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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
It's as Kidder says on the cover: "Stories and advice from a lifetime of writing and editing".
My Take
While it's aimed primarily at writers of nonfiction, it's worth reading for anyone interested in writing whether it's fiction, nonfiction, or simply a casual history. It's something of an autobiography on Kidder, dipping into highlights and low points of how he began writing, how he continued with Todd's aid as an editor, their friendship, and using his own published works to demonstrate stumbling blocks he encountered.
Along the way, he touches on starting your book, what goes into a book with narratives, points-of-view, settings that "tell what is at issue---what a character is trying to do, what a character fears or is trying to hide, hopes to gain or stands to lose, what a character is up against." The cautions and concerns of writing memoirs and essays.
There's an amazing analysis of how describing Miss Brooke's appearance provides a wealth of background information. Kidder then provides a counter to this wealth with his "telling details" with but a few words---and each appeals to me.
I love how Kidder wants us to "wait for the moment when we need to know her age … as a potentially significant fact".
Painting an image of someone for "a book or a detailed and subtle magazine pice to portraying a human being, you are hoping that the reader will
And, yes, Kidder does address what he calls the "New Vernacular", the contemporary prose of the Internet including, LOL, the OMG, "whatever", "duh", and more as he slides into "Institutionalese" "concealing more than it reveals", metaphors, similes, and the dreaded clichés.
Kidder also touches on the marketing writers are told they must do from branding to platforms to book proposals to marketing plans, but the most practical advice is to think as a writer while writing the book and to see the writing as a commodity, a product when it's published.
The Cover
The cover is clever as an old wooden desk with a deep umber background with three hardcover books stacked end-on to us with the authors' names floating on top of the pages. They're well-used books with bookmarks, a loose page, and well-worn corners. I like the metaphor of the red pencil lying on top.
Every word of the title, the sub-title, and the tagline are to the point, as it's all about Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction.
My Take
Kidder says "it is essential only that there be something important at stake, a problem that confronts the characters or confronts the reader in trying to understand them. The unfolding of the problem and its resolution are the real payoff. A car chase is not required."
While it's aimed primarily at writers of nonfiction, it's worth reading for anyone interested in writing whether it's fiction, nonfiction, or simply a casual history. It's something of an autobiography on Kidder, dipping into highlights and low points of how he began writing, how he continued with Todd's aid as an editor, their friendship, and using his own published works to demonstrate stumbling blocks he encountered.
Along the way, he touches on starting your book, what goes into a book with narratives, points-of-view, settings that "tell what is at issue---what a character is trying to do, what a character fears or is trying to hide, hopes to gain or stands to lose, what a character is up against." The cautions and concerns of writing memoirs and essays.
There's an amazing analysis of how describing Miss Brooke's appearance provides a wealth of background information. Kidder then provides a counter to this wealth with his "telling details" with but a few words---and each appeals to me.
"…if you described not the wart but how the character covers it when he's nervous."
I love how Kidder wants us to "wait for the moment when we need to know her age … as a potentially significant fact".
Painting an image of someone for "a book or a detailed and subtle magazine pice to portraying a human being, you are hoping that the reader will
It's a different definition for POV as "the place from which a writer listens in and watches. Choosing one place over another determines what can and can't be seen, what minds can and can't be entered" with "the choice … affecting the tone, the author's apparent attitude toward the events and people of a story…" "A place to stand … a way to think and feel."
"The world for the nonfiction writer is not a kit full of endlessly interesting parts waiting to be assembled, a garden of flowers waiting to be picked and arranged."
And, yes, Kidder does address what he calls the "New Vernacular", the contemporary prose of the Internet including, LOL, the OMG, "whatever", "duh", and more as he slides into "Institutionalese" "concealing more than it reveals", metaphors, similes, and the dreaded clichés.
Kidder also touches on the marketing writers are told they must do from branding to platforms to book proposals to marketing plans, but the most practical advice is to think as a writer while writing the book and to see the writing as a commodity, a product when it's published.
Ooh, I liked this one too…"Write the way you talk on your best day. Write the way you would like to talk."
The Cover
The cover is clever as an old wooden desk with a deep umber background with three hardcover books stacked end-on to us with the authors' names floating on top of the pages. They're well-used books with bookmarks, a loose page, and well-worn corners. I like the metaphor of the red pencil lying on top.
Every word of the title, the sub-title, and the tagline are to the point, as it's all about Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction.
apar's review against another edition
4.0
Good Prose is a good book on non-fiction writing and an excellent book on the relationship between Kidder and Todd.
As someone who had great working relationships with her peers (though never a boss!) I appreciated reading about their collaboration and friendship. The chapter on editing and being edited is both insightful and delightful.
This is not a how-to book or a strict guide on what and when to write. It reads like an interesting (and often humorous) podcast on writing by two people very familiar with each other’s work. I appreciate that they pull from their own experiences and that they maintain separate voices and identities throughout, so we know who is giving the advice and how they arrived at it.
The book deals mostly with broader issues with nonfiction (structure, fact, truth, style) and not the smaller land narrower concerns of commas and semicolons. But the last chapter has notes on word usage, and here are two of my favourites:
Good Prose is well written, easy to read, insightful, and it is never full of its own importance. [a:Phillip Lopate|15387|Phillip Lopate|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]'s [b:To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction|15802982|To Show and to Tell The Craft of Literary Nonfiction|Phillip Lopate|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356328706l/15802982._SY75_.jpg|21526396]To Show and to Tell is perhaps more useful than this book, but Good Prose makes a fine addition to any “books about writing” shelf.
As someone who had great working relationships with her peers (though never a boss!) I appreciated reading about their collaboration and friendship. The chapter on editing and being edited is both insightful and delightful.
This is not a how-to book or a strict guide on what and when to write. It reads like an interesting (and often humorous) podcast on writing by two people very familiar with each other’s work. I appreciate that they pull from their own experiences and that they maintain separate voices and identities throughout, so we know who is giving the advice and how they arrived at it.
The book deals mostly with broader issues with nonfiction (structure, fact, truth, style) and not the smaller land narrower concerns of commas and semicolons. But the last chapter has notes on word usage, and here are two of my favourites:
“Confusion between “lie” and “lay”. Emerson was fighting the battle 150 years ago, and nothing has changed. “Lie” is transitive, “lay” intransitive. “I lie down.” “I lay my body down.” Even in speech, one should get this right. Remember Bob Dylan’s lyric: “Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed.” Remember it because it’s wrong, even though it is sexier his way.”
“Who” and “whom” confusion. In speech one can always use “who” when in doubt. It is better to be wrong and informal than wrong and pompous.”
Good Prose is well written, easy to read, insightful, and it is never full of its own importance. [a:Phillip Lopate|15387|Phillip Lopate|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]'s [b:To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction|15802982|To Show and to Tell The Craft of Literary Nonfiction|Phillip Lopate|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356328706l/15802982._SY75_.jpg|21526396]To Show and to Tell is perhaps more useful than this book, but Good Prose makes a fine addition to any “books about writing” shelf.
toniclark's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it a lot, especially the chapter on "The Problems of Style" with its discussion of Journalese, New Vernacular, Institutionalese, and Proaganda. I also appreciated (and agree 100% with) the authors' Notes on Usage, in which they single out some usages, circa 2012, that they "would happily expunge from the language" (e.g., "going forward," "incentivize," "incent," "impactful") and in which they simply explain the correct usage of who and whom, may and might, lie and lay, which and that.
sarahryoung's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. It covered aspects of writing and editing I haven't seen in other writing books. I appreciated the intellectual approach - it was more of a theoretical approach to the craft than a practical do-this, do-that manual.
smderitis's review against another edition
2.0
This book wasn't quite what I expected, which is the cause for the low rating... I thought this would be a good mix of both writing instruction and direction and also personal life experiences and stories. It was more of the latter, which isn't exactly what I was looking to read. Still some great tidbits here, definitely highlighted a few strong moments.
jcschildbach's review against another edition
4.0
This is a pretty quick and fun read. I bought it thinking it was about "prose" as just a general concept (and because I was trying to drum up some inspiration for my own writing/blogging). But it's really geared more toward journalism. There is a chapter on essays that really 'hit the spot' in terms of what I was hoping for in this book. It was kind of strange, though, to read a book of advice on how to put together solid journalism--from topic selection, to gathering information, to paring down a story, to distilling the writing into its best possible form/most interesting angle--especially given our current climate where grabbing viewers or views is the goal, rather than really digging into a (true) story and telling it accurately and well. Journalism 'purists' will certainly get more out of this book than journalism 'realists'--'realists' being those who are simply interested in responding to market forces. The co-authors, Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd, have had a long relationship in journalism/publishing, which greatly informs their approach, and provides the bulk of their examples--many from their work with 'The Atlantic'. Some of it can get a bit too "insider-y"--like a conversation that two people are having about their work, while you just sit there, not really a part of what they're talking about. Still, I think I need to get out and buy more work by both of the authors.
tobin_elliott's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Much like Stephen King's On Writing, this book falls into the part memoir/writing remembrances/good advice category.
It's not a "how-to write nonfiction" book, but more a "here's the lessons we've learned over the past four decades" book.
It's an excellent book, and deserves to be shelved right beside King's.
It's not a "how-to write nonfiction" book, but more a "here's the lessons we've learned over the past four decades" book.
It's an excellent book, and deserves to be shelved right beside King's.