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stephbookshine's review
5.0
*Declaration of Interest – I am personal friends with the author in question. I received a no-obligation, free copy of this book. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Anyone who follows J.J. Barnes on Facebook and Twitter will already know about her multiple popular YouTube series in which she (solo, and in conjunction with Jonathan McKinney) offers creative writing advice for adults and children, answers writing questions and offers top tips straight from the writing trenches.
This book brings all of that knowledge and insight together into one comprehensive and accessible guide to the art of writing. It includes detailed and thoughtful insider information – for example, about time locks, foreshadowing, narrative triplets – ideal for both beginners and those who wish to polish their craft.
Barnes draws on examples from various forms of pop culture (film, books, tv), and from her own work in those formats, to illustrate and explain her points. This has the effect of adding a layer of entertainment to the education, ensuring that this isn’t just a dry instructional tome. Similarly, the tone is informal and chatty – just a cosy little chat with an experienced friend, about how they do what they do, and how you can do it too.
If you are writing a story, or would like to write a story, then this book is a brilliant resource on how to structure it, step-by-step, to get the best out of the ideas, plots and characters in your brain.
'A lot goes into writing a good story, and it takes a lot of characters to complete one. But your first job is to write Chapter One, and that is where a lot of people freeze. Not because you don’t know what to do with the rest of your story, but because you don’t know how to start it.
I’ll be talking through things you need to include to write Chapter One of your book, and hopefully leaving you feeling empowered to make that step. The world needs more stories, let’s make yours one of them.'
– J.J. Barnes, How To Write A Story
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/how-to-write-a-story-j-j-barnes/
Anyone who follows J.J. Barnes on Facebook and Twitter will already know about her multiple popular YouTube series in which she (solo, and in conjunction with Jonathan McKinney) offers creative writing advice for adults and children, answers writing questions and offers top tips straight from the writing trenches.
This book brings all of that knowledge and insight together into one comprehensive and accessible guide to the art of writing. It includes detailed and thoughtful insider information – for example, about time locks, foreshadowing, narrative triplets – ideal for both beginners and those who wish to polish their craft.
Barnes draws on examples from various forms of pop culture (film, books, tv), and from her own work in those formats, to illustrate and explain her points. This has the effect of adding a layer of entertainment to the education, ensuring that this isn’t just a dry instructional tome. Similarly, the tone is informal and chatty – just a cosy little chat with an experienced friend, about how they do what they do, and how you can do it too.
If you are writing a story, or would like to write a story, then this book is a brilliant resource on how to structure it, step-by-step, to get the best out of the ideas, plots and characters in your brain.
'A lot goes into writing a good story, and it takes a lot of characters to complete one. But your first job is to write Chapter One, and that is where a lot of people freeze. Not because you don’t know what to do with the rest of your story, but because you don’t know how to start it.
I’ll be talking through things you need to include to write Chapter One of your book, and hopefully leaving you feeling empowered to make that step. The world needs more stories, let’s make yours one of them.'
– J.J. Barnes, How To Write A Story
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/how-to-write-a-story-j-j-barnes/
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