Writing a Book That Makes a Difference

by Philip Gerard

Why did Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes , a memoir of his poverty-stricken childhood, touch millions? Why did John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle incite social change and become literary classics? Why did Sebastian Yunger's real-life adventure A Perfect Storm leap onto the bestseller list? In this book, Philip Gerard analyzes books that made a difference-fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary-distilling out the elusive ingredients that make a work memorable, one that changes our minds and our lives. Beginning with the importance of choosing powerful subjects and themes, Gerard encourages writers to explore what is closest to their hearts. He then presents dozens of practical storytelling strategies that engage readers and move them- to tears and laughter, or to action. As in his much-praised Creative Nonfiction , Gerard's instruction is always accessible and a pleasure to read. Anyone who dreams of writing a book that makes a difference will come away with a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

230 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Philip Gerard is the author of 13 books, including The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina. Gerard was the author of Our State's Civil War series. He currently teaches in the department of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Reviews

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book both to write and to teach, and I spend so much time on my teaching that even after I stopped teaching, it has been all I could think about, in spite of my health issues!! I liked the connections the author made between themes and plot, which ties in to connections I like to blog about between language learning and cooperative ways of thinking and building community. But I currently do not recall the details which had so impressed me. So, I must read this book again when libraries open irl, as I recall many of the points, which were excellent, but no longer have my notes.

[John Maberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

No instruction manual can really tell you how your book should be written. In fact, many can dull your senses and arouse doubts in your mind about structure, organization and other aspects of how you want to tell your story. Nonetheless, desiring to do exactly what the title of this book describes, "writing a book that makes a difference," I found it very useful in stimulating my thinking. It helped rather than hindered my choices, although, as I suggested, it really couldn't tell me what I needed to do. Only after reading many such books did the winnowing process of my own brain absorb a little from this and a little from that. So if you too want to write such a book, go ahead and buy this early on in the process.

[Ian Beardsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the best book I've read on the act of writing itself. Perhaps Gerard's philosophy simply coincides with mine, but I found his descriptions of how to approach a large-scale writing project rational, and his exercises at the end of each chapter worthwhile. It was also useful when he explained the techniques of various authors as examples of his points.

[Jacqueline Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book on writing that changed both how I view my work, and how I craft my stories before they ever reach the page. This is a must-read for all writers.

[Kimmarie Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Writing a Book That Makes A Difference" is a natural sequel to Gerard's "Creative Non-Fiction", and I first read it for a non-fiction project. On my fourth Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month)contest, I prepared first by re-reading the relevant first four chapters, which brought me through the pre-writing stage. Many of the exercises suggested by Gerard at the end of each chapter were helpful in defining my topic and point of view.

Having completed the "nano" draft, I am now applying the concepts from Chapter 5 forward on developing theme. Though not a "blueprint" for writing a book, Gerard concentrates on the message and theme of the book, making good on his promise of a book that "makes a difference".

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really helpful book on how to write an original book of fiction or nonfiction that is important, not only to the writer, but also for readers. I use "Writing a Book That Makes a Difference" often. Highly recommended for any writer, fiction or nonfiction, this book covers both.

[Ty · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is value here, and i can see myself referring to it again under certain circumstances.

However, there is quite a bit of elitism present as well. War and Peace is used quite often as an example for any given concept. After a while, one gets the impression that the author feels that unless I am willing an able to write a War and Peace, I needn't bother calling myself a writer.

In fact, a lot of the material here advocates the notion that if writing your next book is not the single, unmitigated and absolute all encompassing catalyst for every breath you draw for the next few years, you don't have a book in you that will or can ever matter to anyone.

So, that's a bit too much pressure to be instructive for most people.

And his cathedral analogy chapter gets lost PDQ in its own importance. (That is when it wasn't contradicting itself.) He lost me there.

As I said,however, there is value in the book, especially the first half. A lesson in passion and how to use it. It even hints at how to find it.

An extra .5 stars here in the review.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my third time through this daunting book in a couple of decades. About to start my fourth book, I pray that Gerard's ideas and themes will stay with me as a wade into the research already done to learn what happened to three brothers who were lost during WWII, one who has never been found.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few useful bits, but that was about it.

[Sandra Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book twice, first in the early 2000s and again in late 2020, having impulsively donated it years ago to lighten the load for a cross-country relocation. But in late 2020 when I began conceptualizing a new writing project--an ambitious though ambiguous multi-author blog of uncertain genre honoring my father's life--this book came to mind because I didn't exactly know how to write it in such a way that it would, indeed, make a difference.

More precisely, the book came to mind because of what I vaguely remembered of Gerard's focus on theme and content. And on the second reading, as had been the case to lesser extent on the first reading, the book did not disappoint.

There is, of course, much more to the book than theme and content. Nevertheless, here are a few of Gerard's insights on those two elements that I'm finding particularly helpful as I wade into the currents of this challenging new project:

On aesthetic distance: "When a subject has you by the throat, when it arises from your deepest passions as a person and a writer, the heat of personal commitment can blur your aesthetic judgment, interfere with your craft. We want not just heat but light. Not just a thrilling ride, but also a sense that we've arrived somewhere important" (16).

On memoirs: "The best memoirs are about the memoirist only indirectly and implicitly as a reflection of the subject at hand" (34).

On research: "...one important function of research is to inspire you with a humility about your subject, reminding you that you can get only so close and no closer to perfect understanding, forcing your imagination therefore to work harder, forcing you to deeper research. Keeping you honest" (79).

On "story sense": "...telling a story that somehow hits a nerve...is partly instinctive and partly based on honesty--asking yourself whether the story you are telling is big enough, important enough, universal enough to warrant the reader's attention. Nothing is significant merely because it happened to you or to one you love...." (153).

On biography: "So a biographer searches out those telling moments, the crucial points of decision, that offer a glimpse into the deep personality of the subject. And in doing so, of course, selects the moments that will represent the life--creates not _the_ life but _a_ life" (199).

If you're a writer struggling with thematic meaning, I think you'll find this book well worth your time. Ditto if you just enjoy reading about the art of writing.

[Barbara Gregorich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and think that the advice within can in many cases pertain to simply writing a book — not just writing a book that makes a difference. I particularly liked the chapters on Subject and Point of View, Discovering Themes as You Write, and Developing Theme.