Quick book notes
How to Write Fast (While Writing Well): Books: David Fryxell
Recommended. Good stuff all the way through. Advice you’d read in other writing books, but well-illustrated. I loved the examples of story structure, and the quotes sprinkled throughout the book.
Key takeaways: Writing quickly is possible, even for fiction. It’s all about discipline and organization. Outlines are really helpful. Index cards and research are really helpful, because then you can hang them on the outline and practically write the article/book/whatever from there.
Other notes: Research is good, but not too much research. If you over-write, you waste time. Keep your eyes open for irony, twists, structure–these make a story interesting. During delays or lulls in the interview, write down details. Shorthand (or some kind of it) is worth learning.
Open an Online Business in 10 Days: Books: Melissa Campanelli
Not recommended. Nothing particularly spectacular. The interviews near the end of the book are good if you want to get a quick tour through popular Web businesses, but nothing jumped out at me even though I scanned the book cover to cover. Will probably use scanning technique suggested in How to Read a Book next time I do stuff like this…
You know, I might just stand a chance at finishing all the books…
Short URL: http://sachachua.com/blog/p/4663
David Fryxell’s book looks like something I really need, as even I sometimes find my own writing rather boring, disorganized, and slow. I’ll add it to my “Want to read” list. Thanks!