Book Review: The Eight Crafts of Writing

The Eight Crafts of Writing by Stefan Emunds is a must-have on the bookshelf for anyone who wants a succinct reckoner for basic principles of good writing.

Eight-Crafts-of-Writing

Book: The Eight Crafts of Writing

Author: by Stefan Emunds

Genre: Nonfiction, Contemporary, Writing Craft

Review Copy: Reedsy

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Loved it!

As a writer, this book grabbed my attention with its title. The Eight Crafts of Writing by Stefan Emunds is a must-have on the bookshelf for anyone who wants a succinct reckoner for basic principles of good writing.

Presented in a crisp format, the book provides a comprehensive map to navigate the writing jungle. Writers are often distracted by the tools of the trade, the multitude of best writing practices, advice on, and criticism of the styles. They tend to miss the overall picture. They forget the joy of creating art.

Nuggets of wisdom, easy to recall definitions, and a simplistic view of concepts are the cornerstone of this guidebook. It brings forth brief comprehension of elements of creative writing that we think we know but may not have clarity. For instance, defining a story as a genre or distinguishing a fictional piece from a nonfictional one. It talks about the techniques that convert big ideas into a masterpiece.

I realized the value of this book as I delved deeper. This is not a one-time read. It is reference material; a textbook. Highlight the nuances, make notes in the margins, view the online material, and memorize the definitions. I recommend it as a must-have for every student and pursuer of the craft of writing. Simple diagrams support the narrative. Links to external material like videos and articles enhance the reference power of the content.

Each page will draw you in, as you consume it. It’s virtually a tome because not a word is wasted; not a sentence is vagrant. It’s packed with a punch, a solid dose of learning in every single line. Read the whole book in a go or pick up a section and ruminate. You must also access the website – https://www.eightcrafts.com for additional learning through maps and articles. This is a masterclass in a book!

Author: Aneesha Shewani

I am just ME … a soul streaming across constellations, over eons of turbulent changes and tranquil noises, perturbed by the visions that engulf me and ruffled by the oft complacence that challenges the change. Yet, I must travel further across the galaxies, in search of the ultimate metamorphosis. Until then, I sojourn in this life, engrossed in my earthly callings of a wife, mother, professional, writer, dreamer, and seeker. On this blog you will find a spectrum of fiction, poetry, reviews, thoughts, snippets, inspiration, experiences, voices, concerns, excerpts, and everything that the soul has gathered in her fold, over years of reading, searching, finding, losing, and discovering. I regularly indulge in various creative pursuits, like crochet, experimental cooking, reading, and writing, and I hold a managerial/editorial role in a financial services organization with a global footprint. For a long time, social media hijacked my personal writing space, as I was sharing more on Facebook and writing Tweet-sized poetry on Twitter. Social media is instant but temporary gratification. Ultimately, a writer needs their own space, and personal blogging provides that space. I had started a blog more than a decade ago but all things need to be infused with new life, emerge in a new avatar, and so it is with my new blog space. Let your love and encouragement pour into Blue Pen Strokes. Check out Aneesha Shewani (@felinemusings) 

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: