The spiral binding allows it to remain open and lie flat during use. Whether you are a new quilter who wants accurate information all in one place and close to hand, or an aspiring quilt designer puzzling your way through yardage requirements and layout options, you'll be glad you own this book.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

What I love most about "A Leader Becomes A Leader" is it's timeless simplicity. I can take this book (turn off the television) and spend quality time with a young child, parent, teacher, grandparent or peer and connect on a visual, thoughtful and emotional level. These inspiring stories remain simple, true and steadfast in their messages of perseverance (and are told with grace). A thoughtful journey through and towards what is really important in life. A great exploration on human potential. This must be shared!

After forty years in sales, I am now faced with attracting an agent for my novel without being able to use my mouth. This book has many helful suggestions on how to sell your ideas and get your work published. Highly recommend this to new authors.

Joe Smiga

As with her previous book, "A Writer's Guide to Fiction", I cannot recommend this title highly enough. Together, both books should be required reading for serious novelists. She presents practical ideas and guidance born of her years of editing fiction, and manages to be encouraging and inspiring while keeping a clear eye on the realities of the publishing world.

Though I have not yet reached the point where I can put her ideas to the test in the marketplace, I feel that I will be much better prepared once I do thanks to her systematic, professional approach. If you only buy two books on writing and selling fiction, they should be these two by Elizabeth Lyon.

Highly, enthusiastically recommended.

This volume is useful as you begin to market your work. It's a comprehensive guide to the steps an author should take, and its organization makes it a particularly clear and useful treatise that also is an easy "go-back-and-check" reference.

As an already published author, I was encountering difficulty finding a new editor and an agent. Elizabeth Lyon's book solved the problem. I can now write meaningful one page query letters. Thanks!

It's very hard to complete a novel, and after you complete it and begin to think about how to get it published can become overwhelming. That one page query letter that agents and publishers read and judge your writing ability on is an education in itself. This book will help you craft that all-important letter.

This is the best book I found for single variable Calculus. It should cover all or most of the topics from what is offered at school as Calculus 1 and Calculus 2. However, the book does not offer any or much information about Calculus 3, or Multivariable Calculus. However, most calculus help books do not offer much information about multivariable calculus. In addition, this book just came out. Maybe the author is working on or will work on that talks about multivariable caclulus. This book is a definite buy, however. Buy it, it covers all or most of single variable Calculus and is written in very understandable words. I was just writing this review to point out my problems with trying to find a multivariable book.

I am currently in Calculus 2 and have bought and been through countless other supplemental texts on calculus. The most helpful ones that I have gone through are The Calculus Lifesaver (it really is a lifesaver with clear cut text and specific examples and stratgies to accomplish all of your goals), The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems (another wonderful book full of examples and very specific guidance to give you a real idea and way to go about the problem even if you aren't a real math person), and REA Problem Solvers Calculus (a text full of problems and worked out examples). I have tried other books incluting The Calculus Tutoring Book, and the gambit of Schaum books and none of these helped much (unless you already know the math they are talking about). However the three books I have described before (calc. lifesaver, etc.) are the very best I have seen yet and I expect to be getting A's in my Calc. class in very short order.

An outstanding job by the author in explaining the complex subject of Calculus in a simple step by step manner. The narration and graphic detail is impressive. Students of the subject need this book as a supplement to any course textbook because it does a much better job of explaining everything in detail. Many Calculus textbooks are notorious for leaving out details thus leaving many students confused and frustrated. This book is really a gem and deserves the best rating available - five stars.

Before I even start talking about the actual book, let me just tell you that this is a steal. I don't know what the publisher was thinking, but a 750 page, recently published book on Calculus never sells for such a low price. On Amazon it sells for $16, which is a ridiculously low price for this 5 star tome. The average Calculus book is far from cheap, so this excellent guide is a pure bargain. Now, let's talk about the content of the book.

I'm very exigent when it comes to Calculus books and usually like a very formal and rigorous style. Most people don't. Many tend to like accessible books that speak to them in plain English. And this book is marketed as such. This is supposed to be an extra aid, on top of a regular textbook, to make Calculus more accessible. However, it stands on its own, thanks to its comprehensiveness and clarity. If commonly adopted Calculus books puzzle you, or if you are studying on your own, this is the book for you. Every step is clearly explained and it doesn't fail when it comes to covering all the pre-requisites/fundamentals. Thanks to its style and approach, pretty much anyone who's willing to learn, will. I'd even recommend it to high school students who wish to learn more about this subject, because I don't think they would have any trouble following along. The tone is informal, friendly and often even funny, making it one of the least boring math books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to those who are struggling and would like to really understand the subject.

This books over-takes any other Calculus book by leaps and bounds. I took neither a Pre-Calculus nor AP-Calculus course, yet I found myself easily understanding everything. The tone of the book is playful, yet at the same time informative. The book after all is there to teach you about Calculus, NOT random tidbits of entertaining information. Of course there are some chapters that require one or two reviews but that is fairly expected since after all, it's Calculus!

In addition, this book has 48 hours worth of video-lectures, corresponding to actual chapters, to watch. I mean, where else could you get that?

I guess the greatest compliment I could pay this book would be to say that my once irrational fear and distaste for anything to do with functions, has slowly been replaced by a feeling of friendly acquaintance, and that my initial intimidation by the very word "Calculus", has been overcome by a sense of puzzlement at my previous unfounded apprehension.

As you can probably tell, I can't recommend this book strongly enough. If you have no idea what Calculus is except for the fact that it would be cool to Master, this is definitely the book for you.

I like this road atlas because of its spiral binding. It lies flat when open -- a real plus when you're trying to manipulate it with one hand while (heaven forbid!) driving. Otherwise, it's pretty similar to most other road atlases with state and city maps, distance charts, an index, and national park maps. The colors are vivid and the maps are pretty and easy to read.

Smallchief

THis is a pretty good looking road atlas. The spiral binder makes it less likely to end up like the glued and stapled atlases. The large scale maps are easy to read, even across the cab so you can see what she is telling you.

This is the best Road Atlas that I've have ever seen.
Great product!! Great Price!! and you can't beat Amazon's Great service!!

Without a doubt the best road atlas you can buy. Spiral binding makes it so much easier to handle without destroying it.

Exceptional detail on State, County and other secondary roads. Larger size and scale provide much improved readability when you're on the move (of course I never try to read the map while driving). Excellent detail on city maps and way more notation of landmarks and points of interest than the other brand.

Why waste your money on Rand McNally when this is available?

Most atlases have entire states on only one page. Consequently, many smaller towns are omitted. Most states in this atlas are on two (if not more) pages. Larger print. Easy to use.

As a writer myself for over ten years, I've studied writing as much as time has permitted me, and I very much enjoy reading pieces which bring me fresh and inspiring insights into the philosophies and methods of writing. While I've read many books and articles on writing, only a few, like Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, or Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively by Rebecca McClanahan, have served to get me excited about writing by reminding me of the reasons why I write.

Bruce Holland Rogers' piece is one of those rare gems, and whether you are a veteran writer or one just starting out, I highly recommend that you read Mr. Rogers' essay. I learned much from it, and you will too.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author of "Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life", plus other books and Amazon Shorts.

This is a quick read that would be perfect for a little inspiration when trying to come up with some ideas for a short story from complete scratch. The first part is a valid, informative, and amusing view of the writer as a a cranky perfectionist. The second part divulges the authors personal techniques for coming up with short stories off the top of his head. The ideas are solid and I have no doubt they'd be useful in that particular situation. For novel writing or for brainstorming short stories with characters or settings lacking a plot , you'll probably want a different read. Also, the marketing tip that is given as the reason for coming up with these techniques is worth the price alone.

...since most of the reviewers below me have done a stellar job of covering the precise contents of scribe Rogers' "short-short" article, I'm not going to get into that. Please scroll down to some of the colleagues below for their insights on the cleverness of Mr. Rogers' suggestions for breaking out of the temporary writing doldrums.

There was something in his this writer's bio that I actually found quite fascinating -- the connection between how psychology and writing interconnect (this is something he and his spouse are interested by).

** Is there something unique to the writer's psyche which makes them writers?

** Or -- in perhaps yet another take on this -- can *anyone* be a writer? As in, is it a skill which can be learned?

** Moreover, are Rogers' techniques for cracking out of a writer's slump actually applicable, for example, to non-writers? As in, follow these five easy steps, young woman/man and you too will be able to write yourself into a tornado?

Rhetorical questions, all, perhaps...

I was inspired by his note about how the publishing industry has always been a tough one to break into -- and any writer looking for a hard and fast rule about how to get in there -- and stick there like, um...molasses? -- is demanding something that hasn't been invented yet. Kudos for that one. Persistence, we love.

Would be keen to come and check out a writer's forum in Greece, however. Curious to know when the author actually gives those...

This two-part essay is a look at the nuts and bolts of being a writer. The first part examines the nature of the writer's mind and why writers always seem to be trying to outrun failures nobody else can see. The second is a list of applied tactics to produce work on a tight deadline.

Part one, "Why Writers Are Cranky," starts from the presumption that writers, as a class of people, are dissatisfied with the whole world, themselves included, and are trying to do something right. Why else, the author suggests, would we expend so much effort trying to make up for past shortcomings? We are our own worst critics, always trying to do better than last time, always trying to leave the world a little better than we found it. Professor Rogers' insights into the source of this spur are by no means definitive, but they are strong and incisive.

Part two, "Five Emergency Tools," is a selection of tactics Professor Rogers has personally used to get short stories out under the deadline. I've only used two myself so far, but if they are representative, I can tell you two things. First, they work. Second, they only work for short stories or scenes; if you are looking to write a novel, you'll need to go with a different set of tools, or else use these to build your book scene by scene.

Combining both the insightful and the handy, this article is one that will speak to writers right where they live. Keep it close at hand, because you'll read and use it more than once. And what greater compliment can you give a writer than that his article will be read and used?

Bruce Holland Rogers offers up a humorous, yet real world, assessment of the perils and pitfalls of writing, as well as insight into the worth of writing as a process. The first half of this Amazon Short deals with the general attitude of writers, specifically, why are they so cranky? His insight is keen and, I think, accurate. I believe the ability to re-read your previous work without the ability to improve it is the key factor in authorial crankiness, and a vexation unlikely to disappear anytime soon. The viewpoints Rogers shares on his personal likes and dislikes of the literary profession are right on the money, and are probably held by the vast majority of writers, even when they may not be conscious of them.

The second half of the article deals with five techniques to help writers of fiction begin projects that have impending deadlines. I have written nonfiction almost exclusively (and that only for small audiences in very specialized areas), but even so, some of his creative techniques (especially "a crowbar") have applications outside of fiction. Regardless of what you write, or for what audience, the five tips he presents are entertaining and thought-provoking.

For writers, would be writers, or people interested in the writing process, this is a great Amazon Short, and I recommend it.