The Writer's Mentor: Secrets of Success from the World's Great Writers

by Ian Jackman

The Writer ' s Mentor is a guide that draws on the collective wisdom and experience of the most successful writers to help aspiring writers with all aspects of the craft. The book includes practitioners of all genres and writers of every literary Nobel Prize-winners and thriller writers; memoirists and story-tellers; writers of romance and serious non-fiction. The book advocates the idea that great writing can be found in every category so we should listen to what writers in all fields have to say and learn from them.

From the perspective of these writers, the book addresses each part of the writing process. Writers talk about how they find their inspiration and who has influenced them. They describe how they got started (Nora Roberts was marooned at home with her children in a snowstorm when she put pen to paper) and how they found time and space to pursue their dream. There is space for grammar and style (Why does everyone talk about Ernest Hemingway when they mention style?) and the development of a writing technique. The Mentor includes writers of journalism, plays, poems, and screenplays and also how you can deal with publishers and agents if you want to try to make a living writing.

The only thing the writers here have in common is their Included are John le Carre and Patricia Highsmith; Stephen King and Terry Brooks; Tennessee Williams and Toni Morrison; Willa Cather and E.B. White; William Faulkner and Donna Tartt; Alice McDermott and Joyce Carol Oates; J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkein; Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe; Irvine Welsh and Michael Chabon; Michael Connelly and Elmore Leonard.

Through the wise words of these writers, The Writer ' s Mentor offers the best advice available to anyone who wants to write.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2004

Reviews

[Selva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of remember when I bought this...likely a decade ago but I couldn't remember why I did. Anyway, it had been lying around for a long time and I thought I will read some good non-fiction and So I read it. I could read it in only in phases.

It is pretty much evident from the title what the book is about. All I will say is it touches all aspects of writing..basic style, grammar, writer's block, productivity - meaning how many words do you write a day, publishing, need for agents, so on and so forth. It is full of views from writers in the form of quotes on all these aspects. Many famous writers have offered their opinions while I couldn't place many other writers. It doesn't however offer any concrete advice, it is for the reader to cull the information and make their own call if they are going to be writers that is :). For instance, while one writer thinks writer's block is a concept invented by lazy writers, some others acknowledge it and offer some ways to get around it. Similarly diverse opinions on style and other things. Also a lot of trivia to go along with the quotes. Stephan King's advance for a book is $25 million and J K Rowling gets some similar amount while Jeffrey Archer received an advance of 1 pound for each of a series of 5 books in a deal made in 1992. Of course, he made his money through royalties.

That's the long and short of it. If you are an aspiring writer, this would make for an interesting read.
Rating: More like 3.5 stars

[Alison Stegert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I took lots of notes.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how Jackman uses the quotes of so many writers to discuss and teach about writing. I wrote to Jackman and he wrote back. I always appreciate when authors can do that.