Writing About Writing About Writing 36

Part 36 of an intermittent series where I read or re-read the writing books on my shelf to see if they’re worth keeping. See previous part here and Index of all books here.

Milford Science Fiction Writers have also been serialising this set of blog-posts, they’re good people, you should check them out.

Before I talk about the books it is worth shouting that I have NEWS – The Certainty of Dust will be published by the fine folk at Matthew James Publishing so I’ll have a book out this year. It’s been a while…

Anyhow I’ve definitely slowed right down on reading the writing books (yet again I’ll *say* I need to do something about that) and therefore the posts are becoming ever more intermittant.

Anyway these are the two (two whole books, two!) I’ve read since last post

The Subtle Art of Short Fiction was a fast read and a pretty good one albeit one that’s going to the discard pile. It wasn’t that it was bad, it’s that I have to be ruthless and would I revisit this one again and, possibly once the shelf is final (hahaha), again? I don’t think so. This is more an inspirational and signpost book rather than a How To as well. I suspect it’s heading for the book swap table at BristolCon…

I’ve been on a bit of an ‘isolation’ kick recently, reading books about retreats and hermits and the like so when I saw this book in a charity shop I snapped it up. It’s a bit of a curate’s egg – it’s well-written and kept me interested but did I learn much more about how to tackle acedia? Well, I’m not religious so praying the apathy away is unlikely to work for me. It’s obviously a deeply personal book, there is a whole sub-plot (if NF has such a thing) about the death of her husband and she obviously gets a great deal of comfort from religion. But, ultimately, it wasn’t for me. So, onto the discard pile it goes.

I haven’t quite lifted myself from the pit of apathy fully, but nice publishing news helps – like the novel (see above) and my story In the Forest There are Doors published in Hiding Under the Leaves has been chosen by Ellen Datlow for Best Horror of the Year Volume 18

Drop a comment with your favourite writing book or tip here or email me via the Contact page. If you’re a publisher or Indie Author and would like me to review your writing book drop me a line!