Reading for Craft by Marcy Weydemuller*

Plot versus Character, by Jeff Gerke, is a must have for every writer’s shelf. I have been eagerly waiting for its release after taking a workshop based on his approach earlier this year. And the book does not disappoint but re-charges writing batteries.

His system integrates plot and character to deepen the quality of your novel, by both building on your strengths and reshaping your weaknesses. It is not formula writing but rather “a construction kit” that builds a solid foundation.

In this writer’s handbook, Jane Vandenburg takes a deep literary journey into the why’s and how’s of narrative fiction. She examines structure from the inside out, mapping out all the details and detours, through Story, Plot, and The Mechanics of Narrative Time. It is a leisurely drive with plenty of stops along the route. The trip cannot be rushed. There is too much information to process and consider. Her extended glossary, The ABCs of Narrative Structure, includes both function and literary analysis under each heading.

Blissing Out Your Summer Writing Tools
By Kathleen Damp Wright, guest reviewer

We've only just met, but I want to give you a present.

Consider it the birthday present you wanted and didn't get, the anniversary gift you lusted after and were denied, the book you wanted at the writer's conference and couldn't afford. I'm giving you freebies.

Readers familiar with Robert J. Ray’s book The Weekend Novelist know that he packs a lot of work material into each session. In this book, on re-writing the novel, he packs a wallop, both in terms of time frame and exercises. The schedule is based on seven to ten hour working days Saturdays and Sundays for seventeen weeks. For writers who love a challenge, tight schedules, graphs, charts, to-do lists, and timed exercises, this is a heady climb.

For those who function from a more organic atmosphere, it is almost overwhelming. However the exercises and checklists and examples can be taken in smaller hikes to apply as needed. For example, his “Quick Scene Fix” for a two to three page short scene has a succinct eight-step process that focuses the re-write into a polished piece. Many other suggestions can be pulled from the overview and used as mini sessions too.

Editor and teacher Peter Selkin brings his critique expertise to assist beginning students assess their mistakes in order to learn from them. The back

This new release by Laurie Alberts is an excellent addition to any writer’s library. In Showing & Telling, she cuts through confusion, misunderstanding and error to provide practical understanding towards achieving balance, in fiction and nonfiction.