Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey

by Chuck Wendig

“No seriously, he’s not f**king around, you really don’t want to be a writer. But if you’re mad enough to decide that you do, Wendig will be your gonzo-esque guide, from the technical advice about structure, query letters and submissions, to dealing with agents and editors and how to make your characters do as they’re damn well told, he’s full of good advice. Like a cursing, booze-soaked Virgil to your Dante, let him show you around.
Buy this book, your editor will thank you.”
-- Jenni Hill, Editor, Solaris Books

Want to become a novelist? A screenwriter? An all-around freelance penmonkey? Don’t know the difference between beats, scenes, sequences and acts? Not sure where to begin your edit, or how to query an agent, or what liquor goes best with the madness of being a writer? Then CONFESSIONS OF A FREELANCE PENMONKEY is all yours.

CONFESSIONS is a collection of 50+ essays on the subject of writing and the writing life. It covers a wide array of subjects, from technical advice to discussions of publishing versus self-publishing to what to do if you wake up pantsless and ink-stained in the basement of a Tijuana bookstore.

Equal parts hilarious, insane, profane, and profound, CONFESSIONS will take you through the many trials and tribulations of the penmonkey’s moonbat existence, offering advice every step of the way.

Features popular TERRIBLEMINDS essays:

…“Beware of Writer”
…“Drop That Pen, Grab A Hammer: Building The Writer’s Platform”
…”Exposing Yourself: Do You Write For Free?”
…“No, Seriously, I’m Not F**king Around, You Really Don’t Want To Be A Writer”
…“The Penmonkey’s Paean”
… “Why Your Novel Won’t Get Published”
…“Why You Won’t Finish That Novel”
And more!

(TERRIBLEMINDS has been named one of the top 101 websites for writers by WRITER’S DIGEST magazine!)

What others have said:

"Chuck Wendig has done what so many authors desperately need and will never admit: offered a phenomenal book about the real world of writing, and made it reachable and readable by anyone. An absolute must-read for anyone even thinking of dabbling with words for a living.”
-- Karina Cooper, Author of Blood of the Wicked

"Chuck Wendig's Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey is full of the kind of writing advice I wish I'd gotten in school. Practical, brutally honest, and done with the kind of humor that will make it stick in your brain. Whether you're a veteran writer or new to the craft, you'll find something useful in here.
Plus he says ‘f**k’ a lot, so, you know, there's that."
-- Stephen Blackmoore, author of City of the Lost

"In Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey, Chuck Wendig hammers out writing and career advice that's always brave, profane, creative, clever, and honest. And don't forget hilarious. You'll never laugh so hard learning so much."
-- Matt Forbeck, game designer and author of Vegas Knights

“When a writer hits cynical, drunken, mother-hugging rock bottom, that's when they need Chuck Wendig's raw, no-holds barred advice. This is not for the faint of heart. But then again, neither is writing.”
-- Mur Lafferty, host of ISBW (I Should Be Writing) podcast, editor of Escape Pod, author of Playing For Keeps

"Despite being irreverent, vulgar, and funny, Chuck Wendig is also surprisingly profound. From one wordslinger about another, Chuck is the real deal and every prospective or working writer should read Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey. Hell, the ‘Writer's Prayer’ alone is worth the price of admission."
-- Jennifer Brozek, Author of The Little Finance Book That Could

“If you want to be a better writer, or just want to be inspired by one of the best takes on writing I’ve ever read, do yourself a favor and buy Confessions.”
-- Daniel Ames, author of Feasting at the Table of the Damned

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Reference

338 pages, Nook

First published May 18, 2011

About the author

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.

Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.

He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.

You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend gave me this book and it has been my lunchtime reading for the last week. Hilarious, scatological, and dead accurate in its musings on the necessity of editing, plotting, and the willingness to stick your pants to your chair if you want to accomplish something as freelance writer. Pretty much the advice as I would give it to aspiring writers if I knew as many swearwords as Mr. Wendig.

[holly quigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

From what I understand, much of the material in Chuck Wendig's writing books is pulled from his blog, terribleminds.com, organized, and revised and/or commented on at the end of each section. So yeah, you can probably get most of the information for free by reading his blog. But his Penmonkey books are cheap, and fun, and good, foulmouthed kick in the pants for writers. So I can't really take issue with the recycled material.

If you want a taste of his style, however, his website is a good place to start. It's not for everyone. Mostly, it's not for aspiring (or professional!) writers who like to wave their hands and sigh about their "muuuuuse" and how she's so fickle and the characters in the story just 'aren't cooperating today' blahdeblah. Just - no. What his stuff is good for is in having an outside voice tell you to quit whining and write, and to write well, and more importantly to revise and edit well, and that yes, all the uncertainty and madness you are experiencing is in fact normal, but suck it up anyway, camper, because that's what being a writer is.

And it's all wrapped up in a crazed package of creative profanity and funky metaphors. That's 'funky' as in the terrifying grime that cakes around the bolts under the toilet seat, not 'funky' as in George Clinton. Although, the two can overlap. Anyway, five stars. Looking forward to more of Wendig's writings.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book filled with tons of good writing advice (on writing and being a writer). Not for the easily offended as Mr. Wendig is highly creative in the use of profanity.

[Sheryl Nantus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit it - I'm a writing craft book junkie. If it can help me become a better writer I'm going to snag it and devour it!

This book doesn't disappoint - made up of blog entries and more than a little profanity, it lays it out as it is for the budding writer - and for the old fogies as well. Writing tips, psychology and a bit of humor to keep you going for the gold ring makes this book a must-have for the writer!

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Chuck Wendig. This is the 3rd book of his on writing that I've read and I will continue reading the others.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start this by issuing a warning: if you are of the faint of heart with regards to profanity and crudeness, then this might not be the book for you.

Let me also say that, as a general rule, I actively avoid excessive amounts of profanity and crudeness. I have little use for them, don't use it myself, and in general would prefer not to carry on a conversation with someone who does.

But. But.

But the advice and information presented in this book totally trumped all of that. Wendig's voice (and advice) is so very honest and clear, that this is probably the single exception I have ever made with regard to the use of profanity/crudity. Okay, sure, I still winced at some of his, errrr, saltier phrases, but in general...I was too impressed with the honest and useful advice for the aspiring writer offered.

Also, the man is damned hilarious. For reasons I can't pinpoint, the foul language actually works for this guy. I've always held the theory that profanity is best used in writing when it makes a point; 99% of the time, in my experience, this is not the case. It's just...boring, unattractive window dressing. But Wendig is a good writer, with a wicked sense of humor and--I admit it--most of his profanity-laced metaphors had me giggling...and also getting the point he was trying to make.

I read writing advice stuff all the time. I'm trying to move past being a hobbyist writer into becoming an actual, y'know, gets-paid-for-it writer, and so I snaffle up writing advice stuff whenever I see it for a decent price. I encountered one of Wendig's blog posts while looking at stuff that would build up my courage to do NaNoWriMo (not because I think it will produce a finished novel, but because it will get me writing daily again). It made an impression on me--and one that did not involve very much horror at the generous helping of profanity. I thought "Hmm. If this guy is good enough to make me--a devout Mormon with Views regarding foul language--not only ignore his, er, colorful word choices but to actually acknowledge that it drove the point home even better...I wonder what else he has to say?" So I went to Amazon, found this book (and a couple of others, bought one, stuffed the others onto the wish list) and read it. There were parts I laughed so hard I cried.

More importantly, among all the various "How to Write a Novel" stuff I've read over the last few years, this one stands out as the single best example of actually having information I personally found extremely useful. I know language very well--more than one, in fact. It's an area where I was classified as "gifted" at a very young age. I know the nuts and bolts of grammar, spelling, etc, etc. And I'm not a half-bad writer. I know I can improve. Most of the advice on writing I've encountered...meh. It's re-hashing of the same thing over and over again. There are, of course, familiar subjects in Wendig's book, stuff I have seen before and will again. (And Wendig himself frequently repeats the same advice--with good reason. Chief among this being "Finish what you start, dammit!") But you know what? I never encountered actually useful editing tips, as in "How to actually sit down and go through the process of editing and rewriting in a way that might not (or might, ymmv) make you tear your hair out." It was like a revelation. Ditto for his tips on outlining. He doesn't say "This is how I did it you have to do it this way or die." Instead he makes suggestions, and offers some pretty useful examples. His suggestion on how to get to know your characters was awesome: Write scenes. Short stories. Get to know them. It doesn't matter if it isn't part of The Novel. See, I've done that before, but always felt guilty about it because I thought I was just wasting time. Suddenly, I feel vindicated, and am even now making plans to work that into my daily word count.

Overall, if you're serious about becoming a writer (I am), then you should read this book. It's wonderful advice. Yes, the language is very, very salty. To those who are like me about it I say: set it aside in this instance. It's worth it. It's not like he's saying you have to talk/write just like him, after all. I've just started the sequel, Revenge of the Penmonkey, and am finding it even better fun/use than the first one.

And hey, he's a good enough writer that I've even picked up one of his novels. I expect that, on the profanity front, it won't be my cup of tea. But going by his nonfiction writing, I also expect that it will be extremely well-written with excellent characters, and that the language may therefore not bother me half so much.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Note: From the review on my blog.

Jocularity, jocularity… profanity and a modicum of suggestions ensue should one deign to read Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey by Chuck Wendig. Released independently by Wendig himself the book is a collection of his essays about working as a writer, freelancing and simply putting pen to paper that he had on his blog terribleminds.com which forms an insightful and motivating not to mention metaphor-laced book about writing.

By metaphor-laced I mean that Wendig has gone and produced some of the most gratuitous and gratifying illustrations of what can do with one’s own genitalia without using stick figures. And it’s all in the name of writing. The book certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, the easily insulted or those who tend to suffer from the vapors. What it is, and it does so far more truthfully and with an honest nod to those starting out is tell it as it is for writers.

Sure all writing advice can be distilled to the following: write. But Wendig presents that in the same way your favorite bartender knows to provide a dry martini with a jalapeno stuffed olive every time you walk into your local watering hole. That bottle of vermouth is shown to the gin and then swiftly disposed of in the back alley like some cheap hooker with a prehensile tail. (See what I did there? I learned something from Wendig – write absurd metaphors)

Wendig’s strongest points are the essays in which he covers topics that few other authors do in their writing books. He discusses those aspects between writing and getting published and Sisyphean challenge all will face. Luckily he’ll also proscribe a strong drink or two or twenty along the way as a balm for all the mental wounds acquired. And while of a lot the suggestions are common sense it’s nice to see them put down on the page for once.

Since I read COAFPM as an e-book it wasn’t without its issues, yet most of those I attribute to my first generation NOOK. The page numbering was off and it said I had 900-some pages to read through only to “turn” two or three pages at a time. This is not the first e-book that this has happened to so I honestly think it’s a problem on my end and in some ways I wish I had the paperback just to be able to refer back to certain sections easily.

All in all it was an enjoyable and easy to read book that never got tiresome and did make me giggle like a schoolgirl on nitrous-oxide a few times. If there was anything I felt it was lacking it was essays about working with a writing partner, which Wendig does, writing games and writing for contracted work. Those happen to be areas I’m quite interested in though as I’m a freelance penmonkey. But while some will see his words as advice I consider them suggestions – the most brutally honest and straight to the point like a rusty mace to the face tips on writing that there can be.

So read it, but also: write.

[Paul Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading Confessions of A Freelance Penmonkey, by prolific author Chuck Wendig (@chuckwendig). A book of writing advice, it is easily one of the best I have read on the subject in a long time. A compilation his blog posts available at Terrible Minds, the book covers manyfacet of writing, from getting started to writing query letters, and even the pros and cons of why you want to be a writer.

The book is written in an informal style in a completely NSFW way. This isn't a book you want to read out loud in the office, but you will be laughing out loud several times. Chuck presents all this valuable information with tons of profanity, madcap observations, and a strange penchant for telling us he's not wearing pants. I'm also a little concerned about his masturbatory habits and his apparent drinking problem. Seriously Chuck, lay off the booze-soaked wanking marathons and you'll get a lot more done.

Seriously though, this book is a must have for anyone writing or thinking about writing. Especially if you're thinking about writing and haven't taken the plunge. Chuck lays it bare, both the good and the bad. He strips away the whole "mystical writer" myth and explains that writing is, in fact, hard work and downright discouraging at times (a fact I can easily corroborate). If you can read this whole book and still want to be a writer, then you probably have what it takes to be one.

Much of the advice in here is not relevatory. It's things you've heard before. But it's always good to be reminded of the basics and refreshed on things you may have forgotten. And Chuck does it in such a way that it all seems fresh again. I mean really, how many books, let alone writing books, are you ever going to read where you see a phrase like "rage fuck a pumpkin?"

My only complaint with the book (and it's a minor one) is that some of the advice is repeated in several different columns. This is the danger of pulling the posts from the blog I guess, but I only need to be reminded so many times that the manuscript needs to be as error free as possible. Of course, I had that one stapled to my head by a third grade teacher, so maybe that's my own cross to bear.

Anyway, get this book, read it, absorb its knowledge, make sure you recycle the bourbon bottles you drain while learning from Chuck, and then get to writing. Or not. Chuck may have scared you off. If he did, great. The last thing we need is more wanna be writers who don't have the guts to actually do it.

Rating: 8/10

PS. Please pick up a copy of my book, GODCHILD, avaialable on Kindle.

[Kristian Thoroughgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, metaphor-twisting, profanity-laden exploration of how to be a freelance writer – or penmonkey.

I love the word penmonkey.

Dance for me penmonkey, dance!

Ultimately this is a guide book on how to be a writer, the things one must think of, the issues you encounter when writing, an exploration of editing, and a discussion of the publishing industry as it is right now, all screamed into your face with the aggression of an orang-utan rubbing faeces in your hair for touching up its wife at the Halloween party.

Chuck strips away the magic, the muse, the myths, and leaves any want-to-be-writer naked and trembling in pool of their own disillusionment, tears and blood. This is hard, no-nonsense writing advice, and is not for the delicate flower who refuses to believe that writing is work.

Wendig’s fundamental proposition is that writing is not just an art, but a craft, like carpentry. This means you need to get your powertools out and work that dead tree until your table is built. Or your book written.

A longish advice book, it is essentially a series of rambling essays that Chuck originally posted on his blog ‘terribleminds’. If you are unsure of whether this book is for you, I strongly recommend you trawl though his blog to get a feel for Wendig’s style. The short essay/blog post style make it convenient to read when time or attention is limited, waiting in a line, watching some dreary TV because your wife wants to watch it, or neglecting your children as they scream to be fed.

I bought this when I picked up five or six of his writing books in a bundle last year, and I went through them all, skimming them for the bits that resonated, but not really trying hard to absorb what he says. This year I hope to get through them all in a more studious fashion. Now, these books are all writing advice, and all by the same dude, so I’m certain there is repetition throughout these books, but I’m ok with that – I got a good price overall, and I’m a bit thick, so repetition helps me remember.

Tell me about the rabbits again George.

If you are thinking about writing, and don’t mind creative profanity, this is good advice wrapped up in an amusing bacon blanket.

(This review is repeated on my blog here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/.... Feel free to check it out for my other book reviews and short fiction .)

[Sherry D. Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession of my own to make--I love Chuck Wendig's terribleminds blog (http://terribleminds.com). Yes, I'm a respectable, 40-something mom, but I find Wendig's writing hilarious. Sometimes I'll be reading a blog post and laughing out loud, and my 17-y-o daughter will ask what I'm laughing at, and I have to just say, "oh, nothing," because--well, it's not a link I'll be sending her anytime soon. Wendig admits to an obsession with "creative profanity" and it's something he does extremely well, and which I generally find funny. I don't just read the blog for fun, though, because he writes creatively, practically, and entertainingly on a wide variety of topics. The profane bits are kind of like candy sprinkles on a moist and tasty cupcake. But I don't recommend a visit if you're easily offended.

Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey brings together a lot of Wendig's blog posts on the topic of writing, and there's some great advice here. His ruminations on all aspects of the writing life, from the technical to the thematic to the actual "life" bits are both entertaining and useful, dished out in his signature no-holds-barred style. Great reading for writers, aspiring writers, and even folks just wondering what the life of a freelancer might be like.

The only reason I'm giving this book four stars instead of five is a very subjective one--I found, after the first few chapters, that I had to read this book in small chunks. Because the very thing that makes me like the blog--the aforementioned bizarro sprinkles of profanity--I found too overpowering to take in large doses. A blog post a day is great. A chapter a day is great. But three or four at a sitting got to be too much of a good thing.

Maybe that's not a fair reason to dock a star, but it does speak to my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

At any rate, I'd recommend this book to any writer, but I'd suggest you pop over to terribleminds and read a few blog posts first, to see if this author's style is your cup of tea. If you can take the heat, then definitely drop the cash and download your very own penmonkey treat. The cupcakes are worth it.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of blog posts by Chuck Wendig, who's something of a household name in foulmouthed writing bloggers. He puts his money where his mouth is, though: he's published freelance, through self-publishing, and traditional venues. He knows what he's talking about.

For him. I must emphasize that I didn't find everything he said useful in my own writing. Mostly, the utility came from thinking about things I took for granted about how to craft a good story. Some of the entries seemed random. Some were rambly and too theoretical. Generally, though, the book was a good mix of entertainment and information.

If you don't like swearing, you'll want to steer clear of Wendig, because he isn't shy about peppering profanity into his prose. I know that turns off a lot of readers, but it didn't bother me. It seemed appropriate. Again, for him.

There is something of a tone in some of the essays that implies his way is the One True Way to think about writing. He backpedals on that in his commentary, which is tacked onto the end of each entry. The commentary is there because he's learned better since posting some of these blog entries, and editing each post would probably be tedious. I thought it was a good approach, actually, to see what he learned as he went along. It goes to show how nebulous writing rules can be, and that you're in trouble only when you think you have all the answers.

Overall, if you like humor sprinkled liberally with profanity and you want to hear some perspectives on writing, it couldn't hurt to pick this up. Wendig infuriates some writers, and I can't blame them, but I do like that he gets me thinking about why I don't agree with him.

[Jukka Särkijärvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating writer's guides is always a bit tricky, since as Wendig himself notes, what works for the writer may not necessarily work for you. It's a craft, but there's also an art to it, and the process of creation is very personal and different for everyone. Stephen King, for instance, doesn't do outlines, just starts writing by the seat of his pants, which is how The Mist, ordered originally as a short story, ended up novella-length. Lord Dunsany, famously, never edited after the first draft (though when you're writing with a quill pen, you presumably consider more carefully how you wield it!).

So, this is how Wendig does it. He doesn't shy away from highlighting the fact, sometimes with monkeys, or cyborg wombats. Most of his advice I find quite sound and applicable to my craft, others not so much. Of course, he's an American and his observations on the freelance writer's life are not directly applicable to countries with reasonable healthcare systems.

Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey is actually a collection of Wendig's blog posts from terribleminds.com, but they've been edited a bit and each article comes with a short afterword, written for the collection, about how Wendig views the piece right now.

It's good advice. The tone is declarative, but friendly, and often amusing. Myths are busted, and the full width and breadth of the writing process is discussed, from grammar to editing to the way that you work, with critical, analytical eyes cast toward NaNoWriMo and "write what you know". I came out with a few pieces of advice that I will apply to my work in the future. Some I am confident will work, some may or may not, and we'll see.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Packed with useful advice for writers, Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey is a collection of articles taken from the author's blog, terrible minds.

Wendig's off-the-wall, foul-mouthed ranting style is, as always, highly entertaining. He doesn't pull punches, and is the literary equivalent of Gordon Ramsay.

In the instant book, each article is backed up by a calmer, saner, commentary, which I found good, as Wendig's blog style, while lovable in the extreme when one's reading a short article, became, for me, rather tedious when maintained through a whole book, rather as half-hour comedy shows are when germinated from a three minute sketch. Vide Kingswood Country, Fawlty Towers. Be that as it may, most of the content is, when you scrape off the hyperbole about goat-shagging robot aardvarks, deeply sensible. I didn't agree with all of it - we all have our own ways of working - but I could respect all of it, and even found a few ideas I will probably try out.

What made me sad, though, and the reason I've only given the book three stars instead of the four it would otherwise have earned from me, was Wendig's careless approach to the presentation of his work. Despite fulminating about the importance of editing, of multiple drafts and of quality generally, this writer, writing a book about how to be a better writer, used 'lay' intransitively, 'you're' where 'your' was required, and 'effects' instead of 'affects'.

As a working writer myself, I didn't allow this sloppiness to take away from the value of the content, but given the subject matter, I do feel it is bound to affect (NOT 'effect') the author's credibility.

[Oz Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author says this:

[I] see a lot of touchy-feely writing advice. Nice, sweet advice from very helpful
people. Nothing wrong with that. Not knocking it. But it’s also not my style. I figure:
hey, you don’t have to look hard to find comforting advice. Why not go the other way?
Why not act like R. Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket?
[...] tough love works. Discipline gets across. I’m speaking to writers who find this
entertaining and/or enlightening.

And that's the short of it. Here's the long:

In college I had one of those tough-as-nails writing professors. The kind of professor who regularly made her students cry with the sheer force and honesty of her feedback. She was the best damn teacher I've ever had, and the worst thing about finishing college was having to go out into the word-making wilds alone, without the benefit of her ruthless criticism. I would've traded all the molars in my lower jaw for the opportunity to blast her with a shrink-ray and keep a pocket-sized version of her on my desk for the rest of my natural life.

Chuck Wendig is the next best thing. He swears, he makes jokes, he can't find his pants, and he dishes out the best stone-cold motherfucking writing advice this side of sobriety. If NaNoWriMo just isn't enough anymore, if there's nobody in your life to bully you into finishing your shit with the tenacity of a caffeinated badger, then check out this guy.

His blog is at terribleminds.com, and if you like that, buy his shit. Because it's awesome to live in a world where people give money to writers.

[Lee Dunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't your typical "How to be an Awesome Writer and Break into the Business" book. You're not going to come out of it with a magical ability to outline your story, hunt down and kill "to be" verbs, or build a unique world. Instead, what you get is a lot of insight into what it is like to be a freelance writer. "Confessions" is a collection of Chuck's blogs from his website, each one giving the reader a glimpse into the highs and lows of writing as a career. No punches are pulled. Chuck makes it clear that writing is hard work, takes discipline, and requires patience. It is often a frustrating career, even for established authors. You must be willing to put in the work, not just as a writer, but as an editor, a marketer, and a human being. And all of this is presented in Chuck's irreverent, crude, hilarious voice.

I'm giving the book a 4.5. Even if I hadn't gleaned a drop of useful information from it, the book was massively fun to read. I did come away with some useful information though, and a stronger sense of how I wish to pursue my future as a writer. I'm being a squid and docking the book half a star because of the typos and missing words that were sprinkled throughout the text. Chuck was quite adamant about copy editing your work before presenting it to the world, so this is my way of hitting him on the nose with a rolled newspaper.

Because I enjoyed this book so much I have purchased two more of his books, and subscribed to his blog. He must be doing something right.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars just because I'm name-dropped about half way through the book. Extra star for his hilarious send up of the acknowledgments page.

I kid. I kid.

This is, in essence, TerribleMinds the remix. Consider this the greatest hits collection of Chuck's writing advice throughout the years, with bonus content and post scripts on many of the articles. You'll see Chuck change his mind about NaNoWriMo, completely reverse his stance on ebooks, and expand on a lot of ideas he only glossed over the first time around. That alone is well worth the $5 price tag.

Bottom line - this is the most honest writing advice you'll come across. You won't agree with everything Chuck puts forward, and he doesn't expect you to. He doesn't approach his methods and musings as The One True Way to Write. Instead he'll give you lots of options to chew on, things to ponder, and a new way of looking at your craft.

Writers, this collection is a boon. Add it to your collection.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of Chuck Wendig's blog posts "on writing", and, as I believe this is the first collection, must be some of his earlier stuff. It's worthy buying it like this as opposed to reading it online because every single post has a post-script of varying lengthy where he talks about his views on the post now, sometimes disagreeing with his initial view.

And that's fine because even when I don't personally agree with his views on writing I still like to know his. He writes in an interesting way with plenty of dark humour and brazen comedy. All of his points are well thought out and explained, and he is someone who thinks a lot about writing. At the very least most of the book is thought provoking.

I'd recommend this to a lot of people who like writing. Especially if you don't like some of the dryer non-fiction writing books, Wendig's nonsense-filled writing might be enough to hook you in.

[K.R. Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Considering how long I’ve followed him on twitter and read his blog, I’m surprised it took me this long to read one of his books.

Either way, this was an enjoyable read; a collection of essays from his website, complete with postscript commentary and note son how the posts link together. I took my time with it, reading a couple of sections every few days and trying to bear the thoughts in mind when it came to my own writing.

Very motivational if you like being yelled at continually, and very funny even if you don’t. Chuck comments on the luxuries and misconceptions of being a writer; including things that anyone but a writer/creative may think is a joke, but those of us who have had a go at writing know to be accurate summations of the life we lead.

Definitely worth the money to have the essays to hand and updated/revised following more experience. The sequel is on my to-read list.
Five stars for the penmonkey.

[Dave Edens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the lion share of this book as posts on Chuck's blog, but picked up the nook version anyway as those posts are just that good. Chuck has added some additional notes and comments at the end of each section, updating them and or adding anecdotes. If you have any interest in writing for a portion of your living or want to see in to the worm ridden mind of someone who does already, you REALLY want to drop an Abe on this.

You are warned, here there be profanity. I am sure you are strong enough to take it though. What you may have a problem with is the carnival barker like song Wendig sings. No that is too kind. More accurately, he is the heroin addict warning you not to try the schmack and then in the next breath shoots up right in front of you and drifts off into the bliss.

So go ahead, hit it !

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't make me a writer, but it certainly gave me some good ideas about how to go about becoming one should I ever choose that path.

A collection of posts from the author's blog, the advice is largely of the "obvious" sort. The kind of "obvious" advice that is only obvious after someone points it out to you.

Stuff like if you want to be a writer then you need to finish what you start, because starting is the fun and easy part, it's finishing things that takes work.

He also talks a lot about the need to rewrite, but that part was nothing new to me since my high school writing teacher was a disciple of William Zinsser.

Well worth reading for anyone who thinks they want to become a professional writer, although it might not be for you if you're easily offended as Wendig has a rather "colorful" writing style.

[Chuck Heintzelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a line from the movie Christmas Story where Ralphy says his old man works in profanity the way other artists work in oil or clay. That it was his true medium. So it is with Chuck Wendig.

If you're interested in writing advice from a guy in the trenches, a bearded penmonkey with a unique voice that is often funny and more often profanely funny, this is the book for you. It's a fast read, a fun read, and at times a frantic madhouse of--I don't know--I want to say ninjas or maybe crazed ginsu chefs verbally assaulting you.

The book's insulting and insightful, brutally honest and full of shit. Good stuff.

Now I must go back and chew some more on the saltier bits.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

While most writing books coddle the aspiring author, Chuck Wendig drags them screaming into an alley and clubs them over the head with a doorknob crammed into a gym sock. The advice is similar to other things I've read, but the bluntness in his delivery sinks it deep into my brain.

Honestly, I had never heard of him before randomly stumbling onto his website while shirking my own work. After a few minutes reading his blog, I snagged his ebook from Barnes and Noble on a random impulse. One of my better rash decisions. His website, terribleminds.com is now in my regular rotation. I'll keep my eye on his future work.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in need of a little tough love with your writing career, this is the book for you. Brutally honest, while being laugh-out-loud funny, Chuck Wendig offers good advice for anyone interested in writing professionally, be it fiction or non. Note; this book is not for the faint of heart for it contains vulgar language, gratuitous sexual references and hilarious scatology that you will never be able to unsee once you have imagined them. For everyone else, this book is perfect.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give out 5 stars very often and even more rarely is there a non fiction book that gets this accolade! If you are in any way inclined to write then give this a read. It has good pace and will hold your interest. Takes you through the pains and delights of writing and does it very well.

Thank you Mr Wendig few books these days make me sad as I get towards the end and you managed it with a manual on writing.

[Chadwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chuck Wendig has done a splendiferous job of combining two of my favorite things: writing and profuse swearing. Where similar instruction books might be content holding your hand and guiding you through the (often over-hyped) joys of writing, Wendig instead smacks you upside the head with a newspaper until he can reliably count on you to not shit the bed. For me, at least, that makes this book infinitely more enjoyable than the run-of-the-mill writing books.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This certainly isn't a novel. There's no singular theme threaded throughout, as it's composed of a series of blog posts from the past few years with Wendig's updated commentary at the end of each chapter.

Wendig covers just about every writing subject, though the material does get repetitive at the end. He does say he's writing for himself, so it's easy to look past.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuck Wendig is an excellent essayist and an almost brutal yet hilarious giver of writing advice. I have laughed myself sick over his metaphors, and taken quite a bit of his advice; it has helped my writing immensely. I would definitely recommend any of his writerly-advice books to anyone who wants to write.
PS: His blog is excellent too - www.terribleminds.com

[Roland Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had great advice and I have scores of highlights to prove it. I'll refer back to it when I'm stuck on some topics. I'd give it four stars but I think a couple of the last essays could have been trimmed or just left out. Either I got tired of Chuck's voice or there just wasn't much enlightening there.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chuck Wendig does go on. And on. He is amusing, though, and one can glean some good writing tips among the persiflage. I was happy when I finished the book, though, because I tired of his style long before the book was ended.

[Caleb Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great and rather irreverent-ish collection of essays about writing. I highly recommend it for writers, aspiring writers, struggling writers, and anyone who wishes to expand their profanity vocabulary. It's a good read.