Book Review: The Art of Writing - Four Principles for Great Writing that Everyone Needs to Know by Peter Yang
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| Image Source: Amazon.in |
- ISBN: 978-1631610769
- Publisher : Tck Publishing
- Price: INR 99/- ( Kindle copy)
- Genre: Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Writing Guide
Book Blurb
Discover the lost art of great writing.
Since the invention of writing, the written word has fueled humanity's astonishing progress. Thus, the ability to write effectively and beautifully has long been revered and rewarded.
And yet in the digital age, people have begun to believe that this talent is somehow obsolete: that writing is something unworthy of study beyond the basic mechanics of vocabulary and syntax and grammar, that mediocre prose is acceptable in a world crying out for clear and precise communication.
Peter Yang believes otherwise.
The Art of Writing is Yang's highly practical treatise on the four key principles of dazzling, effective writing--economy, transparency, variety, and harmony. Far from your garden-variety style guide, the principles in this book apply to everyone, whether you're writing an inauguration speech or a letter home to Mom.
Great writing is a skill, and this book gives you the tools to make your words shimmer on the page (or the screen). Packed with real-world insights and advice, The Art of Writing is your ultimate guide to transforming your writing and unleashing your inner artist.
Fans of The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., On Writing Well by William Zinsser, The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock, and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott will love this book.
This book is for anyone who likes reading about:
- How to write
- Writing nonfiction
- Writing fiction
- How to be a better writer
- Writing style
- Business writing
- Writing a book
About the Author
Review
As a writer, it is important to keep working on your writing skills. Since the time I have discovered my passion for writing, I have always tried working on honing my writing skills very regularly.
From workshops to courses, I have tried them all. However, one of the most effective ways of doing so which I have discovered is by reading books on writing. One of the biggest reason for saying this is - you can always keep revisiting the book whenever you feel the ghosts of writer's block is haunting you or even when you simply want to revisit some aspect you feel needs to be polished.
Picking up this book to read was my way of yet again working on my writing skills. And I was not disappointed at all!
Peter Yang shares tips and tricks to sharpen your writing and also provides examples of doing so. Many a times books on writing are high on content but low on explaining the relatability in context. Here the author scores a brownie point because he feels more like a fellow writer who is sharing his tried and tested ways of writing better.
I loved the conversational tone of the book where though it was a book, it never felt like a one-sided monologue. It felt like a discussion where the author patiently waited till I grasped the whole point before moving onto the next one.
I particularly enjoyed the portion on voices (Active and passive), because that has always been my weaker point in writing. I even tried some of the suggestions and ideas shared in the book on some of my recent writings and yes! IT WORKS. The redundancy in my writing has gone down drastically after I used those tricks on a regular basis.
I have made a checklist and a flowchart of my commonly made mistakes, and stuck it on my dashboard before my writing desk. It helps serve like a reminder every time I sit down to write. Neatly divided into 4 principles of great writing followed by Meditations on writing, this book makes for an invigorating read. I wouldn't mind calling this whole book a meditation on writing - it is thought-provoking and one that makes you think and analyze your writing.
Strongly recommended to all fellow writers - this is one book that deserves to be on your shelf. You will be surprised at positive changes it can bring to your writing.
You can grab your copy from Amazon
