The Writer's Idea Workshop: How to Make Your Good Ideas Great

by Jack Heffron

Book by Heffron, Jack

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

228 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2003

Reviews

[Mary Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at just the right point in my writing career. I've finished self-publishing a book, have several ideas I want to develop, but am out of the habit of writing. This only applies to my fiction. I don't ever seem to have trouble writing nonfiction. The Writer's Idea Workshop helps writers to work through stalled work, no matter where in a piece you are stalled. It has general ideas for writer's block, but it goes further than that, assisting writers in getting needed distance, injecting new ideas, and rekindling enthusiasm for a work in progress.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that any writer (especially novices) will refer to often--so much helpful information, and a wide variety of prompts that will lead a blocked or bored writer to regain some momentum on a stalled piece. One note of advice: Prompts abound; about 300 of them (perhaps, for ADD types like me, you may be tempted to try each one--I would have preferred just a few prompts were put up front in each chapter, with the remainder placed further back in the chapter or book). But all in all, if you can just try a prompt or two in whatever chapters best apply to your needs, you'll likely accelerate your progress.

[Amy Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite book in my library. I've used this several times to "explode" my initial ideas or works-in-progress. Aside from getting you excited to write, it has all kinds of prompts and exercises to explore, develop, and revive whatever you're working on. When I feel a piece going stale, I pull this off my shelf.

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK, I guess - it seems to be mostly concerned with how to develop ideas when you're completely stuck with them and don't know where to go next. Which I suppose is fair enough - if you're not stuck, why are you reading books about writing?

[Anne Marshall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skipped through most of it.

[Chris Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, it goes on my to buy list, I will be using it for a long time