Rating: 
Summary: Lessons Learned From a Lifetime of Writing
Review: Best-selling author Terry Brooks has written an excellent book that gives the reader a glimpse into his life as well as valuable information for aspiring authors. Brooks, the author of twenty New York Times best-sellers, provides readers with valuable tips for coming up with ideas for their book (described in his chapter about daydreaming), outlining, character development, publishing, and many other tips designed to help the new author.I also enjoyed Brooks' description of his own struggles to get his first book, the legendary Sword of Shanara published. Brooks was born and raised in Sterling, IL, which is a town located only ten miles from where I live. One person, Lester Del Rey, believed in Brooks' work and offered to publish it. The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks to Lester's faith, Terry has become one of the top-selling fantasy fiction authors. The personal insights into Terry''s life provide the reader with a picture of how Terry has become the author he has today. The chapters dealing with Terry's grandson reveal how a child's imagination can be used as a basis for writing. Also, Terry's poor experience with the adaptation of the movie Hook and the subsequent success with the adaptation of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace show that by learning from past mistakes and applying the lessons learned, success can be achieved in a later similar project. I've read all of Terry Brooks' books and will continue to do so with great enthusiasm. I highly recommend this fine book. Aspiring authors will surely benefit from Terry's teachings, while fantasy fiction fans will enjoy getting a glimpse into what makes Terry's ideas come to life.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons Learned From a Lifetime of Writing
Review: Best-selling author Terry Brooks has written an excellent book that gives the reader a glimpse into his life as well as valuable information for aspiring authors. Brooks, the author of twenty New York Times best-sellers, provides readers with valuable tips for coming up with ideas for their book (described in his chapter about daydreaming), outlining, character development, publishing, and many other tips designed to help the new author. I also enjoyed Brooks' description of his own struggles to get his first book, the legendary Sword of Shanara published. Brooks was born and raised in Sterling, IL, which is a town located only ten miles from where I live. One person, Lester Del Rey, believed in Brooks' work and offered to publish it. The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks to Lester's faith, Terry has become one of the top-selling fantasy fiction authors. The personal insights into Terry''s life provide the reader with a picture of how Terry has become the author he has today. The chapters dealing with Terry's grandson reveal how a child's imagination can be used as a basis for writing. Also, Terry's poor experience with the adaptation of the movie Hook and the subsequent success with the adaptation of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace show that by learning from past mistakes and applying the lessons learned, success can be achieved in a later similar project. I've read all of Terry Brooks' books and will continue to do so with great enthusiasm. I highly recommend this fine book. Aspiring authors will surely benefit from Terry's teachings, while fantasy fiction fans will enjoy getting a glimpse into what makes Terry's ideas come to life.
Rating:
Summary: How could you give this book less than 5 stars?
Review: Honestly, this book deserves five stars or more! I have found this nice volume of 197 pages extremely helpful in my writing, and Mr. Brooks is genious! Don't pass up the chance to read this one if you are an aspiring fantasy writer(if your an aspiring writer period it should be helpful), and learn a bit about the man behind so many great works.
Rating: 
Summary: A look behind the scenes at the writing process.
Review: I have been a big Terry Brooks fan since first reading the "Sword of Shannara" nearly 25 years ago. His writing style has been often criticized, but mostly due to unfair comparisons with JRR Tolkien, although it is unlikely anyone writing in the same genre would stand up to the legend. That said Brooks deserves much credit for his accomplishments. His books never fail to deliver. What is different about this endeavor is that it is not fiction, but rather reads like a friendly conversation about his writing style and the process he uses to write his stories. I was captivated and encouraged by how he uses some simple and straightforward techniques, including outlining, to put his ideas onto paper. I have been thinking of several books that are just waiting to be written, and am inspired by his insights and encouragement to take a few risks and just get started. A very interesting read, and an insightful look behind the scenes. Equal parts talent, writing ability, hard work and luck enabled Terry Brooks to get to the top and stay there for twenty years. No reason why it cannot happen to someone else. I recommend this book to anyone who has been a fan of his work, or is thinking of writing themselves.
Rating:
Summary: A look behind the scenes at the writing process.
Review: I have been a big Terry Brooks fan since first reading the "Sword of Shannara" nearly 25 years ago. His writing style has been often criticized, but mostly due to unfair comparisons with JRR Tolkien, although it is unlikely anyone writing in the same genre would stand up to the legend. That said Brooks deserves much credit for his accomplishments. His books never fail to deliver. What is different about this endeavor is that it is not fiction, but rather reads like a friendly conversation about his writing style and the process he uses to write his stories. I was captivated and encouraged by how he uses some simple and straightforward techniques, including outlining, to put his ideas onto paper. I have been thinking of several books that are just waiting to be written, and am inspired by his insights and encouragement to take a few risks and just get started. A very interesting read, and an insightful look behind the scenes. Equal parts talent, writing ability, hard work and luck enabled Terry Brooks to get to the top and stay there for twenty years. No reason why it cannot happen to someone else. I recommend this book to anyone who has been a fan of his work, or is thinking of writing themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Terry Brooks is a wonderful author
Review: I have been a fan of Terry Brooks since I was about 12 years old. This book is a great read even for those who don't want to become professional writers!
Rating:
Summary: Now THIS is what Brooks should be known for...
Review: I'll admit that I was really hesitant about reading another Brooks after what a disaster "Sword of Shannara" was. However, I was really surprised with this book. In here is solid, concrete and eyeopening lessons on writing, whether you deal with Fantasy or not. Brooks had a very easy to follow and deceptively simple formula for producing books that are readable and appealing. The autobiography aspect is interesting too without being all "rose tinted hindsight". You may resist his insistance to outline your work before beginning say a novel, but I tried it and it works a bazillion times better than expecting a story to write itself. Get this book to know more about the man behind Shannara and the Magic Kingdom, to improve your writing or just to have a darn good read. - A.
Rating:
Summary: It Works for Writers of All Genres
Review: Like Stephen King's book `On Writing,' `Sometimes the Magic Works' is part autobiography and part writing advice. Brooks addresses the general and the specific, teaching writers how to avoid some of the biggest blunders while growing and developing into a writer of more depth. Brooks had a very interesting beginning. He was a lawyer for several years, yet when he decided to write, he wasn't interested in becoming a legal thriller writer like Grisham or Turow. He settled on fantasy. (By the way, Brooks advises that you write in as many genres as possible until you determine which genre is for you.) His first book, `The Sword of Shannara,' made publishing history by becoming the first trade paperback to make the New York Times Bestseller list. So it was a bed of roses for Brooks from that point on, right? Hardly. `Sometimes the Magic Works' is valuable for the writing advice, but also for a glimpse into the writer's life and the journey that Brooks has taken. Readers will see Brooks as a passionate writer and a dedicated family man. (Yes, you CAN be both!) This is a book that all writers, regardless of their genre, will want to read. 197 pages
Rating:
Summary: Winning Us Over
Review: Shame on me, I know...I've never read a Brooks novel. As a writer, though, I was interested to read his insights on the writing life. The book looked readable. Helpful. Witty. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I read the entire thing in one evening. From peeks into the labor of the editing process to the debacle of writing the novelization of a movie, Brooks is honest and informative. He gives glimpses into his own beginnings and inspiration without seeming self-absorbed. He points future writers in the direction of hard work and quality craft. He offers a wonderful look into the joys of fiction. Stephen King and Anne Lamott have written sublime books on the world of an author, and now Terry Brooks adds to the list a book worthy of his predecessors. If I had any doubts about his writing, I've now put those aside. Time for me to grab one of his novels!
Rating:
Summary: Winning Us Over
Review: Shame on me, I know...I've never read a Brooks novel. As a writer, though, I was interested to read his insights on the writing life. The book looked readable. Helpful. Witty. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I read the entire thing in one evening. From peeks into the labor of the editing process to the debacle of writing the novelization of a movie, Brooks is honest and informative. He gives glimpses into his own beginnings and inspiration without seeming self-absorbed. He points future writers in the direction of hard work and quality craft. He offers a wonderful look into the joys of fiction. Stephen King and Anne Lamott have written sublime books on the world of an author, and now Terry Brooks adds to the list a book worthy of his predecessors. If I had any doubts about his writing, I've now put those aside. Time for me to grab one of his novels!
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