Why We Write: Craft Essays on Writing War

by Randy Brown (Editor), Steve Leonard (Editor), Eric Chandler (Contributor)

For military service members, veterans, and families— and all those who write about them! Tap into PUBLISHING INSPIRATIONS , WRITING MARKETS , and CREATIVE TECHNIQUES with advice from MORE THAN 60 BEST-SELLING , ESTABLISHED , and EMERGING AUTHORS of military, national security, and war topics! Whether you're writing military-themed genre fiction or literary non-fiction , strategy or policy analysis , history or journalism , or even modern war poetry , Why We Craft Essays on Writing War puts an arsenal of innovation and expertise at your fingertips! Choose your Podcasts! Memoirs! Novels! Book reviews! Short stories! Op-Ed essays! And more! Entertaining, informal, and accessible, this first-ever Military Writers Guild-sponsored anthology is ideal
Contributors include such leading authors

Genres: Military Fiction

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2019

About the author

Freelance writer and citizen-soldier by day, and secret (writing as "Charlie Sherpa") blogger by night, Randy Brown was preparing in 2010 to deploy as the sole "knowledge manager" for an Iowa National Guard unit of 3,000 soldiers. ("Historian, librarian, lessons-learned reporter—it was sexier to say my job was 'Brigade Staff Jester,'" he jokes.) After a paperwork snafu dropped him off the list, he retired with 20 years of military service and a previous overseas deployment. He then went to Afghanistan anyway, embedding with his former colleagues as a civilian journalist.

Brown's often-humorous military-themed poetry and non-fiction have appeared widely in literary journals and anthologies. He was the 2015 winner of the inaugural Madigan Award for humorous military-themed writing, presented by Negative Capability Press, Mobile, Ala.

Brown was the 2012 winner of the Military Reporters and Editors' (M.R.E.) independent-blogging category, and a past finalist in the Milblogging.com awards' reporter (2011) and veteran (2012) categories.

He is the current poetry editor of Military Experience & the Arts’ literary journal As You Were.

Reviews

[Thor Toms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read in a long while. Each author gives a personal reason for their writing, some are inspiring some are very normal, all are worth reading. Awesome book.

[Brian Thorson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this was not a book to read cover to cover. I used to pick up tips here and there when I needed to write. Mostly, I used it as encouragement to write (still working on that). Useful read if you want a scattershot approach to motivation and random tips.

[Bryan J. Pitchford, MFA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following in the long tradition of the theme, "Why I Write" George Orwell began with his famous essay. Joan Didion followed with her own essay. Terry Tempest Williams followed with her own. And on and on.
I was excited when this beautiful book came out. Veterans past and present from militaries across the world contribute with their own stories of why they write. There are policy makers, novelists, playwrights, poets, essayists, and more all included in this collection.
At 225 pages of 61 personal accounts, it is the perfect size for casual reading. Senior military leaders expect more from Soldiers in this Profession of Arms. We are expect to have up-to-date awareness of current events, be widely read into military history, and contribute to the larger conversation through our own writing. This book should be on military leaders' professional reading lists as well as required reading in professional military education courses.

[Spencer Willardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anthology does what it sets out to do - present a diverse range of authors who give their reasons, or their techniques for writing about the military. This book has a lot of good advice and inspiration for those that are interested in writing their experiences. The short format of the essays is both a plus and a minus. It forced writers to keep their thoughts short and makes reading one or two in snatches as you can easy. There were essays that I wish were a bit longer, however. I guess all good writing should leave you waiting for more.

[Rachel Brune · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most fun things about this anthology is that the individual essays are in turns funny, enlightening, and inspiring so that by the end of reading my way through, I had jotted down two to three future blog posts’ worth of notes. A terrific mix of authors from a variety of backgrounds, this book deserves a prominent place on a military professionals bookshelf (especially a military professional debating whether or not to get into writing.)

[Aramis · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLUF: If you’re a fellow war writer like me, I highly recommend this book.

This collection offers bite sized chunks of essays from a wide range of authors in modern war literature. I liked the discussions of the craft of writing, but the real pleasure was learning how my favorite contemporary authors such as Phil Klay, David Abrams, Thomas E. Ricks, and Max Brooks started writing. Bonus for me, I discovered new war writers and added them to my read pile!

[R Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read on why military writers chose to share there experiences and gift for us. Honest and speaks to those that want to listen.

[Strick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring