John Updike’s Writing Wisdom (part I): Book Reviews

by Erin Dalpini

I’m working on a new project—a book review of a contemporary novel I recently read; although I’ve done this before, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a fantastic book review.

Last fall, when I was doing some research for a review of Toni Morrison’s newest novel, A Mercy, I dabbled around on the Internet to see what others were saying about this book so that I could join in that conversation. I’d already read the book and had formed an impression of it, but I knew I needed to know what the experts thought.

One of the first pieces I found, a review in the The New Yorker caused me to sit up and take notice—it was an engaging, entertaining, and also gave me some new insight into the novel. When I looked for the byline, to my surprise, it was the literary legend John Updike. Updike, though best-remembered for his extensive body of fiction (short stories, novels, poetry), produced an equally-impressive array of literary criticism and essays. In short: the man was prolific. And he had an extraordinary way of making a book review anything but mundane. This piece was sharp, witty, informed, concise—essentially, it was the best book review I’d ever read and it left quite an impression on me.

So, returning to the writer’s block, I was curious: what did Updike have to say about writing book reviews? And what do modern day writers do when they have an obscure question like that?

Right. Turn to Google.

I was fortunate early on to stumble across a post (from a book blog I promptly bookmarked) pointing to hidden treasure: an older post, from the blog of the National Book Critics Circle, citing helpful tips from the master himself (one that’s so dated it redirects readers to the new host that, from what I can tell, does not have the piece archived). The advice is from Updikes’s Picked Up Pieces, a collection of his assorted prose. Three points (of six) I found incredibly helpful… … Continue Reading

J.D. Salinger, the Anti-Freelancer, Dead at 91

J.D. Salinger, author of Catcher In The Rye, has died at the age of 91.

Most writers want to hit it big and milk the cash cow for all it’s worth. Not so in J.D. Salinger’s case; he wrote one novel and a collection of short stories and by 1959 he’d had it. According to Time, Salinger still wrote but never published. After dying at home of natural causes, will any of his unreleased work ever see the light of day?

America has lost one of its most influential (even though profoundly inactive) voices. Catcher In The Rye was required reading for probably 99% of the entire currently active freelance writing world. Salinger was a mystery, but there’s still hope that we’ll get something more to read posthumously by what many describe as the “hermit crab of American letters.”

J.D. Salinger 1919–2010

To Japan With Love Has Arrived!

by Catherine L. Tully

The wait is finally over. Joe and I were both recently published in the book To Japan With Love, and today I received my complimentary copies of the book in a box–all the way from Hong Kong.

It was a cool moment–I have to admit.

Being published in a travel book is a big deal in the writing world, and I am just thrilled to have two stories in this guidebook. It is my second time getting published in a book, and it is just as neat the second time. Every once in a while it is just fun to share an accomplishment with FZ readers. Thanks for being there…and keep working toward your dreams…they really can come true! (* And special thanks to Celeste Heiter for her great work editing this book–you are terrific!)

Writing Advice From Kurt Vonnegut

by Catherine L. Tully

I stumbled across this little piece online–”How To Write With Style“ by Kurt Vonnegut, and there is some really good info here. Much of it is simple, but easy to get away from in the day-to-day business of being a writer. (I’m a Vonnegut fan too–which doesn’t hurt.)

Take a minute before you get started today and refresh yourself on some of these guiding principles…

Joe Eszterhas Writers On Writing

by Joe Wallace

Transparency alert–I have NOT read this book yet. But if it’s ANYTHING at all like Eszterhas’s The Devil’s Guide To Hollywood, which was a rough-n-ready how-to for apsiring screenwriters, Joe Eszterhas Writers On Writing should be a very entertaining, inspirational read.

Eszterhas was the bad boy of Hollywood–he wrote Basic Instinct, Jade, Burn Hollywood Burn, plus the controversial (and insipid) Showgirls. He’s the stuff of legend–telling his employers where to stick it at every turn when they tried to tell him how to do his work (these were not fellow writers, mind you–sound familiar?).

In spite of his wild man status, even the most sainted among us can find some inspiration from Eszterhas for one simple reason–his ultimate philosophy is simple. YOU are the writer, NEVER give up, and don’t let people who don’t know the game tell you what the rules are. That’s the sort of tough-mindedness you need to survive in the biz whether you’re writing for Associated Content or for Stevie Spielberg.

It should be pointed out that this time, Eszterhas isn’t the one behind the pen–he’s being interviewed by Stephen Farber. This book is part of a series by the Writers Guild Foundation, so it’s a bit different in style and tone than Joe Eszterhas’s titles like Hollywood Animal and The Devil’s Guide to Hollywood.

E-book Review: You’ve Found Your Specialty–Now What?

by Catherine L. Tully

Those of you who follow Freelance-Zone already know that I am a fan of Yolander Prinzel, but what you don’t know is that she is a networking and marketing genius. Frankly, her ability to market is one of her strongest qualities.

Now, I don’t normally endorse e-books. Many of them do not give writers enough concrete information. That said, I think that “You’ve Found Your Specialty–Now What?” is an investment that is worth making–especially if you are a new writer. It can be difficult to network and market yourself strategically, and many new writers spend too much time on forums and social media sites without scoring any real results for their efforts. Prinzel gives pointers that can streamline that process, and does so without being a drag to read… … Continue Reading

An Editor’s Advice For Writers

What could be more valuable to a writer than a book written from the editor’s perspective aimed right at those they must edit day to day? The Forest For the Trees: An Editor’s Advice For Writers is that book.

Betsy Lerner has a pedigree a mile long–Houghton-Mifflin, Ballantine, Simon & Schuster, and Doubleday, she’s worked for the best and has plenty of war stories to share. These are insider secrets and perspective you owe it to yourself to explore.

Lerner’s excellent advice includes some fun-but-right-on-the-money tips including letting your quirks and bizarre behaviors define you and inform your work. “I’ve come to look at neurotic behavior as a necessary component of a writer’s arsenal.” Lerner says. BRAVO!

She also adds “Too often the neurotic writer who still hasn’t learned to trust his own voice rushes to spill the beans…” Lerner was talking specifically here about story development and letting a piece unfold in its own time, but you get the idea that little aside can inform your work in any number of ways.

This is one book you should make the investment in. The perspective alone is worth a million.

Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal

At the beginning of my freelance career I picked this book up based on the title alone. Thought it was witty enough to give the author a try. I will say that I found it a good read, and it’s a great book for the new freelance writer.

Those who are looking for more in-depth information may want to go with another book, but this is an enjoyable read for people at the start of a freelance career.

Favorite Books

Fast Company Magazine

Digital Magazine News Offers Glimmer of Hope for Print

Faithful FZ readers know I’ve been saying the bell tolls for print mags for quite some time, but Digital Magazine News begs to differ. In their latest issue, Digital Magaazine News shows that some publishers not only have a clue, they are actually using it to extend the lifetime of their publications.

Behold US News & World Report galloping right into the 21st Century with an online/print combo idea that is designed to keep the enterprise going. Rather than rely on print or the online version is the mainstay, US News has taken the “value added” angle–using both editions to give more to both readers and advertisers.

Now for some of us, this is a “well, duh!” approach. But why it has taken so many magazines so long to do what Wired has gotten right for years is beyond me. Simple laziness? The old “We never did it that way before” excuse? A complete and total lack of a clue? Hard to say. But it’s shameful, whatever the excuse.

If there is one bright and shining hope for newsstand mags, this approach is part of the equation. Hey, Chicago Tribune–wake up and smell the newsprint. This is the way to go. Freelancers, keep your eyes peeled for more enterprises like this–this is your future on the newsstand.

Getaways For The Writer: The Ultimate Guide

If you are looking for the ultimate guide to writer getaways, this is something you may want to check out. Writers’ and Artists’ Hangouts lists hundreds of profiles of hotels, bed and breakfasts and other great spots that just may help bring the muse.  Andrea Brown gives a description of each place, along with contact information. This is a fun resource to check out. See if anything inspires you–and don’t foget to share!

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

If you are looking for a great book on punctuation, here it is. Eats, Shoots & Leaves discusses everything from the apostrophe to the comma–and is a good read as well. Add this to your reference library and brush up on your sentence structure. It’s a good one.

The Super Affiliate Handbook

There are plenty of guides out there, including this one by Rosalind Gardner, that explain the ins and outs of affiliate marketing and how to make it work for you. Many people get very excited after reading books like The Super Affiliate Handbook: How I Made $436, 797 In One Year Selling Other People’s Stuff Online.

There’s just one teeny little problem–not with Gardner’s book, but with the people who read it and get over-excited. Bloggers who think they can throw up a few posts and a few subsequent affiliate links and turn a profit tend to forget that you have to have an audience in order to get the clicks. And since most affiliate programs don’t pay you by the click, but rather by the purchase, that equation gets a little more challenging.

The key to a successful affiliate program on a blog or website? Focus. Decide what you want to do and stick to it. If you want to supplement a blog with some affiliate income, there are strategies and techniques you can use specific … Continue Reading

Line By Line: How To Edit Your Own Writing

Transparency alert: I have NOT read this book. But the title says it all. Line By Line: How To Edit Your Own Writing is the sort of book I wish every writer who works for me would purchase.

There’s nothing worse than having to edit pointless mistakes a writer should be catching before they click “send”. When I sit in the editor’s chair, it gives me actual physical pain to see yet another abused apostrophe or the word “advise” instead of “advice”. Suppressing the urge to kill is the least of an editor’s problems. The desire to play drinking games with those article submissions and blog posts is overwhelming.

Spot the wrongly used “there,” “their” or “they’re” and take a drink. See the contraction of “there is” followed by a plural? Take TWO drinks.

All those dead brain cells could be avoided if all writers would buy books like these and start SELF-EDITING! Please, for the love of all that is nice and true, do this one favor for us overworked editors.

Thank you.