Creative Writer's Handbook (4th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: As a teacher, I found the "sports coach" tone distracting.
Review: There are already dozens of creative writing "how to" books on the market...Why make a student spend this much for a book that's overloaded and at times condescending.

Rating:
Summary: I basically agree with Mr. Samuelson: far too much advice.
Review: Though the text has some good discussion of the writing process and useful exercises, the authors tend to set down at times questionable "rules" and much too much advice. The price is also out of line for most students in public universities and colleges, especially adult education students who want to write as a means of personal enrichment--and it is the latter type of student rather than the next Hemingway or Frost who is most likely to register for a creative writing courrse.

Rating:
Summary: Unprofessional and patronizing
Review: While I'm not the most prolific or most experienced writer, I am familiar enough with the field to not be talked down to like a 6th grader in a father-son chat. While the authors attempts to be "chumy" with the reader, they really do no more than patronize and make apparent their academic lack. There were no new ideas presented here--even for a beginning text, I would recommend looking elsewhere for a better basic understanding of the guidelines that will help your work work.