A Wordy Woman’s Guide for Writing a Book by Dawn Husted ✍️

Title: A Wordy Woman’s Guide to
Author: Dawn Husted
Pages: 156

Released: August 6, 2018
Publisher: Yaupon Berry Press
Format: Paperback

Genre: Non Fiction
Goodreads Rating: N/A

 

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SUMMARY

A Wordy Woman’s Guide for Writing a Book is an informative workbook that helps you plan your first draft. Through a series of introspective prompts, develop your idea into a carefully structured plot with colorful characters. Dawn’s blueprint will revive your dream of writing a book.

This game-changing workbook takes you from WHERE YOU ARE to WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. If you like woman-to-woman advice, easy to implement activities, and a COMPLETE GUIDE for writing your first book, then you’ll love Dawn’s valuable blueprint.

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REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book. 

The most important thing I can say about this writer’s guide is that I started reading with no intentions of writing a book, and now I have an unrelenting motivation to start drafting my next masterpiece.

Dawn Husted’s “A Wordy Woman’s Guide to Writing a Book” is really straightforwards. Her guide opens right at the start — by explaining the difference between the fiction book categories. As an example to everything else she does in the book, with this section she carefully guides the reader through the differences between PB, MG, YA, NA, and Adult. Several pages are spent familiarizing the reader with the expectations for these categories (page count, character age, etc) and Husted adopts a friendly tone that invites the reader to question, “What category should I pick?” Question/activities are posted for readers to think deeper on what category interests them and Husted integrates “side notes” that integrate her own experiences.

Husted feels like a friend sitting down and chatting about the book world, not an author writing down the laws of book writing. There are certainly books you read that go, “Get ready for rejection because you will face tons. Also, the first book you write will be terrible.” But Husted is encouraging (“I will help you” and “I’m excited for you!”) and informative (in one section, she explains character arcs, including examples not only *of* a character arc, but an explanation for why there wouldn’t be one).

Many of her tips were ones *all* writers need, not just new-to-the scene writers. “…I recommend NOT starting page one with an inciting incident.” Yes. It’s easy to think readers will get bored if you don’t throw in some thrills quickly, but unsurprisingly, readers more often are confused and disconnected when drama unrolls before they even get to know the main character.

Needless to say, this book is indeed a help to writers fresh out the gate AND writers who are still getting their sea legs (so to speak). Maybe even recommend this to a friend who, um, needs a little help? Also something for teachers to consider. Not all sections would be useful for a high school class (obviously teens don’t need to know about book categories) but plot structure and themes would be very useful for creative writing assignments.

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RATING

Five crowns from me!

Have you ever thought about writing a book?