A resource for absolute beginners...

...but not for those with more experience. I purchased this without looking much into it, closely looking at the cover, or even listening to a sample, so I had no idea what I was in for. It's short, and inexpensive, so I took a chance.

Before I get into the meat of the text, the reader does a decent job; she doesn't slur or speed or drag things out.

But less than five minutes in I was both laughing and shaking my head in disbelief at what I was hearing, and that continued through the whole 50 minutes. I don't want to be too negative, but honestly, this really needed an editor to comb through it. Several word choices were made awkward via thesaurus abuse, 'weary' was used instead of 'wary' which is a pet peeve of mine, and instances of confusing and just plain weird grammar were abundant. There's actually a line in here about not needing to edit short fiction, and that got me kind of angry.

On the positive side, it does lay out a few strategies for writing short fiction that might be helpful to someone just starting out. Sadly, the list of story parts was super awkward in the audio format, less of a big deal in the ebook, I expect. The short story that is included with the parts labeled was a nice touch, though that too could have really benefited from an editorial eye. The list of places to submit in the PS chapter is good.

To me, this amateur-made series is both a good example and a cautionary tale: yes, start chasing your dreams. Do the things you want to do, and learn as you go. When it comes to fiction and non-fiction writing, practice is the only way to make progress. But remember that you may not be able to catch all of your own mistakes, and getting advice from another is not just helpful, it's vital to your own growth as content creators.

2 people found this helpful

Meh

This is an encouraging book for a young beginner. There's better info out there. Ok.