About the Book:
Christianity Today 2020 Book of the Year Award, Culture and the Arts
Writing is not easy. But it can get better.
In this primer on nonfiction writing, Andrew Le Peau offers insights he has learned as a published author and an editor for over forty years, training, guiding, and cheering on hundreds of writers. Here are skills that writers can master—from finding strong openings and closings, to focusing on an audience, to creating a clear structure, to crafting a persuasive message.
With wide-ranging examples from fiction and nonfiction, Le Peau also demystifies aspects of art in writing such as creativity, tone, and metaphor. He considers strategies that can move writers toward fresher, more vital, and perhaps more beautiful expressions of the human condition.
One aspect of writing that rarely receives attention is who we are as writers and how writing itself changes us. Self-doubt, fear of criticism, downsides of success, questions of authority, and finding our voice are all a part of the exploration of our spirituality as writers found in these pages. Discover how the act of writing can affect our life in God.
Whether you're a veteran writer, an occasional practitioner, a publishing professional, or a student just starting to explore such skills, Le Peau's wit and wisdom can speed you on your way.
My Thoughts:
Write Better by Andrew T. Le Peau offers writers a practical handbook for producing any type of nonfiction. My niche is product reviews and I found beneficial instructions within these pages that I can use in future writings.
Write Better is divided into three parts which can be read in any order. Part one, The Craft of Writing, concentrated on grammar and rhetoric. Chapters four and five discussed persuasive writing and I wish every writer, especially bloggers and social media influencers, would read these two chapters. Society might be a better place if everyone practiced honesty and these guidelines presented about persuasion.
Part two, The Art of Writing, focused on creativity, beauty, and artistic choices. Part three, The Spirituality of Writing, dealt with writing as a life calling and how to steward the message. This last portion landed as my favorite because of its down-to-earth, spiritually balanced advice. Following the main chapters, a series of short, helpful appendixes discussed social media, co-writing, and more.
I recommend Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft,
Art, and Spirituality by Andrew T. Le Peau to any writer, but especially to
Christians writing nonfiction. It has a permanent home on my bookcase as I
expect to return to it many times in the future.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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