How do you judge writing advice books? By the sagacity of the advice? By the drive to write and create it inspires? By it’s re-readability? However you cut it, 250 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING gets high marks. The fact that it costs less than a buck and is also filled with some of the filthiest, most original, and most disturbing cursing is really just icing on the cake.
So let’s take each one of these in turn, okay? How’s Wendig’s writing advice? Pretty sharp. Hidden not-so-deep among the expletives are some really insightful, helpful advice. Not cliches like “kill your darlings,” but ways to play with audience expectations to keep them reading. And beyond the helpful writing advice, there is also helpful advice for editing and persevering.
Next, how motivating is it? Pretty freaking motivating. There’s something about the way Wendig writes that is like a slap in the face to snap you out of your funk. After about an hour of reading, you’ll want to get right back to the keyboard and start outlining your next story.
And getting excited about writing–after being armed with fresh advice on writing–well, what more could you ask for? That’s the best bang you can get from a buck.
Oh, and a note about the language. It’s Chuck MFing Wendig, we’re talking about alright? So don’t be surprised when a metaphor about erotic asphyxiation is followed up by a graphic birthing sequence. If you’re not intrigued as to how this relates to writing, move along. But really, if you’re not already a fan of Wendig, what are you doing here? Well, just in case, I’ll end with this. Margaret Atwood recently cited Wendig’s advice as a go-to resource for aspiring writers. F’ yeah!
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