Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Fill a Stein and Grab a Bloody Haunch! - Peter Brandvold


FILL A STEIN AND GRAB A BLOODY HAUNCH! isn't your normal writing how-to book. You can read some dry, dusty tome about story arcs and character development, or you can let Mean Pete Brandvold grab you by the throat, give you a few good shakes like a dog trying to kill a rat, and listen to his advice on how to slap your reader across the face and get his attention. Chances are, you're more likely to write something I want to read if you go the Mean Pete route.

Despite the colorful trappings, however, this book will give you plenty of practical tips on narrative hooks, point of view, dialogue, description, pacing, plotting, and characterization, all from the prospective of a top professional who's been making his living as a writer for almost twenty years. And you're going to be mighty entertained in the process, as well.

FILL A STEIN AND GRAB A BLOODY HAUNCH! isn't just a book about writing, though. Brandvold also includes several touching autobiographical essays and a couple of short stories. This is a fine collection by a writer I've long admired. Highly recommended.


1 comment:

Scott D. Parker said...

I picked this up over the weekend. I have only read through the writerly tips, but they are as good and honest as you'll get. He doesn't just tell you what to write; he shows you examples. Oh, and I loved this summation of fun writing: Drive your characters like a runaway train through the reader’s brain. I suspect I'll enjoy the stories when I get to them.