Writing Articles from the Heart: How to Write & Sell Your Life Experiences

Rating:
Summary: Wow, I loved it. Helpful at any stage of your career.
Review:

This a classic for any writer, no matter how experienced. I've published two books and many articles and reviews, but I learned so much from Marjorie Holmes that I felt like a beginner all over again! Her book is warm, practical, and full of the joy of conveying your unique personality in print. I finished the book and realized the author and I live in the same region (Northern Virginia) and have taught at the same university (Georgetown). Full of gratitude, I immediately wanted to look her up and write her a fan letter. Imagine my distress to learn that she passed away in 2002, at the age of 92. This book is such a gift. I do hope that she not too busy in Heaven to pay attention to her Amazon reviews, and that she realizes just how much her book meant to me.

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Rating:
Summary: Cookbook for Article-Writing Success!
Review: I agree with the previous reviewer who found this book a little dated.

However...that said, her one chapter, "Three Surefire Ways to Organize What You Have to Say " contains the most down-to-earth and ... well... *surefire* way of writing any kind of article that I have seen in any writing book. Period.

In true cookbook fashion, Holmes will help you assemble your ingredients and stir them together in the most reliable way possible. As with any good recipe, there's plenty of room for creativity, but Holmes is there to coach you along the way.

Of course, the price is probably on the high side, just for that one chapter. :-) But if you can see past her sentimentalism, there are plenty of other gems in here as well.

I have written many articles using Holmes' formula(s), and I try to always check back with this one little chapter, just to make sure I'm on course. Time and again, I have found it has helped me smooth out my articles' rough edges and produce polished pieces I can show off with pride.

Rating:
Summary: not for people who already write
Review: i didn't care much for this book, although perhaps it would be helpful to a beginning writer. Holmes' advice on keeping a notebook, for instance, seems rather obvious. and her 'you can do it too!' attitude gets grating.
what disturbed me most were all the examples. i didn't learn anything from them--this book just seemed a showcase for holmes' work. i don't mind a book written by a conservative homemaker, but this book should be about writing, not about her views on life. Nor did i particularly care to learn how succesful she was in her career as a columnist. to anyone who already knows anything about writing articles, i would recommend saving your money.