Reviews of Writing Books
Page One of TwoCreative Wisdom for Writers by Roland Fishman
Allen & Unwin, April 2001.Paperback, 255 pages.
ISBN: 1865083364
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Whether you are writing a corporate
newsletter or working on your novel, sometimes
the words just don't flow as easily as
they should. And
sometimes it feels too much like a job.
Here is a little book that
can help you get your creative thoughts
flowing again. The book provides
pithy advice and quotes for writers from
famous artists, authors and persons. For example,
Robert McKee said, "For writers who can tell
a quality story it is a seller's market. Always
has been, always will." Ernest Hemmingway
said, "We are all apprentices in a craft where
no one ever becomes a master." And
Elmore Leonard said, "The difference between
me and a master is I cut out the boring bits."
Creative Wisdom for Writers is a fun book
to flip through that can also help you start writing again
when the inspiration is not there. It would also
make a great gift for fellow writers.
The Creative Writer's Companion by Stan Corwin
St. Martin's Press, March 2001.Trade Paperback, 172 pages.
ISBN: 0312252765
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
This book begins with a foreword
from Syd Field, a well-known screenwriting
teacher, who tells us we are
at the beginning of a revolution where
a writer's creation is marketed in
several different arenas, such as books, movies,
video games, greeting cards and even toys.
The book then expands
on the concept introduced by Syd Field by
teaching writers how to sel their work to
different media outlets, including film, television,
books, audiotapes, CDs and other media markets.
Some important concepts covered
include rights, copyrights, trademarks, licensing,
merchandising, ebooks, digital publishing, audio
and video and the Internet.
Author Stanley C. Corwin, who has been a publisher and is currently president of media company Stan Corwin Productions, offers suggestions and advice for writers who are out to make the big bucks by selling their work across various mediums. In one section, Corwin even provides query letters that incorporate the idea of cross-media sales. He also discusses ways writers are benefiting from selling their work to different mediums and highlights real-world examples. The use and sale of writer's work over multiple mediums is a crucial subject which writers today must understand and Corwin's book provides a solid base from which writers can then begin to learn more about these concepts by reading the trades, following the news and talking to agents, lawyers and publishers.
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