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Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling
In the words of novelist Harlan Ellison, “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer."
New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer.
Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:
What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work—and avoid wasting valuable time
Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level
Staying disciplined when writing is your day job
Why writers should never wait for inspiration
Story-planning strategies that don’t kill your spontaneity
Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building
How to get an agent and survive the writer’s journey in more personal relationships
Revising and editing with precision
When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski’s unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it’s polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.
New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer.
Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:
What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work—and avoid wasting valuable time
Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level
Staying disciplined when writing is your day job
Why writers should never wait for inspiration
Story-planning strategies that don’t kill your spontaneity
Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building
How to get an agent and survive the writer’s journey in more personal relationships
Revising and editing with precision
When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski’s unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it’s polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.
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First published January 1, 2021
108 people are currently reading
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About the author
J. Michael Straczynski
1,227 books1,277 followersJoseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 14, 2022
So, the hard truth first: after reading the book, I realized I wasn’t a writer, not even an amateur or an aspiring one. The writer is somebody who writes; that’s the whole point. If you can live without writing, you are not a writer. I fell into the same trap as many people before me: I think about writing more than I actually write.
Starting from J. Michael Straczynski's book ‘Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling,’ I decided to distract myself from writing by reading about writing.
The book itself is more of a general summary of the author’s experience, eligible, unfortunately, mainly for the US audience. It was a great read, anyway, for an unemployed Russian-speaking housewife from Estonia like myself. Our universities and colleges do not have courses on writing because the market has a limited capacity of 1.3 million people, of which only 30% would buy books in Russian. Thus, the tips and tricks from the book can’t be applied to my reality, though I do not doubt that these are useful in other countries.
J. Michael Straczynski is a veteran of the industry. Comics, TV/film scripts, playwrights, radio broadcasts, and books on writing are among his activities – he surely knows the ways. Without giving away much information, I’d highlight one principle for each half of the book: to become a writer, one has to write faster than a speeding bullet; to stay a writer, one must constantly evolve and learn.
Unfinished projects mean you are not a writer.
Sticking to the comfort zone shortens your life span as a successful writer to ten years.
If you are an introvert or an ambitious actor, or both, it doesn’t automatically indicate that you have writing talent.
Don’t even assume that a writing profession is easy and, once on track, it will provide a livelihood without much effort.
The outstanding chapter that moved me at the emotional level talks not to writers, future, present or former, but the Person behind a writer’s back. With kindness and care, the author speaks about difficulties being in a constant shift between I-am-a-genius and I-am-nothing positions as most writers do. The Person behind a writer’s back has a nerves-consuming task of encouraging and occasionally admonishing to have a sleep and dinner. The chapter is a heartwarming reminder that the profession, especially in the unpredictable artistic field, impacts all family members, and their support is vital for survival.
Needless to say, I’d recommend the book to writers of all genres and ages. If you are planning a career in Hollywood, the book would be twice helpful in your pursuit of the dream.
Starting from J. Michael Straczynski's book ‘Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling,’ I decided to distract myself from writing by reading about writing.
The book itself is more of a general summary of the author’s experience, eligible, unfortunately, mainly for the US audience. It was a great read, anyway, for an unemployed Russian-speaking housewife from Estonia like myself. Our universities and colleges do not have courses on writing because the market has a limited capacity of 1.3 million people, of which only 30% would buy books in Russian. Thus, the tips and tricks from the book can’t be applied to my reality, though I do not doubt that these are useful in other countries.
J. Michael Straczynski is a veteran of the industry. Comics, TV/film scripts, playwrights, radio broadcasts, and books on writing are among his activities – he surely knows the ways. Without giving away much information, I’d highlight one principle for each half of the book: to become a writer, one has to write faster than a speeding bullet; to stay a writer, one must constantly evolve and learn.
Unfinished projects mean you are not a writer.
Sticking to the comfort zone shortens your life span as a successful writer to ten years.
If you are an introvert or an ambitious actor, or both, it doesn’t automatically indicate that you have writing talent.
Don’t even assume that a writing profession is easy and, once on track, it will provide a livelihood without much effort.
The outstanding chapter that moved me at the emotional level talks not to writers, future, present or former, but the Person behind a writer’s back. With kindness and care, the author speaks about difficulties being in a constant shift between I-am-a-genius and I-am-nothing positions as most writers do. The Person behind a writer’s back has a nerves-consuming task of encouraging and occasionally admonishing to have a sleep and dinner. The chapter is a heartwarming reminder that the profession, especially in the unpredictable artistic field, impacts all family members, and their support is vital for survival.
Needless to say, I’d recommend the book to writers of all genres and ages. If you are planning a career in Hollywood, the book would be twice helpful in your pursuit of the dream.
July 12, 2021
A friendly and accessible book which avoids the overdone genre of how-to-write and instead explores actually being a writer.
I have been writing for a long time and, like most writers, I have a collection of favorite books on writing. These days, I feel a bit more jaded about the dozens of how-to books that seem to come up every year, full of rules and regulations and attempting to box the creative art of "writing" into a set of routines as if it were a formula for creating publishable words. I was concerned that J. Michael Straczynski's new book, __Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer__ might be more of the same. However, the Ellison quote in reference to the title dragged me in: "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer."
The promise that the second half of the book would be useful for established writers was enough for me to give the book a chance. Straczynsky is famous as both a television and feature film screenwriter, most notably (to me) for Babylon5. This clear success as a working author with a wide range of projects (and awards) ranging from screenplays to comics to games, made me hopeful that Straczynsky would offer practical advice rather than a to-do list. I requested, and received, an advance review copy through Netgalley.
I was not disappointed. __Becoming a Writer__ feels less like a lecture in Writing 101 and more like sitting with a successful friend who was happy to chat with me about his experiences and the lessons he learned along the way. He talks with affection about the golden age of SciFi but also with excitement and approval of the modern diversity appearing in the best science fiction, appreciative of both the classics and the new authors breaking boundaries. His style is conversational and fast-paced, making it easy to skim the chapters that seem less relevant while still picking up the gems interspersed throughout the book. His advice is never is patronising but given in the context of his own writing in the hopes that it might be useful:
"__You know, I used to think that writing science fiction was all about writing familiar characters in unfamiliar settings. It took me twenty years to realize I was wrong. It’s about familiar relationships in unfamiliar settings.__"
I have never written a screenplay and I'm unlikely to ever be tempted by such a thing, but Straczynski's advice is not about technique or Save-the-Cat style rules but much more timeless than that. Although I only expected to be interested in the second half of the book, I found plenty to occupy my mind in the first half as well. Straczynski rarely gets into the nuts and bolts of writing and is more focused on how to establish yourself as a strong writer and a person that is good to work with. His experience as a producer and as a direction gives a different angle which can be immensely useful. But more importantly, I enjoyed the silly anecdotes and interesting behind-the-scenes details that appeared alongside writing advice that was useful and interesting. When I finished, I was almost sorry: I felt for a short time as if Straczynsky was my friend and mentor. If you are looking for nuts and bolts of writing, then this is probably not the book you need. If you aren't writing yet, then I suspect the book will be of limited value. However, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is producing written work and understands there is no magic word that will suddenly turn you into an author.
I have been writing for a long time and, like most writers, I have a collection of favorite books on writing. These days, I feel a bit more jaded about the dozens of how-to books that seem to come up every year, full of rules and regulations and attempting to box the creative art of "writing" into a set of routines as if it were a formula for creating publishable words. I was concerned that J. Michael Straczynski's new book, __Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer__ might be more of the same. However, the Ellison quote in reference to the title dragged me in: "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer."
The promise that the second half of the book would be useful for established writers was enough for me to give the book a chance. Straczynsky is famous as both a television and feature film screenwriter, most notably (to me) for Babylon5. This clear success as a working author with a wide range of projects (and awards) ranging from screenplays to comics to games, made me hopeful that Straczynsky would offer practical advice rather than a to-do list. I requested, and received, an advance review copy through Netgalley.
I was not disappointed. __Becoming a Writer__ feels less like a lecture in Writing 101 and more like sitting with a successful friend who was happy to chat with me about his experiences and the lessons he learned along the way. He talks with affection about the golden age of SciFi but also with excitement and approval of the modern diversity appearing in the best science fiction, appreciative of both the classics and the new authors breaking boundaries. His style is conversational and fast-paced, making it easy to skim the chapters that seem less relevant while still picking up the gems interspersed throughout the book. His advice is never is patronising but given in the context of his own writing in the hopes that it might be useful:
"__You know, I used to think that writing science fiction was all about writing familiar characters in unfamiliar settings. It took me twenty years to realize I was wrong. It’s about familiar relationships in unfamiliar settings.__"
I have never written a screenplay and I'm unlikely to ever be tempted by such a thing, but Straczynski's advice is not about technique or Save-the-Cat style rules but much more timeless than that. Although I only expected to be interested in the second half of the book, I found plenty to occupy my mind in the first half as well. Straczynski rarely gets into the nuts and bolts of writing and is more focused on how to establish yourself as a strong writer and a person that is good to work with. His experience as a producer and as a direction gives a different angle which can be immensely useful. But more importantly, I enjoyed the silly anecdotes and interesting behind-the-scenes details that appeared alongside writing advice that was useful and interesting. When I finished, I was almost sorry: I felt for a short time as if Straczynsky was my friend and mentor. If you are looking for nuts and bolts of writing, then this is probably not the book you need. If you aren't writing yet, then I suspect the book will be of limited value. However, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is producing written work and understands there is no magic word that will suddenly turn you into an author.
June 8, 2021
I was provided an early copy from the publisher via Netgalley. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.
J. Michael Straczynski would be one of my writing heroes even if all he'd ever done was to write 92 of the 110 episodes of the excellent Babylon 5. But he's done so many other great projects, too. So I was thrilled when I saw that he'd written a book on writing--but not just becoming a writer but also staying a writer. It's right there in the title. What that means is that after spending the first part of the book giving you no-BS advice about the process from his years of experience, he gives you advice for how to stay a writer after you've made it. (And he believes you'll make it.) This includes his three-legged stool philosophy, where he feels you should have three different writing revenue streams (say, comics, TV, and short stories), so that if one of them falls away, you've still got things to keep you afloat. I'm not sure that works, since a three-legged stool that's missing a leg just falls over. But whatever. This book is gold.
I have a To Read pile a mile high, and I fully intended to just read a few pages of this, and then set this aside for one of the other books. The next thing I knew I was 10% in, and aware that I was just going to finish this. It was like drinking from a fire hose. As soon as I finished, I was ready to immediately start again at page 1, this time with an eye toward capturing the specific nuggets of wisdom found throughout. This is excellent advice, even if you're not a genre writer. Highly recommended.
J. Michael Straczynski would be one of my writing heroes even if all he'd ever done was to write 92 of the 110 episodes of the excellent Babylon 5. But he's done so many other great projects, too. So I was thrilled when I saw that he'd written a book on writing--but not just becoming a writer but also staying a writer. It's right there in the title. What that means is that after spending the first part of the book giving you no-BS advice about the process from his years of experience, he gives you advice for how to stay a writer after you've made it. (And he believes you'll make it.) This includes his three-legged stool philosophy, where he feels you should have three different writing revenue streams (say, comics, TV, and short stories), so that if one of them falls away, you've still got things to keep you afloat. I'm not sure that works, since a three-legged stool that's missing a leg just falls over. But whatever. This book is gold.
I have a To Read pile a mile high, and I fully intended to just read a few pages of this, and then set this aside for one of the other books. The next thing I knew I was 10% in, and aware that I was just going to finish this. It was like drinking from a fire hose. As soon as I finished, I was ready to immediately start again at page 1, this time with an eye toward capturing the specific nuggets of wisdom found throughout. This is excellent advice, even if you're not a genre writer. Highly recommended.
June 1, 2021
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
I've read many writing books. Straczynski's new release approaches the subject of writing from a fresh angle: his own life, with his diverse experience in Hollywood and in publishing, as he discusses the tenacity and work necessary to "make it" within the industries--and then how to hang after that. His tone is easy and conversational, and the book is a fast read.
I've adored the man since I was a Babylon 5 fan as a teenager, and this book increased my esteem for him even more. As a writer myself, one who is definitely at the "trying to hang on" stage, this book felt both timely and personal. Straczynski gets it. Even with all his success, he's still working hard because he loves what he does, as challenging as it is at times.
He begins with a Stephen King quote that I hadn't seen before: "In the end, you don't even do it [writing] for love, although it would be nice to think so. You do it because to not do it is suicide."
That sets the tone for the book. Everything here is for people who NEED to write, even though it's hard, enough though life and rejection grind you down. Even more: even when writers grind down themselves. As he notes, "A writing career can survive rejection, ridicule, starvation, and loneliness, but fear or complacency will kill it every time."
He doesn't claim to possess any shortcuts or special methods. He actually, with exasperation, describes people he's dealt with time and again who insist otherwise. When it comes down to it, the book is about tenacity and hard work. Other writing books address that, sure, but Straczynski's words really resonated with me. This is the kind of volume I think I'll reference again in the future when I need his honest outlook to motivate me.
I've read many writing books. Straczynski's new release approaches the subject of writing from a fresh angle: his own life, with his diverse experience in Hollywood and in publishing, as he discusses the tenacity and work necessary to "make it" within the industries--and then how to hang after that. His tone is easy and conversational, and the book is a fast read.
I've adored the man since I was a Babylon 5 fan as a teenager, and this book increased my esteem for him even more. As a writer myself, one who is definitely at the "trying to hang on" stage, this book felt both timely and personal. Straczynski gets it. Even with all his success, he's still working hard because he loves what he does, as challenging as it is at times.
He begins with a Stephen King quote that I hadn't seen before: "In the end, you don't even do it [writing] for love, although it would be nice to think so. You do it because to not do it is suicide."
That sets the tone for the book. Everything here is for people who NEED to write, even though it's hard, enough though life and rejection grind you down. Even more: even when writers grind down themselves. As he notes, "A writing career can survive rejection, ridicule, starvation, and loneliness, but fear or complacency will kill it every time."
He doesn't claim to possess any shortcuts or special methods. He actually, with exasperation, describes people he's dealt with time and again who insist otherwise. When it comes down to it, the book is about tenacity and hard work. Other writing books address that, sure, but Straczynski's words really resonated with me. This is the kind of volume I think I'll reference again in the future when I need his honest outlook to motivate me.
May 19, 2024
A writing craft book from my very favorite storyteller of all time?
YES, PLEASE!
Am I biased?
Absolutely.
J. Michael Straczynski was a formative influence on this reader, to say the very least. His vision for Babylon 5 is the reason I love sci-fi. His novel-style storytelling arc for the 5-season 90's show was something I'd never seen done before. (Because apparently, it had never before been tried.) Without gushing much further, I'll just say with all respect and certainty... he's the reason I became a writer.
That being said, this book did have some advice I would consider standard fare for a majority of high-quality craft books I've previously come across. (Although, not from any writer who is so accomplished across multiple literary mediums and genres.) JMS's largely intolerant push-through-it view of writer's block is backed by his prolific history of productivity... And by his own admission, driven by some amalgamation of obsession, childhood trauma, placing somewhere on the autism spectrum, and rigorous daily discipline.
My favorite piece of wisdom offered by JMS has to do with his thoughts on either approaching something tried and true--and possibly tired--from a different angle (such as with his work re-envisioning of Thor, Spiderman, and Superman, while still remaining respectful of the fandoms.) His advice to turn some aspect of your work upside down applies not merely to re-tellings, but also to those who may be stuck within their story, unsure why what they've written isn't quite working.
If one is desperately seeking some profound formula for combating writer's block, this won't be where you find it. But if you're open to it, this DOES have the potential to be a solid kick in the pants.
It was the kick I needed.
YES, PLEASE!
Am I biased?
Absolutely.
J. Michael Straczynski was a formative influence on this reader, to say the very least. His vision for Babylon 5 is the reason I love sci-fi. His novel-style storytelling arc for the 5-season 90's show was something I'd never seen done before. (Because apparently, it had never before been tried.) Without gushing much further, I'll just say with all respect and certainty... he's the reason I became a writer.
That being said, this book did have some advice I would consider standard fare for a majority of high-quality craft books I've previously come across. (Although, not from any writer who is so accomplished across multiple literary mediums and genres.) JMS's largely intolerant push-through-it view of writer's block is backed by his prolific history of productivity... And by his own admission, driven by some amalgamation of obsession, childhood trauma, placing somewhere on the autism spectrum, and rigorous daily discipline.
My favorite piece of wisdom offered by JMS has to do with his thoughts on either approaching something tried and true--and possibly tired--from a different angle (such as with his work re-envisioning of Thor, Spiderman, and Superman, while still remaining respectful of the fandoms.) His advice to turn some aspect of your work upside down applies not merely to re-tellings, but also to those who may be stuck within their story, unsure why what they've written isn't quite working.
If one is desperately seeking some profound formula for combating writer's block, this won't be where you find it. But if you're open to it, this DOES have the potential to be a solid kick in the pants.
It was the kick I needed.
February 2, 2024
Really helpful book for aspiring writers. Sadly that’s not me today. But hopefully it will be soon when I actually put pen to paper or fingertips to keys and see what magic comes out. This book is brilliantly written and I liked it as much as on writing by Stephen King.
April 5, 2021
(Based on an Advance Reader's Copy via Edelweiss)
This is a writing book that every aspiring & established writer should pick up. The sub-title pretty much tells you what this book is about. The author is down to earth with real-world information about the craft and business of writing and how to keep your career fresh, but always calls it back to reminding the reader that they are artists and need to savor the joy of telling stories. Worth the price just for the exercise in character building and how that creates the story.
This is a writing book that every aspiring & established writer should pick up. The sub-title pretty much tells you what this book is about. The author is down to earth with real-world information about the craft and business of writing and how to keep your career fresh, but always calls it back to reminding the reader that they are artists and need to savor the joy of telling stories. Worth the price just for the exercise in character building and how that creates the story.
June 4, 2021
I won't lie: I was looking forward to this book but it left me somewhat disappointed. I was expecting more from Straczynski, however, that is perhaps because I've already familiar with a lot of his writing lessons and thoughts on how to create characters, worldbuild, etc. from years of following his work. In that sense, I can't say I learned anything new from Becoming a Writer and I can't say it changed my perspective on the craft. In some ways, Becoming a Writer feels more like an extension of his (wonderful) autobiography than a book on writing.
That's not to say this is a bad book, of course. The most valuable parts of this book, I think, are the pieces of tough love. Straczynski has been a career writer for many years across many mediums, which puts him in a unique position to provide a reality check to aspiring writers. Straczynski isn't exactly spitting fire and brimstone, of course, but the best parts of the book were where he was confronting some of the realities of aspiring 'writers' - it's easier to say you're a writer than to actually write, writer's block doesn't exist, you need to be able to handle (and give) workable critique, doing a writing degree doesn't necessarily mean you're cut out to be a writer, and so on. Another particularly strong part of the book was the section that is addressed to the most valuable Person in the writer's life -- after reading it, my particular Person felt like they understood how writing felt to me.
As Straczynski says early on in the book, this is not a book aimed at teaching you how to write, which makes it far more valuable than any of the dozens if not hundreds of books out there that include such wonderful advice to prospective writers as, say, be sure to have a character arc -- that is to say, bullshit grifting. This is a book that is genuinely aimed towards people who wish to write, and wish to do so for a long time, and generally assumes a familiarity with the basics of writing a story. I didn't come out of it with anything new personally, but it has become one of the three books on writing I would recommend to someone who wanted to learn more about the craft, albeit the third of three.
That's not to say this is a bad book, of course. The most valuable parts of this book, I think, are the pieces of tough love. Straczynski has been a career writer for many years across many mediums, which puts him in a unique position to provide a reality check to aspiring writers. Straczynski isn't exactly spitting fire and brimstone, of course, but the best parts of the book were where he was confronting some of the realities of aspiring 'writers' - it's easier to say you're a writer than to actually write, writer's block doesn't exist, you need to be able to handle (and give) workable critique, doing a writing degree doesn't necessarily mean you're cut out to be a writer, and so on. Another particularly strong part of the book was the section that is addressed to the most valuable Person in the writer's life -- after reading it, my particular Person felt like they understood how writing felt to me.
As Straczynski says early on in the book, this is not a book aimed at teaching you how to write, which makes it far more valuable than any of the dozens if not hundreds of books out there that include such wonderful advice to prospective writers as, say, be sure to have a character arc -- that is to say, bullshit grifting. This is a book that is genuinely aimed towards people who wish to write, and wish to do so for a long time, and generally assumes a familiarity with the basics of writing a story. I didn't come out of it with anything new personally, but it has become one of the three books on writing I would recommend to someone who wanted to learn more about the craft, albeit the third of three.
July 2, 2021
Perhaps "Becoming a Screenwriter, Staying a Screenwriter" might have been a more appropriate title. Lots in this about JMS and his own journey, which is interesting and relevant, but not necessarily useful. I agree with him that most of us already know how to write by now, and that this information is covered in other books.
I'm a full time writer, although my writing isn't the kind you'd want to find on the bookshelves! I'm only mentioning this because I don't think enough people realise that there's always more than one way of walking to market.
If you really enjoy writing, consider writing for a business (they pay every month, so at least you won't starve). The only problem is that you have to write about what THEY want you to write about...
But that's probably not much worse than to writing stories for B characters on somebody else's TV Show.
I enjoyed this book, and the conversational style in which it was written. There are one or two gems in this that I'll take with me, and overall, it was well worth the download.
I'm a full time writer, although my writing isn't the kind you'd want to find on the bookshelves! I'm only mentioning this because I don't think enough people realise that there's always more than one way of walking to market.
If you really enjoy writing, consider writing for a business (they pay every month, so at least you won't starve). The only problem is that you have to write about what THEY want you to write about...
But that's probably not much worse than to writing stories for B characters on somebody else's TV Show.
I enjoyed this book, and the conversational style in which it was written. There are one or two gems in this that I'll take with me, and overall, it was well worth the download.
May 22, 2022
Over the past few years, I have wanted to write novels, and have made several serious attempts at it. During this time, I decided to read various books on the topic, as this would help me to understand the art a little better. Now, a few books into reading about writing, I have discovered that there are many average writing books made by people who want to use their editing expertise to show that they have cracked the code of writing. This then sells copies to the inexperienced writer, as that writer believes that they have found the holy grail to solve all their writing problems.
This book is not that.
This book is, instead, a guide about starting writing and keeping that momentum, from one of the best, longest working people in the business. This book gives, at the very least, opinions on the art of writing, and solid reasons behind them. What gives these opinions weight, in my mind, is that the author merely gives his opinions, inviting us to disagree with him or not. Many of these ideas on how to write a novel are ones that tend to go against what one would see in writing classes and even in other writing books I have read. This makes for a good look into the differing ideas of writing as a whole.
The author reassures the reader that what their writing journey may look like is entirely their own. In the midst of the major ideas of fame and fortune working with a major studio, this author dispels that idea but also manages to artfully offer the reader encouragement nonetheless. This is a delicate balancing act between expectations of the real world, and not totally crushing our dreams, and the author toes this line well.
On the other hand, while there are some good reassurances on writing, I, personally found few tips on writing or editing. For example, let’s take conflicting characters, there is nothing about how to write conflict in this story. For example, writing a story conflict chart, or how to make conflict real in the story, it is just that we should have conflict in our plot because that is what drives the story itself. From a writer's standpoint, this is something that may seem like a downgrade, as you may come here for writing advice, but I disagree. With Google and other resources, I find that there is a myriad of tools, we just need this book to hear that it can/should be done. How we do it is up to us.
Overall, I really enjoy this book, and I would say this readable text is a good way to confidently get you into writing anything fiction-related. This text motivates you to, at the very least, finish the thing, because that is a major accomplishment in and of itself. As I continue in my journey as a writer, I think that I am going to refer to this book again and again, which, for me, is saying something. I give it a five out of five.
This book is not that.
This book is, instead, a guide about starting writing and keeping that momentum, from one of the best, longest working people in the business. This book gives, at the very least, opinions on the art of writing, and solid reasons behind them. What gives these opinions weight, in my mind, is that the author merely gives his opinions, inviting us to disagree with him or not. Many of these ideas on how to write a novel are ones that tend to go against what one would see in writing classes and even in other writing books I have read. This makes for a good look into the differing ideas of writing as a whole.
The author reassures the reader that what their writing journey may look like is entirely their own. In the midst of the major ideas of fame and fortune working with a major studio, this author dispels that idea but also manages to artfully offer the reader encouragement nonetheless. This is a delicate balancing act between expectations of the real world, and not totally crushing our dreams, and the author toes this line well.
On the other hand, while there are some good reassurances on writing, I, personally found few tips on writing or editing. For example, let’s take conflicting characters, there is nothing about how to write conflict in this story. For example, writing a story conflict chart, or how to make conflict real in the story, it is just that we should have conflict in our plot because that is what drives the story itself. From a writer's standpoint, this is something that may seem like a downgrade, as you may come here for writing advice, but I disagree. With Google and other resources, I find that there is a myriad of tools, we just need this book to hear that it can/should be done. How we do it is up to us.
Overall, I really enjoy this book, and I would say this readable text is a good way to confidently get you into writing anything fiction-related. This text motivates you to, at the very least, finish the thing, because that is a major accomplishment in and of itself. As I continue in my journey as a writer, I think that I am going to refer to this book again and again, which, for me, is saying something. I give it a five out of five.
December 27, 2021
This is my third writing book I've read this year, and wow.
I adored Save The Cat Writes A Novel because I felt like I added a lot of tools to my writing toolbox. This book was much less technical, but the emotional impact was much greater. J. Michael Straczynski (who I trust bc I loved Sense8) is funny and kind throughout this book, acknowledging the ugly, hard parts of writing but ending on such a positive note about the joy and the beauty in it and how important it is for successful writers to help future generations.
His voice and humor came through and turned a non-fiction novel on writing into something I couldn't put down. If I'm fortunate enough to find success as a writer, I definitely want to come back and reread the "staying a writer" section. A lot of this felt like advice you'd get from a good friend, someone who really cares about your success and you personally. I was actually nervous to pick this up bc the last writing book I read (Immediate Fiction) was so hard to get through, but there's so much life and personality in this one that it reads fast as fiction, a true sign of Joe's talent. Seriously loved this one
I adored Save The Cat Writes A Novel because I felt like I added a lot of tools to my writing toolbox. This book was much less technical, but the emotional impact was much greater. J. Michael Straczynski (who I trust bc I loved Sense8) is funny and kind throughout this book, acknowledging the ugly, hard parts of writing but ending on such a positive note about the joy and the beauty in it and how important it is for successful writers to help future generations.
His voice and humor came through and turned a non-fiction novel on writing into something I couldn't put down. If I'm fortunate enough to find success as a writer, I definitely want to come back and reread the "staying a writer" section. A lot of this felt like advice you'd get from a good friend, someone who really cares about your success and you personally. I was actually nervous to pick this up bc the last writing book I read (Immediate Fiction) was so hard to get through, but there's so much life and personality in this one that it reads fast as fiction, a true sign of Joe's talent. Seriously loved this one
November 21, 2023
This is probably the best book on being a writer that I’ve ever read
This is probably the best book on being a writer that I’ve ever read. For the parts of writing that I know about and often tell people, I was pretty happy to have someone else also saying the same thing, but in a far more concise and entertaining fashion (so much so that I’m sharing passages with writer friends). For things that I don’t know about (mostly the second half, which is focused a lot on advice for screenwriters) it was entertaining. And finally, the ending was so inspiring, I had tears in my eyes.
This is probably the best book on being a writer that I’ve ever read. For the parts of writing that I know about and often tell people, I was pretty happy to have someone else also saying the same thing, but in a far more concise and entertaining fashion (so much so that I’m sharing passages with writer friends). For things that I don’t know about (mostly the second half, which is focused a lot on advice for screenwriters) it was entertaining. And finally, the ending was so inspiring, I had tears in my eyes.
January 9, 2022
By turns thoughtful, quirky, and brash, this was an interesting and unexpectedly philosophical read. While Straczynski subscribes a little too heavily to the mythos of born, not made writers, he balances it out with plenty of practical advice and is both inclusive in his outlook and personally vulnerable on the page. Due to his long, multi-hyphenate career, the book also has valuable perspective, even if it might come off as a little name-droppy.
Recommended for writers who need both to know that it’s possible and are in need of a pep talk and/or kick to the pants.
Recommended for writers who need both to know that it’s possible and are in need of a pep talk and/or kick to the pants.
July 9, 2021
Covering everything from the compulsion to write to the trials and tribulations of the writing process, Joe Straczynski has written a very enjoyable book which is, despite the title, not just for the burgeoning writer, but the discerning reader.
And damn you Joe, I had to buy Tom Godwin's 'The Cold Equations & Other Stories' because of your comments on the story and its adaption for 'The Twilight Zone'.
And damn you Joe, I had to buy Tom Godwin's 'The Cold Equations & Other Stories' because of your comments on the story and its adaption for 'The Twilight Zone'.
August 6, 2021
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer is one of the most down-to-earth, relatable books on being a writer that I've ever read. It's less prescriptive advice on the technical skills of writing (assuming you already know the basics), and more reflective on the experience of being a professional writer. It definitely caught me at just the right time in my own career, and I loved a lot of what the author had to say about industry endurance and cultivating diverse writing skills in the later chapters.
December 25, 2024
A lovely lovely book on screenwriting
November 19, 2021
I read many books about writing. This is the only one I advise about how to build and keep a writing career. Truly a precious gem. And by the way, it's the third time (the first one with just an article, the second one with "Becoming Superman". Yeah, not that long ago) that #jmstraczynski saved my career (if that is a good or a bad thing, time will tell).
October 28, 2022
Really loved this craft book- it goes down easy, has great advice, and funny anecdotes. I'll be buying a copy for myself! Great for emerging writers as well as ones who have been in the industry for a while.
April 27, 2021
I’ve never read a writing book geared to the already-begun-but-still-haven’t-quite-“made”-it writers. A fantastic look into the life and advice of a writer from the inside with examples and anecdotes to back him up. Highly recommend. *ARC received via Edel*
August 13, 2021
I picked this up the moment it landed as an audiobook and had eaten it within the next two days.
One of my stand out favourite books of the last year is JMS's Becoming Superman: A Writer's Journey from Poverty to Hollywood with Stops Along the Way at Murder, Madness, Mayhem, Movie Stars, Cults, Slums, Sociopaths, and War Crimes which has utterly destroyed and enthralled me both times I've read it.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer was a completely different albeit welcome experience. In his wonderful no BS voice.
I will be recommending this to anyone who asks me for writing advice. It's practical, inspirational, and most importantly HONEST about the reality of choosing such a craft.
One of my stand out favourite books of the last year is JMS's Becoming Superman: A Writer's Journey from Poverty to Hollywood with Stops Along the Way at Murder, Madness, Mayhem, Movie Stars, Cults, Slums, Sociopaths, and War Crimes which has utterly destroyed and enthralled me both times I've read it.
Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer was a completely different albeit welcome experience. In his wonderful no BS voice.
I will be recommending this to anyone who asks me for writing advice. It's practical, inspirational, and most importantly HONEST about the reality of choosing such a craft.
March 5, 2024
Sadly I could not connect with or relate to the advice he was giving. Nothing that he wrote filled a need for the writing advice that fits what my writer's goals are.
May 16, 2021
J. Michael Straczynski Becoming A writer, Staying A Writer, BenBella Books, Inc. Dallas, TX, copyright @2021 Synthetic Worlds, Ltd.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer is replete with ideas; some criticisms of various methods used to teach writing; an insight into the life of a writer, with its pinnacles and troughs; and J. Michael Straczynski’s experiences with which he imparts his knowledge. I have an overwhelming feeling of appreciation for his zest in equipping writers with thoughtful ideas and tools for meeting the challenges confronting anyone who wants to be a writer and maintain that status. At the same time, I have some criticisms and see this book as part of a writer’s source of advice, rather than a perfect guide. Some of the advice appears difficult to follow or lacking in understanding, and although that is inevitable because of writers’ different capacities and requirements, it needs to be noted. What stands out are some marvellous sections of advice and information that cannot missed. J. Michael Straczynski has written from a writer’s world to writers who want to join it, or remain in it, combining entertainment as well as advice in the invitation to learn.
J. Michael Straczynski speaks of writing and rewriting, almost hewing the paragraphs into shape such as the work of a sculptor, as one of the feats a writer must achieve. He also provides excellent advice on where to end a piece of writing – leave an unfinished sentence so it can be completed at the next writing, beginning the next day’s work smoothly. Reading this advice, I wondered about the beginning of this book. It is quite autobiographical, and where the remaining work gives us so much understanding and insight into Straczynski I wonder – is so much material here necessary? Is he taking over where he left his autobiography? I wanted to get into the world of writing more directly, so found the first pages unexciting. Fortunately, I soon became engrossed in those that followed. Straczynski provides a work that lives, becomes the writer’s world of writing, draws us in.
This is not a textbook, lists of advice or notes on how to write, and Straczynski is critical of such limited, almost mechanical, methods of learning to write. This criticism of other texts, workshops and writing classes is useful, but not definitive. Some of these features of the world a ‘becoming writer’ inhabits could well be useful. Where this book helps is in deciding their value though describing the short comings of various learning modes. However, I believe that there are alternatives that require consideration. There are many useful texts on scriptwriting, writing short stories or a novel, for example, and The Guardian UK organises seminars for specialist writing, run by published authors, publishers, and scriptwriters. It would be a pity to reject the available opportunities based on Straczynski’s dismissiveness. He teaches writing in a university course: so not all such courses are limited. What becomes apparent throughout the book is that a writer must use the available tools judiciously, critically and with the determination to write. Straczynski provides the questions writers need to ask about alternative teaching methods and their content. His method provides many answers on how to fill any void.
Several sections and chapters stand out. The concepts about characterisation are marvellous. So, too, are the ideas about using scenes, in books, television or films, effectively. The advice to remain current, to forgo traditional planning of a text, to reject the old notions that underlie some books on writing was powerfully argued. Straczynski made not only sense but takes the reader through some fascinating proposals and history to demonstrate how a process might work well in past situations, but be unnecessary, or problematic under new circumstances. Where there are injunctions about what to do and how to do it, there is an abundance of material to help the writer achieve the aims of this book – become a writer, write, and remain a writer.
J. Michael Straczynski’s Changeling script was nominated for a BAFTA and won the Movies for Grown Ups Award for Best Screenwriter. However, more important in assessing this book on writing is how he eventually arrived at writing the script from the ‘rough story’ he had in his mind. The process he undertook to achieve an award-winning script is personal but has universal application. The story he tells, and advice that permeates throughout that story, is enlightening. This is how lessons on becoming a writer are put together in this book. As I noted earlier, the invitation to learn to write through Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer book is one where advice and entertainment are mixed, making it an enjoyable as well as instructive read.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer is replete with ideas; some criticisms of various methods used to teach writing; an insight into the life of a writer, with its pinnacles and troughs; and J. Michael Straczynski’s experiences with which he imparts his knowledge. I have an overwhelming feeling of appreciation for his zest in equipping writers with thoughtful ideas and tools for meeting the challenges confronting anyone who wants to be a writer and maintain that status. At the same time, I have some criticisms and see this book as part of a writer’s source of advice, rather than a perfect guide. Some of the advice appears difficult to follow or lacking in understanding, and although that is inevitable because of writers’ different capacities and requirements, it needs to be noted. What stands out are some marvellous sections of advice and information that cannot missed. J. Michael Straczynski has written from a writer’s world to writers who want to join it, or remain in it, combining entertainment as well as advice in the invitation to learn.
J. Michael Straczynski speaks of writing and rewriting, almost hewing the paragraphs into shape such as the work of a sculptor, as one of the feats a writer must achieve. He also provides excellent advice on where to end a piece of writing – leave an unfinished sentence so it can be completed at the next writing, beginning the next day’s work smoothly. Reading this advice, I wondered about the beginning of this book. It is quite autobiographical, and where the remaining work gives us so much understanding and insight into Straczynski I wonder – is so much material here necessary? Is he taking over where he left his autobiography? I wanted to get into the world of writing more directly, so found the first pages unexciting. Fortunately, I soon became engrossed in those that followed. Straczynski provides a work that lives, becomes the writer’s world of writing, draws us in.
This is not a textbook, lists of advice or notes on how to write, and Straczynski is critical of such limited, almost mechanical, methods of learning to write. This criticism of other texts, workshops and writing classes is useful, but not definitive. Some of these features of the world a ‘becoming writer’ inhabits could well be useful. Where this book helps is in deciding their value though describing the short comings of various learning modes. However, I believe that there are alternatives that require consideration. There are many useful texts on scriptwriting, writing short stories or a novel, for example, and The Guardian UK organises seminars for specialist writing, run by published authors, publishers, and scriptwriters. It would be a pity to reject the available opportunities based on Straczynski’s dismissiveness. He teaches writing in a university course: so not all such courses are limited. What becomes apparent throughout the book is that a writer must use the available tools judiciously, critically and with the determination to write. Straczynski provides the questions writers need to ask about alternative teaching methods and their content. His method provides many answers on how to fill any void.
Several sections and chapters stand out. The concepts about characterisation are marvellous. So, too, are the ideas about using scenes, in books, television or films, effectively. The advice to remain current, to forgo traditional planning of a text, to reject the old notions that underlie some books on writing was powerfully argued. Straczynski made not only sense but takes the reader through some fascinating proposals and history to demonstrate how a process might work well in past situations, but be unnecessary, or problematic under new circumstances. Where there are injunctions about what to do and how to do it, there is an abundance of material to help the writer achieve the aims of this book – become a writer, write, and remain a writer.
J. Michael Straczynski’s Changeling script was nominated for a BAFTA and won the Movies for Grown Ups Award for Best Screenwriter. However, more important in assessing this book on writing is how he eventually arrived at writing the script from the ‘rough story’ he had in his mind. The process he undertook to achieve an award-winning script is personal but has universal application. The story he tells, and advice that permeates throughout that story, is enlightening. This is how lessons on becoming a writer are put together in this book. As I noted earlier, the invitation to learn to write through Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer book is one where advice and entertainment are mixed, making it an enjoyable as well as instructive read.
August 27, 2021
One of the worst things about advice is that it's not always practical. This seems to be especially true the more subjective the opinion on a subject is. Example: you're about to leave the house and you check the forecast. It tells you it's raining outside. You look out the window and, sure enough, water is indeed falling from the sky. Here's the thing. Being told it's raining outside isn't the practical advice. It's only the information used to establish said advice. The practical advice would be to grab an umbrella or a raincoat. That seems a little obvious given the subject, but I'm merely using it as a framework for something more complex.
Not only is most advice about art (writing in this case) is subjective. It's also rarely practical. I once had a potential agent say my cover letter needed to be more vibrant. The thing is, that doesn't actually mean anything. She was telling me it was raining outside without any regard to using an umbrella. I tend to see this a little too often. Either the person giving advice doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're attempting to sandblast writing so it all sounds the same.
Is Straczynski, and his new book on writing, guilty of this? No. But I'm laying this out to explain how I approach writing advice. I don't just use a grain of salt, I unscrew the top and use the whole fucking shaker.
Before I render my judgment on if the book is any good, I also need to layout who this book is for. Unlike most works, this is more of a textbook. You might be faced with the greatest book on algebra ever written, but if you don't have a class or a job involving algebra, it's pretty much useless to you. Breaking down the audience into two groups.
The first group is fans of JMS's work who wish insight into his writing process. It carries many personal stories of his career and his perspective into the industry he's worked in for decades. The level of sharpness of this aspect really did catch my eye and I think anyone who loves his work will get something worthwhile here. So, if you're reading this review wearing a Babylon 5 T-shirt, go ahead and read this book.
The second group needs a little more justification. And that's people who are looking to becoming paid writers. I said 'paid' because you're either already a writer or you're not. Also, as a disclaimer, if you're the type who uses the label of a writer and haven't actually written anything down, this book isn't for you. In particular, there's a section of the book that calls out posers. So save yourself the heartache and avoid this book. And me.
To the point made at the beginning, this book does offer up some helpful advice. If you're looking to crack into the business and/or looking to improve your craft, you should be able to find something here that applies to you. One piece of advice though: grab a highlighter. You're going to want to mark the relevant bits.
See, that's how practical advice works.
Since I can't resist saying something negative, I'll put it down here towards the end. There are a few sections in the book that are less helpful than others. There's an entire chapter towards not shoving your ideas in writers' faces. Good advice, but the chapter could have been a lot shorter and seemed a little too personal. I know many artists face this problem. There's even a Chappelle Show skit about that very problem. So, while I understand the frustration, I doubt most of those people are going to be reading this book. Or read period.
Regardless if you're in groups A or B (or maybe both, who knows?), I'd recommend this book. The use of real world examples can get a little straining, but JMS needs to establish himself so you don't think he's talking out of his ass. Trust me. He's mostly not.
Not only is most advice about art (writing in this case) is subjective. It's also rarely practical. I once had a potential agent say my cover letter needed to be more vibrant. The thing is, that doesn't actually mean anything. She was telling me it was raining outside without any regard to using an umbrella. I tend to see this a little too often. Either the person giving advice doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're attempting to sandblast writing so it all sounds the same.
Is Straczynski, and his new book on writing, guilty of this? No. But I'm laying this out to explain how I approach writing advice. I don't just use a grain of salt, I unscrew the top and use the whole fucking shaker.
Before I render my judgment on if the book is any good, I also need to layout who this book is for. Unlike most works, this is more of a textbook. You might be faced with the greatest book on algebra ever written, but if you don't have a class or a job involving algebra, it's pretty much useless to you. Breaking down the audience into two groups.
The first group is fans of JMS's work who wish insight into his writing process. It carries many personal stories of his career and his perspective into the industry he's worked in for decades. The level of sharpness of this aspect really did catch my eye and I think anyone who loves his work will get something worthwhile here. So, if you're reading this review wearing a Babylon 5 T-shirt, go ahead and read this book.
The second group needs a little more justification. And that's people who are looking to becoming paid writers. I said 'paid' because you're either already a writer or you're not. Also, as a disclaimer, if you're the type who uses the label of a writer and haven't actually written anything down, this book isn't for you. In particular, there's a section of the book that calls out posers. So save yourself the heartache and avoid this book. And me.
To the point made at the beginning, this book does offer up some helpful advice. If you're looking to crack into the business and/or looking to improve your craft, you should be able to find something here that applies to you. One piece of advice though: grab a highlighter. You're going to want to mark the relevant bits.
See, that's how practical advice works.
Since I can't resist saying something negative, I'll put it down here towards the end. There are a few sections in the book that are less helpful than others. There's an entire chapter towards not shoving your ideas in writers' faces. Good advice, but the chapter could have been a lot shorter and seemed a little too personal. I know many artists face this problem. There's even a Chappelle Show skit about that very problem. So, while I understand the frustration, I doubt most of those people are going to be reading this book. Or read period.
Regardless if you're in groups A or B (or maybe both, who knows?), I'd recommend this book. The use of real world examples can get a little straining, but JMS needs to establish himself so you don't think he's talking out of his ass. Trust me. He's mostly not.
August 3, 2021
Behind the continually self deprecating wit and geeky banter that fills his Twitter feed, lies a complex and insightful mind that is razor sharp when tested. All of these personality traits can be found in Becoming A Writer Staying A Writer in great abundance.
Quite frankly the opening chapter is worth the price of admission alone. Revealing that the razor intellect can be both eye wateringly honest and self aware in equal measure. With a very shrewd understanding of the strengths and weakness that predominate those drawn to the writing profession. That the very same people that create fictional ecosystems in their head, can struggle to be a part of the world around them.
Straczynski continually takes great pains to show, however humble your background, whatever your personality or circumstances there are legendary writers who have overcome similar struggles and obstacles. He is friendly, funny, endlessly supportive and encouraging. Greatly experienced and incredibly well informed about his craft.
This is a very useful book in highlighting the common pitfalls in writing process. It is also a salient reminder to have ‘Finish the damn thing’ tattooed on my head. I related very much to his advice and comments on revision. Even the simple act of moving several words around in a sentence can make it spring to life. Turning It Upside Down is a great chapter for anyone’s story that has fallen in the jam.
I can also confirm after my own experiences with university creative writing classes, that they are not set up to prime students to write professionally. I wonder if they have the same attitude in engineering, ‘We’re just encouraging you build a nuclear reactor in your spare time, we don’t expect you to go out and get paid for it.’
The chapter on building characters and worlds is very insightful. He rightly points out that the more you know your character, the more you flesh them out, the better the story will be. There is often a critical mass for all the individual elements of the story to really start generating ideas.
Throughout this whole volume there are wonderfully insightful moments about all aspects of the writing process and industry. There is also a quite pertinent chapter on those that prey on up-coming talent and a brutally honest take on the thousands of people who migrate to Hollywood in search of stardom.
Anyone who has followed Straczynski’s career in the slightest knows he is not one to let the grass grow under his feet. He has written in many different mediums and worn many different hats. He also has significant experience at being on the other side of the desk and fielding scripts from prospective writers. As a result there is an essential chapter on pitching and some very sage advice.
I would also whole heartedly recommend this book to fan of his who isn’t a writer but is still curious about reading it. There are plenty of gems within its pages and you will also get sense of how Straczynski views his craft and puts together his own creations.
Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer is a very enjoyable, immensely useful and readable book. I think many writers will be inspired by it for years to come. It certainly made me want to read Becoming Superman and Together We Will Go.
Quite frankly the opening chapter is worth the price of admission alone. Revealing that the razor intellect can be both eye wateringly honest and self aware in equal measure. With a very shrewd understanding of the strengths and weakness that predominate those drawn to the writing profession. That the very same people that create fictional ecosystems in their head, can struggle to be a part of the world around them.
Straczynski continually takes great pains to show, however humble your background, whatever your personality or circumstances there are legendary writers who have overcome similar struggles and obstacles. He is friendly, funny, endlessly supportive and encouraging. Greatly experienced and incredibly well informed about his craft.
This is a very useful book in highlighting the common pitfalls in writing process. It is also a salient reminder to have ‘Finish the damn thing’ tattooed on my head. I related very much to his advice and comments on revision. Even the simple act of moving several words around in a sentence can make it spring to life. Turning It Upside Down is a great chapter for anyone’s story that has fallen in the jam.
I can also confirm after my own experiences with university creative writing classes, that they are not set up to prime students to write professionally. I wonder if they have the same attitude in engineering, ‘We’re just encouraging you build a nuclear reactor in your spare time, we don’t expect you to go out and get paid for it.’
The chapter on building characters and worlds is very insightful. He rightly points out that the more you know your character, the more you flesh them out, the better the story will be. There is often a critical mass for all the individual elements of the story to really start generating ideas.
Throughout this whole volume there are wonderfully insightful moments about all aspects of the writing process and industry. There is also a quite pertinent chapter on those that prey on up-coming talent and a brutally honest take on the thousands of people who migrate to Hollywood in search of stardom.
Anyone who has followed Straczynski’s career in the slightest knows he is not one to let the grass grow under his feet. He has written in many different mediums and worn many different hats. He also has significant experience at being on the other side of the desk and fielding scripts from prospective writers. As a result there is an essential chapter on pitching and some very sage advice.
I would also whole heartedly recommend this book to fan of his who isn’t a writer but is still curious about reading it. There are plenty of gems within its pages and you will also get sense of how Straczynski views his craft and puts together his own creations.
Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer is a very enjoyable, immensely useful and readable book. I think many writers will be inspired by it for years to come. It certainly made me want to read Becoming Superman and Together We Will Go.
May 10, 2022
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
There is no shortage of 'how to' books on writing. Some retailers have a specific section in their stores for these kinds of books. So why do we need another? Author J. Michael Straczynski addresses that right at the start, offering what he feels other 'how to' writing books neglect to talk about (I'll let you read up on that).
Straczynski focuses quite a bit on writing from the Hollywood perspective, though he does touch on his experiences in comics and fiction/non-fiction books, as well as his very early days (college). He offers up some of the traps that young (ie inexperienced - not just age) writers often fall into so that the hopeful can be aware of, and hopefully steer clear of such pitfalls, but with sections of the book that discuss the best (and worst) ways to pitch stories to television producers, I think it's safe to say that a strength of the book is its appeal to television and screen writers.
Although Straczynski has already written a memoir/autobiography with his book Becoming Superman (a book I'm putting on my "Want to Read" list), Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer is as much biography as it is 'writing help' book. His helpful hints and tips for writers are almost always followed up with a personal example, giving insight to the writer himself. Sometimes these examples tend to be a bit showy and perhaps not the best examples for beginning writers (an example of this would be a project Straczynski describes as being a special request script for Steven Spielberg - something Spielberg has wanted to write but was getting stuck on. Straczynski was brought in, said he thought he could write the script, but wanted to be left alone, not deliver any outline or explain what he was going to do, but simply hand in his final script when it was done. And because it was Straczynski, Spielberg agreed. How many writers or hopeful writers reading this book would have that kind of pull? [If you want to know the outcome ... read the book]).
For years, the advice from writers to hopeful or would-be writers was, "Write. Every day." Straczynski's advice, boiled down, is just a little bit different and more in line with what I see in other artist endeavors as well. His advice: Write. And finish what you write.
I can't say that this book is the most comprehensive 'how-to' book that I've ever seen, but I do think it is quite entertaining. The biographical portions actually make this quite fascinating (particularly if you are familiar with the authors work [and if you aren't you probably wouldn't pick this up in the first place]) - such as: why is one episode of Babylon 5 from a very different perspective?
I'd recommend this to would-be writers, as well as fans of Stryczynski's work (and they are many, given his work in both comics and television).
Looking for a good book? Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer by J. Michael Straczynski is part biography, part writing 'how-to', and 100% entertaining.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
There is no shortage of 'how to' books on writing. Some retailers have a specific section in their stores for these kinds of books. So why do we need another? Author J. Michael Straczynski addresses that right at the start, offering what he feels other 'how to' writing books neglect to talk about (I'll let you read up on that).
Straczynski focuses quite a bit on writing from the Hollywood perspective, though he does touch on his experiences in comics and fiction/non-fiction books, as well as his very early days (college). He offers up some of the traps that young (ie inexperienced - not just age) writers often fall into so that the hopeful can be aware of, and hopefully steer clear of such pitfalls, but with sections of the book that discuss the best (and worst) ways to pitch stories to television producers, I think it's safe to say that a strength of the book is its appeal to television and screen writers.
Although Straczynski has already written a memoir/autobiography with his book Becoming Superman (a book I'm putting on my "Want to Read" list), Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer is as much biography as it is 'writing help' book. His helpful hints and tips for writers are almost always followed up with a personal example, giving insight to the writer himself. Sometimes these examples tend to be a bit showy and perhaps not the best examples for beginning writers (an example of this would be a project Straczynski describes as being a special request script for Steven Spielberg - something Spielberg has wanted to write but was getting stuck on. Straczynski was brought in, said he thought he could write the script, but wanted to be left alone, not deliver any outline or explain what he was going to do, but simply hand in his final script when it was done. And because it was Straczynski, Spielberg agreed. How many writers or hopeful writers reading this book would have that kind of pull? [If you want to know the outcome ... read the book]).
For years, the advice from writers to hopeful or would-be writers was, "Write. Every day." Straczynski's advice, boiled down, is just a little bit different and more in line with what I see in other artist endeavors as well. His advice: Write. And finish what you write.
I can't say that this book is the most comprehensive 'how-to' book that I've ever seen, but I do think it is quite entertaining. The biographical portions actually make this quite fascinating (particularly if you are familiar with the authors work [and if you aren't you probably wouldn't pick this up in the first place]) - such as: why is one episode of Babylon 5 from a very different perspective?
I'd recommend this to would-be writers, as well as fans of Stryczynski's work (and they are many, given his work in both comics and television).
Looking for a good book? Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer by J. Michael Straczynski is part biography, part writing 'how-to', and 100% entertaining.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2021
Subtitle: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
J. Michael Straczynski has written for television (Babylon 5), film (Thor, World War Z), comics, non-fiction books (like this one), and has a novel coming out later in 2021. He has extensive knowledge in writing and storytelling in many forms. The book gets is title from a Harlan Ellison quote: “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” It is divided into two parts: Becoming a Writer is aimed at beginning writers as the level up their craft and face a lot of rejection. Staying a Writer is aimed at writers who have experienced some success, but want or need to make the leap to being able to write as their full-time career. Although I fall into the first group, I also read the second part of the book in the event I could learn something from it.
Straczynski pulls no punches in the advice he gives emerging writers. The more writing you do, the better you get at it – in his opinion, if you don’t make time for writing you don’t really want to be a writer badly enough. I’ve read my share of books about plot structure that fit certain story events to specific spots (down to the page numbers) in the novel/script – Stracynski dismisses these as money-making schemes for the people who develop them, and that writers need to force structure to serve story. Even the sacred cow of the three-act structure is called into question, because it was a carryover from the playwrights Hollywood brought in during its early days, and was designed to give theatre patrons from totally walking away from the production during the intermissions between acts. He encourages writers to treat every scene as an individual act worthy of a gripping ending to keep readers/viewers hooked.
I gave Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer five stars on Goodreads. I recommend it to anyone who takes their writing seriously. I’ve read some of Straczynski’s graphic novels previously, and I’m planning on reading his 2002 book about screenwriting.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
J. Michael Straczynski has written for television (Babylon 5), film (Thor, World War Z), comics, non-fiction books (like this one), and has a novel coming out later in 2021. He has extensive knowledge in writing and storytelling in many forms. The book gets is title from a Harlan Ellison quote: “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” It is divided into two parts: Becoming a Writer is aimed at beginning writers as the level up their craft and face a lot of rejection. Staying a Writer is aimed at writers who have experienced some success, but want or need to make the leap to being able to write as their full-time career. Although I fall into the first group, I also read the second part of the book in the event I could learn something from it.
Straczynski pulls no punches in the advice he gives emerging writers. The more writing you do, the better you get at it – in his opinion, if you don’t make time for writing you don’t really want to be a writer badly enough. I’ve read my share of books about plot structure that fit certain story events to specific spots (down to the page numbers) in the novel/script – Stracynski dismisses these as money-making schemes for the people who develop them, and that writers need to force structure to serve story. Even the sacred cow of the three-act structure is called into question, because it was a carryover from the playwrights Hollywood brought in during its early days, and was designed to give theatre patrons from totally walking away from the production during the intermissions between acts. He encourages writers to treat every scene as an individual act worthy of a gripping ending to keep readers/viewers hooked.
I gave Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer five stars on Goodreads. I recommend it to anyone who takes their writing seriously. I’ve read some of Straczynski’s graphic novels previously, and I’m planning on reading his 2002 book about screenwriting.
June 29, 2021
New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski has spent a lifetime going through the steps from wanting to write, to being successful and how to stay there; Given his list o f writing accomplishments I knew if anyone was going to write a book like this, he'd be one to pull it off. I'm happy to report that I was correct in that assumption.
I have read many many writing books and articles and this is a breath of fresh air from the usual run of the mill instruction manual on how to write. He offers up his own experience with what works, what doesn't work, how to handle failure, how to decide your priorities etc. There is some very valuable tips in these pages. I do wish it was a little less redundant but given the wealth of knowledge Straczynski gifted his readers I can over look that.
Highly recommended for anyone who has even thought of trying to write, whether it be novels, poetry, screenplays or blog posts, you'll find useful hints that will open your eyes and make you feel more confident.
3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 in the interest of fairness to the greatness of the book.
I was provided an advance e-copy from netgalley and publishers in exchange for my unfiltered opinion. All thoughts are mine and not influenced by anything other than myself.
I have read many many writing books and articles and this is a breath of fresh air from the usual run of the mill instruction manual on how to write. He offers up his own experience with what works, what doesn't work, how to handle failure, how to decide your priorities etc. There is some very valuable tips in these pages. I do wish it was a little less redundant but given the wealth of knowledge Straczynski gifted his readers I can over look that.
Highly recommended for anyone who has even thought of trying to write, whether it be novels, poetry, screenplays or blog posts, you'll find useful hints that will open your eyes and make you feel more confident.
3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 in the interest of fairness to the greatness of the book.
I was provided an advance e-copy from netgalley and publishers in exchange for my unfiltered opinion. All thoughts are mine and not influenced by anything other than myself.
October 27, 2021
Michael is a bestselling author who has written for TV, movies, comics, and publications. His awards and staying power prove his competence in giving writers advice to succeed in the profession for a long time.
If you ever wanted to pick the brains of a successful writer, this is it. Michael gives advice he wished he head known when he was a new writer, then later when he was an upcoming writer with some success.
You’ll learn: what to take in college, best way to collaborate, how to pitch, how to find an agent, how to avoid scams, and how to avoid giving away your work for free.
The second part is for writers who want to up their game and push beyond their comfort zone. He’ll tell you how to put a new spin on tired ideas (like Thor and Superman), how to offer a fresh perspective to your stories, how to write for TV or a publication, what writing workshops work, how to keep working for decades. I learned a lot.
This book is a valuable mentor for every writer, especially in TV or movies. It’s not a How To but a veteran’s guide to the process and the business. Even established writers will find gems of ideas to keep the till turning.
@IvyDigest
If you ever wanted to pick the brains of a successful writer, this is it. Michael gives advice he wished he head known when he was a new writer, then later when he was an upcoming writer with some success.
You’ll learn: what to take in college, best way to collaborate, how to pitch, how to find an agent, how to avoid scams, and how to avoid giving away your work for free.
The second part is for writers who want to up their game and push beyond their comfort zone. He’ll tell you how to put a new spin on tired ideas (like Thor and Superman), how to offer a fresh perspective to your stories, how to write for TV or a publication, what writing workshops work, how to keep working for decades. I learned a lot.
This book is a valuable mentor for every writer, especially in TV or movies. It’s not a How To but a veteran’s guide to the process and the business. Even established writers will find gems of ideas to keep the till turning.
@IvyDigest
November 21, 2021
Wow! A writing book that covers what all other writing books fail to cover. The section on getting a creative writing degree was great. No one talks about that!
Some of the sections covered basic character development and other craft things that I still, as a seasoned writer, enjoyed and learned from.
The section on systems of creation helped me to understand what happened in my first ever writing class for adults. It made me realize that where I thought I’d failed as a teacher, wasn’t entirely true! New writers want a magic formula and there is no magic formula. Also, he and I write similarly, by starting out with notes in a notebook and moving to index cards, in the exact same way! I’ve not known anyone else to do that!
The only thing I wish he’d covered was scams directed at novelists. I super applaud him for covering scams at all, as no one else has in a book. But what he talks about are scams for scriptwriters.
I will be recommending this book highly to all my writer friends and students. And will continue to mull over why I can’t connect with or develop my own original characters.
Some of the sections covered basic character development and other craft things that I still, as a seasoned writer, enjoyed and learned from.
The section on systems of creation helped me to understand what happened in my first ever writing class for adults. It made me realize that where I thought I’d failed as a teacher, wasn’t entirely true! New writers want a magic formula and there is no magic formula. Also, he and I write similarly, by starting out with notes in a notebook and moving to index cards, in the exact same way! I’ve not known anyone else to do that!
The only thing I wish he’d covered was scams directed at novelists. I super applaud him for covering scams at all, as no one else has in a book. But what he talks about are scams for scriptwriters.
I will be recommending this book highly to all my writer friends and students. And will continue to mull over why I can’t connect with or develop my own original characters.
June 25, 2021
I have learned from mentors along the way that when we reach a certain level of success, it's important to reach back down to help those who follow us, pursuing the same trail. And J. Michael Straczynski has done just that with this book.
"Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer" is probably one of the best books on the writing craft that I have ever read (not just how to write, but how to make a living from it too).
I loved how open and honest he was about what it takes, as well as the bits of wit and snark he peppers his commentary with along the way.
There is only one writing book that I tell other authors must be on their bookshelf to be taken down and referred to regularly, Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style." Now, I have a second recommendation for those who are truly serious about pursuing a career as a writer. "Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer."
While the book is written from the viewpoint of a screenwriter, the tips, ideas, suggestions and wisdom he shares apply no matter what form your writing craft takes. I highly recommend this book!
"Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer" is probably one of the best books on the writing craft that I have ever read (not just how to write, but how to make a living from it too).
I loved how open and honest he was about what it takes, as well as the bits of wit and snark he peppers his commentary with along the way.
There is only one writing book that I tell other authors must be on their bookshelf to be taken down and referred to regularly, Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style." Now, I have a second recommendation for those who are truly serious about pursuing a career as a writer. "Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer."
While the book is written from the viewpoint of a screenwriter, the tips, ideas, suggestions and wisdom he shares apply no matter what form your writing craft takes. I highly recommend this book!
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