Writer Series: Help! For Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces by Roy Peter Clark

Do you remember that moment; the moment when you were struck with the sudden burning desire to write?  With an unmatched enthusiasm and joy you jumped right in with both feet.  But at some point during the writing process things changed.  Your burning desire cooled, your enthusiasm fizzled and the joy you once possessed vanished.  You became bogged down and overwhelmed.  It was all you could do to keep your head above water as you struggled to not sink underneath the enormity of your undertaking.  Where could you find a life line you wondered?  Is there someone out there who can understand your plight?   These are the types of situations that led Roy Peter Clark to create his Help! For Writers; a life preserver in times of desperation and a compass to chart a new course.

 

Known as “America’s writing coach” Roy Peter Clark has a Ph.D. in English, specializing in medieval literature and started teaching writing in 1977 when he was hired by St. Petersburg Times.  In 1979 he joined the journalism school, Poynter Institute, and has risen through the ranks as director of the writing center, dean of the faculty, senior scholar and vice president.  He is the author of multiple books in both fiction and nonfiction, but is best known for his books on journalism and writing.  Some of his contributions to the world of writing include; "Writing Tools," "The Glamour of Grammar," and “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer”.  He has served several times as a juror for the Pulitzer prize committee and has been featured on NPR, Oprah and the Today show.  He is also on iTunesU and has had his podcasts downloaded over a million times, talk about popular.  Both a teacher and writer with credibility to back him up, not a bad combination.

In Help! For Writers, recommended by my dear mother-in-law who is on her own grand voyage of writing self-discovery and craft development, Clark addresses basic issues in all of the seven steps of the writing process from formulation to creation to completion.  This book is perfect for the beginning writer or the veteran looking to iron out some wrinkles.  It is a quick, non-taxing read with plenty of food for thought.  The subjects are far ranging and the suggestions are simply laid out and doable and at times highly creative.  I especially enjoyed the part about finding inspiration and how to work with an assignment.

The writing itself, however, is rather dry and not particularly engaging.  Though that should in no way diminish the usefulness of the information or its ability to effectively solve issues.  It should also probably be noted that I personally tend to suffer from the millennial curse of constant need for entertainment (what can I say, we all have our own issues) so that definitely affects my perspective.  Also this book does tend to lean toward the nonfiction side of writing, but a fiction writer shouldn’t completely dismiss it, a lot of writing issues are fairly universal.

The writing voyage can be fraught with storms, rocky seas and hidden undertows, but the true writer who believes in the power of their craft can find Help!, they just have to willing to look for it.