Alison Baverstock’s book has been a very good seller but it still seems
worth reviewing it, even a year after publication, as it really is an
extremely useful book which many writers may not have encountered as
yet.
Let’s face it, we all think we have a book in us. But in this age of
over-production when we can only get our work published with difficulty,
just how many of us are sufficiently motivated and talented to make it?
This is the question which Alison Baverstock addresses.
Writing a book may be the second most popular New Year’s resolution
after losing weight, but it’s even more difficult to carry out. Alison
Baverstock interviewed many authors to find out what it takes and the book
includes contributions from P D James, Margaret Drabble and Jacqueline
Wilson, amongst many others.
Baverstock forces you to consider just how much you want to see your
book in print, dealing with questions such as how much other people
like reading what you write and how creative you are, as well as making
you look at your support mechanisms. She also gets you to consider how
well-established your writing habit is and whether you have something to
write about that others would like to read.
Through these and other difficult questions the author encourages
you to take a realistic look at your writing and what you can achieve
through it, emphasising above all that it is hard work and you will have
to be very determined.
At the heart of the book is a really tough questionnaire, which forces
you to discover whether or not there is a potential writer lurking in you,
or whether you just like the idea but don’t really have what it takes to
make it into print. Being realistic about the resources you will need,
both personal and practical, are what this immensely useful book is all
about. It should be required reading for all writers who aren’t sure about
their commitment to the craft.
An
excerpt
from the book
To
buy the book
