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Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language & Style
When too tightly leashed, writing chokes and loses its vitality. Although the rules of composition popularized in William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White's Elements of Style have been de rigueur for decades, they won't exactly set your writing free.
To the rescue comes Spunk & Bite, a guide to bold and radiant language and style. The secret, according to bestselling author and former publishing executive Arthur Plotnik, is to embrace those qualities that composition rulebooks sidestep, among them, surprise, personality, engagement, edge, and fearlessness. Drawing on selections from today's most exciting writers: Jonathan Franzen, Sandra Cisneros, Bill Bryson, Maureen Dowd, and many dozens more.Plotnik reveals the tricks and techniques that make prose fresh, forceful, and publishable.
For all types of writing: novels, articles, poems, ad copy, blogs, and even e-mails,this uncommon handbook reveals how to make your words so fetching that readers beg for more.
To the rescue comes Spunk & Bite, a guide to bold and radiant language and style. The secret, according to bestselling author and former publishing executive Arthur Plotnik, is to embrace those qualities that composition rulebooks sidestep, among them, surprise, personality, engagement, edge, and fearlessness. Drawing on selections from today's most exciting writers: Jonathan Franzen, Sandra Cisneros, Bill Bryson, Maureen Dowd, and many dozens more.Plotnik reveals the tricks and techniques that make prose fresh, forceful, and publishable.
For all types of writing: novels, articles, poems, ad copy, blogs, and even e-mails,this uncommon handbook reveals how to make your words so fetching that readers beg for more.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2005
76 people are currently reading
2023 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Plotnik
22 books33 followersArthur Plotnik is the author of nine books, including "Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style" and two Book-of-the-Month Club selections: "The Elements of Expression" (revised and expanded in 2012) and "The Elements of Editing." Among his many publications are award-winning essays, biography, short fiction, and poetry. He studied under Philip Roth at the Iowa (Graduate) Writers Workshop and worked as editorial director for the American Library Association. He serves on the Board of "The Writer" magazine and lives in Chicago with his wife, the artist Mary H. Phelan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
February 16, 2012
I got this as a Christmas gift and thought the title was witty. Unfortunately, the title was the best part of the book. Originally published in 2005 and reprinted in 2007, I have to wonder whether the author didn't realise that at some point the members of Generation Y, about whom he was not particularly kind, would potentially pick up the book in hope of some new insights.
I was at a loss to find any new insights in this book. It seemed that the book rehashed advice I've read time and again in other style guides and how-to manuals, sometimes to the point where Plotnik directly quoted them (for example, his quotes from Lynne Truss and Stephen King). I may be personally biased here as I find Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation and On Writing to be two of the most invaluable books in my reference library. In fact, I would suggest that instead of Plotnik's book, which quotes from these and then picks them apart, to just go straight to the source.
The final jarring note was that there were so many spelling errors in the book. 'Black Horse' instead of 'Black House', by Stephen King, or 'Annie E. Proulx' instead of 'E. Annie Proulx' (in fact, this appeared as 'Annie E. Proulx', 'Annie Proulx', and 'E. Annie Proulx' at different points in the text). I realise proofreaders can miss things at times, but Plotnik lists amongst his other works 'The Elements of Editing'. I don't think I'll read it if this finished product is anything to judge its advice by.
I was at a loss to find any new insights in this book. It seemed that the book rehashed advice I've read time and again in other style guides and how-to manuals, sometimes to the point where Plotnik directly quoted them (for example, his quotes from Lynne Truss and Stephen King). I may be personally biased here as I find Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation and On Writing to be two of the most invaluable books in my reference library. In fact, I would suggest that instead of Plotnik's book, which quotes from these and then picks them apart, to just go straight to the source.
The final jarring note was that there were so many spelling errors in the book. 'Black Horse' instead of 'Black House', by Stephen King, or 'Annie E. Proulx' instead of 'E. Annie Proulx' (in fact, this appeared as 'Annie E. Proulx', 'Annie Proulx', and 'E. Annie Proulx' at different points in the text). I realise proofreaders can miss things at times, but Plotnik lists amongst his other works 'The Elements of Editing'. I don't think I'll read it if this finished product is anything to judge its advice by.
August 3, 2011
Ironically, Plotnik warns writers about the danger of alienating their audience with niche references and bloated exaggerations, then proceeds to use a few himself. But otherwise, his writing is exemplary. And that's what his book is about, anyway. Being bold. Taking risks. Doing a cannonball into the stagnant pond of writing.
Spunk & Bite is an uplifting read for any aspiring or practicing writer. The book teaches that it's okay to break rules, even if it means a blemish on your record. The best writers have done it since Shakespeare, and their minor indiscretions were forgiven for the brilliance they produced.
Plotnik never lets his writing slow down; it never grows tiresome. Spunk & Bite may be what you need to get going again and be confident in your own style. Go buy it.
Spunk & Bite is an uplifting read for any aspiring or practicing writer. The book teaches that it's okay to break rules, even if it means a blemish on your record. The best writers have done it since Shakespeare, and their minor indiscretions were forgiven for the brilliance they produced.
Plotnik never lets his writing slow down; it never grows tiresome. Spunk & Bite may be what you need to get going again and be confident in your own style. Go buy it.
August 21, 2023
Plotnik attempts in this book to perform an antithesis of writing philosophies - his own vs that of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style (EoS). What he produced is a bloated version of exactly what Strunk and White so careful avoided.
Plotnik begins by deriding the rules of the EoS and making them out as boring, stuffy, and insulting to aspiring writers. But everything that follows are Plotnik’s own set of rules, at times niche, at times vague, and a few times broadly useful. He spends a chapter talking about how to describe colors, and another on hyphenation. He quotes and writes a bunch of examples to do so. Why? These rules and suggestions are of the same purpose as the EoS (if Plotnik insists on a different tone when suggesting them), but are so narrow in scope that they fail to seem worth the price of the book (and I bought mine used). The EoS is wise enough to only speak prescriptively on the broadest conceptions of what makes good, communicative writing; Plotnik is equally prescriptive, but thinks his tone and range of minutia will make his book more palatable to the rebellious, anti-Strunk writers.
The usefulness of this book rises with the breadth of his assertions’ application. His chapters on beginnings and endings are particularly good in this regard. But at other times he speaks so vaguely (as in his chapter on Feng Shui) that one wonders if the fire alarm in his office warned him of all the smoke he was blowing.
Maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh if Plotnik hadn’t framed his book as an antithesis to EoS. But he did. And he ended up accomplishing a worse, more scattered, self-aggrandized version of Strunk and White’s humble work. The EoS respected writers enough to speak strongly on the basics and leave the rest to the writer’s imagination and instinct. It may not have explicitly stated that a writer must move beyond the basics - but it didn’t need to. Plotnik says it over and over again, leaving this reader feeling insulted.
Plotnik begins by deriding the rules of the EoS and making them out as boring, stuffy, and insulting to aspiring writers. But everything that follows are Plotnik’s own set of rules, at times niche, at times vague, and a few times broadly useful. He spends a chapter talking about how to describe colors, and another on hyphenation. He quotes and writes a bunch of examples to do so. Why? These rules and suggestions are of the same purpose as the EoS (if Plotnik insists on a different tone when suggesting them), but are so narrow in scope that they fail to seem worth the price of the book (and I bought mine used). The EoS is wise enough to only speak prescriptively on the broadest conceptions of what makes good, communicative writing; Plotnik is equally prescriptive, but thinks his tone and range of minutia will make his book more palatable to the rebellious, anti-Strunk writers.
The usefulness of this book rises with the breadth of his assertions’ application. His chapters on beginnings and endings are particularly good in this regard. But at other times he speaks so vaguely (as in his chapter on Feng Shui) that one wonders if the fire alarm in his office warned him of all the smoke he was blowing.
Maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh if Plotnik hadn’t framed his book as an antithesis to EoS. But he did. And he ended up accomplishing a worse, more scattered, self-aggrandized version of Strunk and White’s humble work. The EoS respected writers enough to speak strongly on the basics and leave the rest to the writer’s imagination and instinct. It may not have explicitly stated that a writer must move beyond the basics - but it didn’t need to. Plotnik says it over and over again, leaving this reader feeling insulted.
November 17, 2015
Whenever younger writers ask me for the best books on the craft, I always recommend The Elements of Style. Yes, it's stodgy and impractical at times, but it gives new writers a great, rules-based foundation on which to build their careers. Arthur Plotnik's Spunk & Bite demolishes that building to construct something bigger and better.
I'm really not being hyperbolic. Spunk & Bite is a manual on rewriting the rules of sentence construction. Plotnik employs --- and, of course, breaks --- his own instructions in a way that seamlessly teaches by example. Each lesson is, in fact, an extended sample of writing under that particular guideline. Because the author practices what he preaches, without being preachy, simply reading the book is enough to deeply plant Plotnik's writing tips in the mind.
Spunk & Bite will be of particular help to those who write for disparate audiences. If you are reporting straight and dry news all day, the shift over to writing a whimsical fantasy novel may be more of a code-switch than you're prepared to deal with. However, Plotnik's how-to guide has such a broad application that it will improve almost any style or genre of the craft. It may not make the switch easier, per se, but when you're using the same set of guidelines for both your journalism and your fiction, the shift between the two is bound to be less jarring.
Unlike the venerable Strunk and White, Plotnik doesn't worry that making his lessons humorous will diminish his authority. He's a commanding writer, as Spunk & Bite evinces. Make this the second book on writing you ever read.
January 11, 2019
Certainly one of my top five favourite books for writers, along with Stephen King and Anne Lamott.
There's no one proper 'way to write' but if you're searching for a book about craft at the sentence level, this is the one for you.
There's no one proper 'way to write' but if you're searching for a book about craft at the sentence level, this is the one for you.
February 22, 2012
Spunk and Bite Review
*Spunk & Bite* is a rhythm and jazz resource of techniques and suggestions for bringing writing alive. So much of my daily articles consist of actionless verbs (have, to be, are, would have, should have), with little no surprises or engaging fun for the reader. While I may write straight forward and complex sentences, my syntax and paragraphs simply tie one thought to the next. My writing (like this review) is nice, but not memorable or engaging.
You might think in the first few chapters of his book that Plotnik is showing off with a bunch of had-to-look-them-up-in-the-dictonary words (though admittedly, reading the Kindle version of this book with the device's built-in dictionary will be useful to the average reader), that is not the case. Plotnik just happens to be an intelligent teacher of writing. *Spunk & Bite* would make a cut above perfect textbook for any advance writing class. For any writer has control of standard grammar and coherent writing might find this book a worthy next course for taking writing to its most engaging level.
Nearly each page contains examples of how to use what is called *locutions, locutions, locutions* (my first introduction to the word)— which means "to use a word, the turning of a phrase in some stylistic manner."
He explains how to use elements of surprise, diction, narratives tense, mouthwatering verbs, color, hot nouns from verbs, ephemeral imagery, stellar leads and stunning endings, and much more to add punch and juice to your writing.
If you've never used a thesaurus or specialized dictionary of words and lists, you'll see how and why as you read *Spunk*. Plotnik goes beyond the tired suggestion given to most writers: keep a thesaurus on your desk. No, he actually shows why and how word books can be useful.
I finished reading the book in about three days, and I suggest you might get more out of it if you give it a brisk first read and then come back to it again and again as a resource. Yes, I guess it could also sit right beside your copy of Strunk and White *Elements of Style*, if you you indeed even have read it in years.
I plan to work through the exercises at the end of the book just as way to review and practice the techniques he explains. For it is not just enough to read the book from cover-to-cover, but more importantly to practice what he preaches, argues, and demonstrates in each carefully crafted chapter.
Here's a break down of what he covers. The list comes from Plotnik's own website:
-- undoing an "E.B. Whitewash"
-- elements of surprise
-- describing the extraordinary
-- writing for Generations X, Y and beyond
-- stellar leads, stunning endings
-- choosing narrative tense
-- diction: be the word
-- freshening the vocabulary
-- words with beautiful music
-- coining great locutions
-- hot nouns from verbs
-- world-class words from abroad
-- mouthwatering verbs
-- better color for your colors
-- finding the names of things
-- intensifiers for feeble locutions
-- semicolons with confidence
-- niceties worth preserving
-- the feng shui of writing
-- "disinfecting" your prose
-- hunting down danglers
-- modifiers with minus effects
-- using ephemeral imagery
-- achieving "edge"
-- language and terrorism
-- whom we write for
*Spunk & Bite* is a rhythm and jazz resource of techniques and suggestions for bringing writing alive. So much of my daily articles consist of actionless verbs (have, to be, are, would have, should have), with little no surprises or engaging fun for the reader. While I may write straight forward and complex sentences, my syntax and paragraphs simply tie one thought to the next. My writing (like this review) is nice, but not memorable or engaging.
You might think in the first few chapters of his book that Plotnik is showing off with a bunch of had-to-look-them-up-in-the-dictonary words (though admittedly, reading the Kindle version of this book with the device's built-in dictionary will be useful to the average reader), that is not the case. Plotnik just happens to be an intelligent teacher of writing. *Spunk & Bite* would make a cut above perfect textbook for any advance writing class. For any writer has control of standard grammar and coherent writing might find this book a worthy next course for taking writing to its most engaging level.
Nearly each page contains examples of how to use what is called *locutions, locutions, locutions* (my first introduction to the word)— which means "to use a word, the turning of a phrase in some stylistic manner."
He explains how to use elements of surprise, diction, narratives tense, mouthwatering verbs, color, hot nouns from verbs, ephemeral imagery, stellar leads and stunning endings, and much more to add punch and juice to your writing.
If you've never used a thesaurus or specialized dictionary of words and lists, you'll see how and why as you read *Spunk*. Plotnik goes beyond the tired suggestion given to most writers: keep a thesaurus on your desk. No, he actually shows why and how word books can be useful.
I finished reading the book in about three days, and I suggest you might get more out of it if you give it a brisk first read and then come back to it again and again as a resource. Yes, I guess it could also sit right beside your copy of Strunk and White *Elements of Style*, if you you indeed even have read it in years.
I plan to work through the exercises at the end of the book just as way to review and practice the techniques he explains. For it is not just enough to read the book from cover-to-cover, but more importantly to practice what he preaches, argues, and demonstrates in each carefully crafted chapter.
Here's a break down of what he covers. The list comes from Plotnik's own website:
-- undoing an "E.B. Whitewash"
-- elements of surprise
-- describing the extraordinary
-- writing for Generations X, Y and beyond
-- stellar leads, stunning endings
-- choosing narrative tense
-- diction: be the word
-- freshening the vocabulary
-- words with beautiful music
-- coining great locutions
-- hot nouns from verbs
-- world-class words from abroad
-- mouthwatering verbs
-- better color for your colors
-- finding the names of things
-- intensifiers for feeble locutions
-- semicolons with confidence
-- niceties worth preserving
-- the feng shui of writing
-- "disinfecting" your prose
-- hunting down danglers
-- modifiers with minus effects
-- using ephemeral imagery
-- achieving "edge"
-- language and terrorism
-- whom we write for
April 4, 2017
I'm in love with Arthur Plotnik's brain.
October 20, 2019
This is one I think every writer should read. It's an easy read. Fun. I really liked that the author never says "never do this" or "only do that" when writing. Rather, he presents reasonable arguments / practical advice that really makes sense, to me anyway.
June 16, 2020
I really wanted to like this cheery, bright yellow book. Its subtitle is “A writer’s guide to bold, contemporary style.” But it turned out to be a cute girl who Wouldn’t. Stop. Talking.
Example:
Woggle, fluggle, blonch…what?!
Weedy words and a fireworks style obscured Plotnik’s points. First, a writer communicates. If that goal is foiled by literary flourish, the words are for naught.
Wilted, my hopes will transfer to my next book.
Stopped reading for overly profuse, hard to inhale writing.
Now reading a few of the 5-star reviews...what did I miss? Didn't read Stephen King's On Writing or Eats Shoots and Leaves, but liked On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, and Writing Without Bullshit: Boost Your Career by Saying What You Mean.
Example:
“As every writer comes to learn, producing a crop after crop of oeuvres exhausts the loam of expression. Words become sapped by overuse. Sentences, descriptive passages, and lines of poetry go limp. Creative roots cry for infusion.”
-from Chapter 4 Writers’ Words, Drop by Dottle
Woggle, fluggle, blonch…what?!
Weedy words and a fireworks style obscured Plotnik’s points. First, a writer communicates. If that goal is foiled by literary flourish, the words are for naught.
Wilted, my hopes will transfer to my next book.
Stopped reading for overly profuse, hard to inhale writing.
Now reading a few of the 5-star reviews...what did I miss? Didn't read Stephen King's On Writing or Eats Shoots and Leaves, but liked On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, and Writing Without Bullshit: Boost Your Career by Saying What You Mean.
June 30, 2018
Hey you, yeah, you with the face. Are you interested in making your writing snappier? Well, this book might be able to help you out. Taking an obvious reference to the perennial classic Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, Spunk and Bite by Arthur Plotnik attempts to impart the wisdom of a well-turned phrase without making your writing appear stuffy or strained. As with most language, a great deal of how we talk and by extension, how we write depends on current cultural norms.
Since it takes an obvious reference to Strunk and White, we may say that this is an updated version of Elements of Style without actually having the Strunk and White name. It covers all of the parts of grammar and rhetoric you might need; from how to describe colors all the way to the use of a semicolon. This handy guide is only slightly dated but that is only due to some of the references it makes.
Since it takes an obvious reference to Strunk and White, we may say that this is an updated version of Elements of Style without actually having the Strunk and White name. It covers all of the parts of grammar and rhetoric you might need; from how to describe colors all the way to the use of a semicolon. This handy guide is only slightly dated but that is only due to some of the references it makes.
June 19, 2009
"Some developing writers feel uncomfortable showing their edgiest sides to the world. It may seem like self-exposure, even exhibitionism; to the extent that artists cannot separate themselves from their creations, it is in fact a little of both. But one can distance the artist-self from the non-artist self, letting the one burst out in its most unpredictable nakedness, while the other goes quietly about its business. Call it the courage to write, or a functionally split personality, but this is a mind-set that writers usually develop as they write and publish--discovering that the private person remains intact. It is the mind-set that enables actors to play horrific characters, or comedians to turn themselves inside out before a live audience and be whole again in the morning."
Arthur Plotnik
Arthur Plotnik
August 23, 2008
While the title implies the text is a parody of the classic text, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, it is actually a style manual unto itself. Plotnik discusses, in encyclopedic form, ways of approaching writing, engaging, readers, and who to look to as modern examples. He discusses; tense, diction, dialogue, foreign language use, idioms, and many others testy writing issues. The writing is sharp and edgy, filled with relevant and modern examples. E. B. White would be proud. This is a text that will live on my bookshelf along side my battered Strunk and White, and the MLA Handbook.
June 20, 2008
I picked this up for the title, which I love, having studiously avoided Strunck and White.
This one is entertaining, which is surprising for a 'writer's guide'. But Plotnik practices what he preaches, and there are some fun turns of phrase.
I find myself waxing uber-prosaic after reading a chapter of this book, and I'm studiously avoiding peppering my emails with over-extended metaphors no one wants to hear.
Especially if you're writing a book, this is a good one to read.
This one is entertaining, which is surprising for a 'writer's guide'. But Plotnik practices what he preaches, and there are some fun turns of phrase.
I find myself waxing uber-prosaic after reading a chapter of this book, and I'm studiously avoiding peppering my emails with over-extended metaphors no one wants to hear.
Especially if you're writing a book, this is a good one to read.
July 11, 2018
A solid book on grammar and writing and MUCH more engaging than the dry original by Strunk and White. While I did get the sense the that author found himself very witty, and humourous (most of that fell flat for me or really dragged on the pace of the message), there were still some helpful tips, thoughts and suggestions in the book to warrant a read. I like that the author takes the foundation set by such books as Strunk and White's Elements of Style, and gives it a through examination, with the message 'language evolves' threading through every lesson. And while thicker than Strunk and White, it is somehow less intimidating...
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April 8, 2024Really enjoyed the first third of this.
May 20, 2018
If you haven't read this book; it's okay.
If you have read it; can you explain to me what I was supposed to gain from the chapter on Feng shui? Was his advice on applying Feng shui to writing meant to be literal, figurative, sarcastic? Did it strike anyone else as baffling?
If you have read it; can you explain to me what I was supposed to gain from the chapter on Feng shui? Was his advice on applying Feng shui to writing meant to be literal, figurative, sarcastic? Did it strike anyone else as baffling?
February 17, 2017
Every time I review a book on writing, I feel like I'm taking a test. But that should not be taken as a slam on this book. This book is a delightful read, not a dry lecture.
Plotnik makes (at times) some disparaging comments about some of the most popular writing guides (most obviously, Strunk & White), but he's not suggesting that you must skip them to be a good writer. He's just saying that they (almost) all come with asterisks. Most readers can tell the difference between a writer who is deliberately "breaking" the rules and one who would say, "What rules?" So mark-up those writing handbooks. Compile your list of rules. But remember that they are like strings on a harp. The goal is not to avoid breaking them. The goal is to play them.
There were a couple of odd chapters in the book. I just thought they were out place, like a flushing toilet in the living room. Or maybe out of touch, like scheduling Kanye for my grandpa's birthday party. I don't know. You should read the book. Maybe you'll disagree.
There are many treasures to mine from this one. I will need to make several trips. And I certainly hope I marked all the right stuff, because the teacher is coming back now, and I really can't afford to fail this test.
Plotnik makes (at times) some disparaging comments about some of the most popular writing guides (most obviously, Strunk & White), but he's not suggesting that you must skip them to be a good writer. He's just saying that they (almost) all come with asterisks. Most readers can tell the difference between a writer who is deliberately "breaking" the rules and one who would say, "What rules?" So mark-up those writing handbooks. Compile your list of rules. But remember that they are like strings on a harp. The goal is not to avoid breaking them. The goal is to play them.
There were a couple of odd chapters in the book. I just thought they were out place, like a flushing toilet in the living room. Or maybe out of touch, like scheduling Kanye for my grandpa's birthday party. I don't know. You should read the book. Maybe you'll disagree.
There are many treasures to mine from this one. I will need to make several trips. And I certainly hope I marked all the right stuff, because the teacher is coming back now, and I really can't afford to fail this test.
June 14, 2015
This how-to guide for the wannabe creative writer lives up to its name. Not only does the text have spunk and bite, it's brimming with advice on exactly how to add spark to your writing. From practical information such as a list of vocabulary building websites to a discussion on the trend of omitting quotation marks, Plotnik covers a lot of ground. He also delves into innovative techniques like creating new words (often based on combinations of existing terms).
I checked it out from the library, but I plan to buy a copy in the not-too-distant future.
I checked it out from the library, but I plan to buy a copy in the not-too-distant future.
December 9, 2017
Having received a healthy diet of Strunk & White in school, I picked up this book for the witty title alone. Though replete with examples from well-known authors, it's Plotnik's own punchy style that lends authority to each of his points. Now twelve years since publication, his guide to contemporaneity and use of pop culture references seems even more relevant.
My copy is now well-marked with a Ticonderoga #2, as most of the suggestions are practical for writing of any form. I'm hopeful it has a decent shelf life as a useful reference now and again.
My copy is now well-marked with a Ticonderoga #2, as most of the suggestions are practical for writing of any form. I'm hopeful it has a decent shelf life as a useful reference now and again.
November 25, 2022
I found this book by accident at a used bookstore, and I am so grateful for it!
This is a resource for writers that is chock full of helpful suggestions. More importantly, it is full of alternative views to the typical writing rules, which are presented with serious doses of humor.
Even though it is quite dated in some respects (it was published in the early 2000s) most of the rules are timeless. I highly recommend this book as a resource for any type of writer. Buy your own copy, make notes in it as you read, and refer to it often.
This is a resource for writers that is chock full of helpful suggestions. More importantly, it is full of alternative views to the typical writing rules, which are presented with serious doses of humor.
Even though it is quite dated in some respects (it was published in the early 2000s) most of the rules are timeless. I highly recommend this book as a resource for any type of writer. Buy your own copy, make notes in it as you read, and refer to it often.
February 19, 2010
The book is a breeze. Skimmed some stuff; skipped a few redundant paragraphs. It's a perfect before-bed-so-conked-out-I-can't-read-a-novel book, especially if you're working on editing your own novel. It reinforces what you probably already know in a straightforward and often funny manner. And best of all, he uses examples from some of my favorite spunky writers: Gary Shteyngart, Zadie Smith, Maureen Dowd, etc. Think of it as a Strunk and White rape-shower.
June 8, 2010
This book makes a nice companion the Strunk & White (AKA The Elements of Style). Where Strunk and White gives you the rules of grammar and usage, Spunk & Bite teaches you how to creatively break the rules. I'd recommend this book to any writer looking to add interest to their locution. As the book says, it is all about "locution, locution, locution". I found the chapter on writing for Gen-Y a little less than useful, but otherwise, the book was pretty useful.
October 2, 2010
For me nothing was very memorable about this book. I wouldn't say it was useless, maybe something seeped into my subconscious, books have a way of doing that, but I much prefer Bird by Bird! if you're looking for direction in your writing!
Currently reading
March 17, 2009So far, so good. The homework is actually FUN.
June 15, 2009
A must-read for anyone who wants to be "the Mozart of sentence structure, impishly celebrating one triumph after another."
December 8, 2016
The writing in this book is so good, it's inspirational. I got some good ideas from it, but not enough to get it to four stars.
October 20, 2017
The author had me after the first three pages where he discusses his thoughts on Strunk & White (which explains the rather smart and catchy title of this book). A must-read for all types of writers.
December 13, 2017
For best results, read more than once.
August 5, 2017
Who knew a grammar and style guide would be just the thing I’d reach for before bed or while eating lunch. I even brought this book to a nightclub (though that was unintentional).
“Spunk & Bite” is bright, funny, and eye-opening. Plotnik breathes life into tired topics, writing of writing in a way that’s interesting, helpful, and fun. His voice is great company, like what he identifies as essential in good nonfiction writing: readers should want to hang out with the author; appealing voice is key.
I would love to hang out with this guy, maybe get a coffee and talk about Latin-derived animal adjectives. His humor and super-nerdy coolness remind me of my favorite linguistics professor.
Plotnik’s approach is rarely black-and-white. Sometimes one needs to break the rules, sometimes it really works, better than all the Strunk-and-White-approved advice in the world. Who cares if the prescriptivists approve? There is rhythm and voice and, well, spunk and bite, to consider. Plotnik makes sense of these occurrences: when, where, and how does breaking the rules work? He fills the book with excerpts from the works of prominent authors, and, exciting for me, he doesn’t necessarily laud these examples. He shows readers how even wildly successful and acclaimed writers strike out sometimes. For practice, there are side bars with titles like: “You be the Editor: Good Writers, Flawed Sentences.”
I learned so much from this and am now conscious of some bad habits I’m going to work on breaking. The discussion of subjects like Germanisms (hyper-hyphenation), neologisms, and enallage helped me apply logic to devices I already employ in my writing but have never examined from a structural perspective.
To give a specific example of his advice, here is Plotnik’s take on the fragment:
“You will fire off the occasional sentence fragment. You will do so because: fragments are a natural and common form of speech, whether in narration or dialogue; they mimic thought snippets; they dispense with obvious or repetitious verbiage, such as ‘there is’; they provide refreshing variations of rhythm and tone within paragraphs; and they help writers create special moods, from dreamy to manic” (155-156).
Thank you. Understanding the potential for fragment usage as a lowly high school sophomore, I remember being mocked for including fragments in my writing. A passionate reader, I knew that fragments could work. I guess my teacher didn’t think they should be allowed, though, for humble novices such as myself. Leave the art to Shakespeare or Stephen King.
Plotnik (and myself) would disagree. We learn by emulating, not by stamping out budding creativity. It is a relief to finally read a style guide in which the author recognizes the need for this kind of rule breaking. We all know it’s true, that real authors do it, so relative beginners like myself should practice it too. Finally some permission, an avowal that weird stuff can work. We don’t all write with the clipped tones of Didion or Hemingway. While the rules in “Strunk & Bite” avoid excessive black and white, they help provide a framework to experiment within.
Plotnik covers writing topics as specific as color (how to better communicate the way things look? Stop saying “lobster red”) and as practical as how to improve your vocabulary. There are a few topics he missed–say, writing love/sex scenes, but overall the book is quite comprehensive.
A bonus: the killer reading list you can make based on Plotnik’s recommendations.
“Spunk & Bite” is bright, funny, and eye-opening. Plotnik breathes life into tired topics, writing of writing in a way that’s interesting, helpful, and fun. His voice is great company, like what he identifies as essential in good nonfiction writing: readers should want to hang out with the author; appealing voice is key.
I would love to hang out with this guy, maybe get a coffee and talk about Latin-derived animal adjectives. His humor and super-nerdy coolness remind me of my favorite linguistics professor.
Plotnik’s approach is rarely black-and-white. Sometimes one needs to break the rules, sometimes it really works, better than all the Strunk-and-White-approved advice in the world. Who cares if the prescriptivists approve? There is rhythm and voice and, well, spunk and bite, to consider. Plotnik makes sense of these occurrences: when, where, and how does breaking the rules work? He fills the book with excerpts from the works of prominent authors, and, exciting for me, he doesn’t necessarily laud these examples. He shows readers how even wildly successful and acclaimed writers strike out sometimes. For practice, there are side bars with titles like: “You be the Editor: Good Writers, Flawed Sentences.”
I learned so much from this and am now conscious of some bad habits I’m going to work on breaking. The discussion of subjects like Germanisms (hyper-hyphenation), neologisms, and enallage helped me apply logic to devices I already employ in my writing but have never examined from a structural perspective.
To give a specific example of his advice, here is Plotnik’s take on the fragment:
“You will fire off the occasional sentence fragment. You will do so because: fragments are a natural and common form of speech, whether in narration or dialogue; they mimic thought snippets; they dispense with obvious or repetitious verbiage, such as ‘there is’; they provide refreshing variations of rhythm and tone within paragraphs; and they help writers create special moods, from dreamy to manic” (155-156).
Thank you. Understanding the potential for fragment usage as a lowly high school sophomore, I remember being mocked for including fragments in my writing. A passionate reader, I knew that fragments could work. I guess my teacher didn’t think they should be allowed, though, for humble novices such as myself. Leave the art to Shakespeare or Stephen King.
Plotnik (and myself) would disagree. We learn by emulating, not by stamping out budding creativity. It is a relief to finally read a style guide in which the author recognizes the need for this kind of rule breaking. We all know it’s true, that real authors do it, so relative beginners like myself should practice it too. Finally some permission, an avowal that weird stuff can work. We don’t all write with the clipped tones of Didion or Hemingway. While the rules in “Strunk & Bite” avoid excessive black and white, they help provide a framework to experiment within.
Plotnik covers writing topics as specific as color (how to better communicate the way things look? Stop saying “lobster red”) and as practical as how to improve your vocabulary. There are a few topics he missed–say, writing love/sex scenes, but overall the book is quite comprehensive.
A bonus: the killer reading list you can make based on Plotnik’s recommendations.
May 8, 2019
This book is an audacious attempt to go beyond the fundamentals of writing into the realm of style, wit, and compelling prose — something they have a hard time teaching in school. The book's name is a play on the legendary writer's guide "The Elements of Style," often called by the name of its authors Strunk and White. Spunk and Bite is a follow-up of sorts, but is it up to the challenge?
In fact, it is. Well, sometimes. Spunk & Bite 's talented author Arthur Plotnik half plays the part of inspirational go-getter and half plays the part of tactical manual. There are times when these overlap, and at those times the book reveals particularly inspirational bits of advice. At other times, the book serves as little more than a reference or a list of resources.
Spunk 's wisdom comes in the form of eight sections. Their names are telling and should give you a good idea of what you're in for: Flexibility, Freshness, Texture, Word, Force, Form, Clarity, and Contemporaneity. Each section holds valuable nuggets to be mulled over. Ultimately, the real value is in realizing that not all writers are naturally gifted with a pen that bites the page or a spirit oozing with spunk. For those of us, most of us, who fall into this category, it's necessary to review our words and revise them with spunkier substitutes.
A refreshingly orignal work on the craft of writing.
In fact, it is. Well, sometimes. Spunk & Bite 's talented author Arthur Plotnik half plays the part of inspirational go-getter and half plays the part of tactical manual. There are times when these overlap, and at those times the book reveals particularly inspirational bits of advice. At other times, the book serves as little more than a reference or a list of resources.
Spunk 's wisdom comes in the form of eight sections. Their names are telling and should give you a good idea of what you're in for: Flexibility, Freshness, Texture, Word, Force, Form, Clarity, and Contemporaneity. Each section holds valuable nuggets to be mulled over. Ultimately, the real value is in realizing that not all writers are naturally gifted with a pen that bites the page or a spirit oozing with spunk. For those of us, most of us, who fall into this category, it's necessary to review our words and revise them with spunkier substitutes.
A refreshingly orignal work on the craft of writing.
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