A review by rebadee
The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process by Francesca Lia Block

3.0

Francesca Lia Block's The Thorn Necklace was similar Stephen King's On Writing in that it's mostly memoir with a bit of writing instruction thrown into the mix. Both Block and King have distinct styles, and their advice differs significantly. Block focuses on the building blocks of story-- crafting characters, creating settings, taking them on a journey through crisis and resolution. Block's twelve writing rules/elements are tagged onto the end of chapters about her development, wins, and struggles as a writer and human being. Additionally, Block provides outlines of familiar novels exhibiting the twelve elements for story and a series of writing exercises and prompts in the appendix. This is a worthwhile read for writers, especially those inspired by Block's work.