Thursday, May 15, 2014

How to Write Anything by Laura Brown

How many times do we have to write?

The answer is many. We write text messages, emails, and even the occasional letter (I love getting letters by the way!)

But how do we know if we're writing the same thing? If you're me, you probably had a test called "Situational Writing" in school, which tested you on writing the appropriate letter (For example a complaint).

That's actually a really useful English test, but it's not enough. There are tons of situations and letters that we need to write and the school doesn't have enough time to teach us. This is where How To Write Anything comes in.

I tried reading it in one go, for the review, and I discovered one thing: This is more of a reference book than anything. Read Section 1, which talks about the elements of writing: Purpose, Understanding your reader, Brainstorm, Organise, Draft and Revise. Think of it as the crash course in writing.

After that, keep the book as a reference guide. Section II is for "e-writing", basically emails and anything done on a smartphone and a tablet. Section III is the encyclopedia of almost two hundred writing situations that you may encounter. Many situations come with a good and bad example (some only have a good example) and tips for how to write. Students who have situation writing, you may want to read through this.

As a reference book, I think this book does the job pretty well. It won't teach you to be a writer of fiction, but it will help you write well enough to coast through daily life.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

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