This book goes a long way to smash the myths around "being a writer." The author argues convincingly that published writers are not necessarily the best writers, and that just because you aren't published doesn't mean you're not a writer. He makes a distinction: writing is about words, publishing is about money. He then goes on to talk about the multifarious ways you can become a writer, overcome writer's guilt complex, writer's block, writers self-consciousness, the "I have to write the next important novel" syndrome and many others. In short, he excuses the art vs. entertainment squabble as rubbish for someone who just wants to write (one of my favorite sections is entitled "A Few Unkind but Well-Deserved Words about Literature"). He makes you feel as though you can cut through all of that garbage and actually produce something. Whether it's published or not is beyond the point (but he does talk briefly about selling your work if you want to).

If you want to write something and are just plain confused about the entire monolithic subject, this is a good book to sit down and fly through in one sitting and then dip back into later when you need it. It is anything but pretentious and it will help you to write what you want to write.

"100 Things Every Writer Needs to Know" is one of those books that the title alone causes you to set your expectations low. Not being the thickest tome doesn't help the cause.

But what a surprise this pleasant little book is!

In a sea of writers' helps, this one carves a niche by not only being surprisingly comprehensive in the breadth of topics it addresses, but also densely packed with useful tips. And did I mention that it is also breezily written, so it is not a chore to wade through? Kudos to Scott Edelstein for writing such a fine book to help writers, while also simultaneously proving that it is possible to know the writing profession inside and out and STILL actually write well!

This book contains plenty of the typical writer's advice like getting through writer's block, fostering creativity, and such, but also discusses the spiritual aspects of writing, common myths of the profession, and even technical advice. Each of the one hundred tips of the trade runs little more than a couple pages (with major exceptions being a few of the glossary tips), so this is a book that can digested in spurts. Read a bit, put it down for a while, and then read some more later.

What makes this book, though, is Edelstein's welcoming writing style. Within a few pages, you feel like you know him and vice versa. He's the mentor all of us need.

Much more than expected. A worthy addition to your writing library.

I love the short concise chapters--so zen. He gets to the point and doesn't let the reader forget why she started writing--for joy! For fun! He encourages; he makes us laugh. When I'm having a down day either writing new projects, or promoting my novel, "Forever Retro Blues," I love to pick this book up and just flip to a page. Inevitability, there is some priceless gem of advice that bolsters me.

If I had to pick ONE THING in this whole book that I found was of value, it would be Chapter 10 beginning on page 16: "You Can Safely Ignore Most of the 'Have-To's' You've Been Taught About Writing."

He lists nearly every 'have to' in every writing book (and MOST of them have 'em):
You must write by hand.
You must write a certain amount of time/words/pages every day.
You must have a special place to write.
You must have a set writing schedule.
You must know how the piece will end before you start.
And so on.

I nearly stopped writing altogether trying to follow some of those "have-to's" in other books! It's great that some combination of those things work for *some* people, but Edelstein is the only author I've seen who truly recognizes that everyone's writing process is unique and that a large part of writing is discovering what works for YOU.

Definitely worth the money!

As an aspiring writer I have purchased numerous books looking for the "secret" to being successful. If there is a secret other than hard work, it is to be found in this book. This book enumerates, in great detail, everything from setting up a work place, starting your writing, to getting your work published. The only concern I would express, with respect to this book, is that some of the tips are clearly focused on what has been successful for the author of this book. Everyone develops there own style, thus some of the information may not pertain to you, but even if that is the case, it will still be useful to see another perspective. Overall this is a great resource for both aspiring and established writers.

As soon as I saw that this author recommends keeping a journal, I knew I was going to like this book. This is a concise point-blank instructional book perfect for those of us who need step-by-step guidance and instruction on writing better. Includes chapters on overcoming writer's block and ways to find the right agent for your work. I highly recommend this one for the beginning or seasoned writer.

I've known Scott Edelstein since he secured me a publishing deal in the mid-1990's. He's a writing and publishing EXPERT and this book proves it. It's direct, clear, SMART and incredibly useful. I consult this book all the time.

I felt the on-line description of this book was quite misleading, however I do not blame the author. The title clearly states that its purpose includes HOW to become a writer. However, from the description, as well as the other on-line review, I personally believed its main intent was actually getting your work published. Unfortunately, too much of it dealt with the mechanics of writing...in great detail. For those of us who already have material "ready to go," there was simply not enough information. In several matters, including query letters, Edelstein merely refers the reader to other books. Thus, if you want to learn HOW to write (from step one) this is the book for you. If you're struggling to get published (that would be me) another book might be more appropriate.

This is another great guide for the beginning writer. From getting started to editing and polishing your writing, the author covers pertinent topics most helpful for those wanting to know how to take their writing to the next level.

Scott Edelstein takes away the mystery and gives the necessary tools to get published. I went from a couple of years of knocking my head against the proverbial brick wall to being published hundreds of times, all because of this book. It's as simple as reading it and doing it. Within a few months of applying my newfound knowledge I had my own weekly newspaper column. He gets specific, none of the generalities most other "how-to" write books use, and it makes the difference. I'm proof.

I've read all the books in the Elements of Fiction Writing series and this is how I'd rank them.

"Scene & Structure" "Characters & Viewpoint" "Beginnings, Middles & Ends"

The above three books are invaluable -- must reads. They are the best of the series, in my opinion, and are packed with good information on every page. Well-done.

"Conflict, Action & Suspense" "Description" "Plot" "Manuscript Submission" "Setting"

The above five books are good, solid reads. Again, they contain good information and cover the subject decently.

"Voice & Style" "Dialogue"

To me, the last two books need to be rewritten. They are by far the weakest of the series. Both suffer from an annoying style, particularly Dialogue, and both are very skimpy on real information. Neither one is very helpful.

This is the order in which I'd recommend reading them.

This book was pretty good over all! It helped me add to what I knew about Manuscripts, formatting and the like. I recommend it to anyone who is ready to take the new step in writing!

The CPG has the daunting task of making mortals viable characters in a system and setting in which things are stacked against them. It does an excellent job at this, elaborating on uniquely human abilities such as sorcery as well introducing options that level the playing field realistically and well. The discusion of human organisations and the role that humanity as a whole plays in the war is also very well done.

The book definetely has more bredth than depth, which leaves some parts of it feeling incomplete. All in all however the book is an effective tool kit and essential for any In-Nomine campaign that wants to have humans as more than just extras.