Being a Writer: Advice, Musings, Essays and Experiences From the W

It is important to read for writers

On surface - the format might look like a child's play. Too much space, arty, short, brief, long, cheatingly tedious, medium and diverse anecdotes. You might even think it is a rip off, chaotic- but, hey, thus is life. You never know whether your day has mist, fog, moon, wind or sun around trees, alleys and corners. This is a masterpiece, folks. Money's worth. Excellent book. If you are a serious writer (or wanna be one), you will recognise everything here. Old and new authors; past, contemporary, classic, unknown and famous. Not just from Europe, but Africa and Asia too; as someone aptly wrote in one of the Amazon reviews,. To finish. I never knew this amazing book existed. I was researching for something else. Google popped Helen Gordon's name up and...alas! Here she was ; the gold: for sale. Thanks Amazon for being so productive. Fast delivery. Efficient as usual. Keep up the jolly work.

This is a highly attractive and readable collection. Being a reader brings pleasure; so too will "Being a Writer": the reflections of over 150 popular authors.This well-organised collection takes us through the whole experience of writing - including failure, and how some cope with "writer's block".As well as being very readable - obviously the reflections are all well-written ! - this is a very handsomely-designed book with bright and witty illustrations. I really enjoyed reading what writers think and go through ; highly recommended.

The worst part of this book is the print. You almost need a magnifying glass to read it. It is very small. But there are quotes from some of the great authors. Each one has his or her own ideas about how to go about writing. Very interesting book.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for a friend who is a budding author. She messaged me on Christmas day to say 'You cannot begin to imagine how amazing the book you bought me is!'. High praise indeed from a very discerning lady! I had a look through before I wrapped it up and it is so beautifully presented with thick hardback covers and a very high quality of layout. Very appealing indeed and perfect to dip into for inspiration.