Review: How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times

How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times
How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times by Roy Peter Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I saw this on a Lifehacker article and thought it sounded interesting and gave it a quick read. This book showcases tons of different ways to look at short pieces of writing. At the end of every chapter it has essentially homework assignments. I think if someone sticks to those assignments, their writing would definately improve. It utilizes everything from the gettysburg address to twitter jokes to get the point across that short writing is impactful. As well as, the better you are at short writing, the better writer you could become.

I went into it wanting to walk away with some tips I could use in my work. I came across a few, but not nearly as many as I wanted to. I enjoyed the book and likely worth a read. Probably more of a 3.5 stars, but on the lower side, so I give it 3.

Some favorite quotes in the book:
“He was a man too busy to flush toilets”
“A report might point you there, but a story puts you there.”
An interesting short story – “He was allergic. She pretended not to know.” (Camille Esses, ‘Peanut Butter’)
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

If this book intrigues you, you can buy the Kindle version from Amazon here.

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