Revised 2019 Edition
In Writing in a Nutshell: Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft,
writer, editor, and publisher, Jessica Bell, guides writers through a
variety of "before" and "after" writing examples demonstrating the
transition from weak to strong writing, and encourages them to follow
her example through clear and simple self-teaching steps.
In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says a writer needs to focus on short
assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. She refers to the one-inch
picture frame on her desk and how it reminds her to focus on bite-sized
pieces of the whole story. If you focus on one small thing at a time,
the story will eventually come together to create a whole. The same
applies to learning how to write. If writers focus on one aspect of the
craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting, and piece by
piece, it will come together.
Not only is Writing in a Nutshell: Writing Workshops to Improve Your
Craft an excellent addition to any creative writing course, but it's
also a great primary learning tool for aspiring writers, and a great
booster for more experienced writers to use to hone their craft.
NOTE: This book is also broken down into three separate workbooks
(available to purchase separately) should writers not need practice in
all areas: Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from
Telling to Showing; Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated
Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery; and The Six
Senses in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Bleak to Bold
Narrative.
