Fun book for writers

[WM]

I've seen mentions in other threads that there are some avid writers on the forum, so I thought I'd share a fun book that I read recently: Novel in a Year, by Louise Doughty.

I have no intention of ever attempting a novel, but I've done a fair amount of professional writing and I found the book really interesting and fun to read. It's mainly a collection of Doughty's columns that ran in a UK newspaper over the course of a year, which included writing exercises, tips, and general thoughts. Very easy to read, and entertaining to see some of the readers' responses.

She doesn't really intend that you'd come away with a full novel at the end of the year, but that you make some progress. Or decide that you're not a novelist after all It gave me a new appreciation for what it must take to write a whole novel.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Thanks, you’ve sold me on it! I don’t write fiction but it sounds like fun. Anyway, I’ll take a sample along on my commute tomorrow. That’s the only thing I miss from the w*rk day, a commute with lots of time to read.

 

[TromboneAl]

When my daughter had braces, I had an idea that she and I would write a soft-food cookbook for kids with braces. I still think it's a great idea, but writing it would be too much like work.