by Larry Brooks
I really wanted to like this book.
It seemed to me that Brooks has a pretty useful theory/method for approaching the writing process. My problem is that his presentation of that method is difficult to wade through. I’m not sure why: it’s almost as if Brooks doesn’t really want to tell you how to follow in his footsteps. But he’s certainly ready to tell you everything that is wrong with other writing instructors (though not naming names).
The problem may be in the editing. The book is published by Writers Digest Books and has all the fingerprints of their “house style,” most notably lots of boldface section headings. The difficulty for me is that some of these “section headings” seemed to be no more than the first sentence of a paragraph, separated out and bolded at random because the page needed a subheading on it.
There was another element that became tiring for me. At points, Brooks would refer to an element or concept he would be covering in a later chapter. Understandable, as it does happen. But he would not elaborate on how that element affected the immediate point. And tracking the explanation to the later section felt unhelpful to the current passage.
I suspect that if you have a chance to attend a live seminar with Brooks, it would be quite good. It’s even possible that this book would be very good after such an experience. But to read it cold? It’s not as useful regarding structuring as either Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! or Brian McDonald’s Invisible Ink.
