Review: Everything I Know About Writing by John Marsden

Intended for teenagers and originally published in 1993 (though later updated) Everything I Know About Writing is an honest and reliable how-to guide for aspiring writers. Marsden uses his experiences as a writer and an English teacher to bust apart many popular writing myths (i.e. write what you know, use creative dialogue tags,) and gives practical advice about the use of language, how to show not tell, and how to use short but effective sentences. The final third of the novel is devoted to a range of creative writing exercises, giving readers/budding writers an opportunity to hone their skills. 

There are also some excerpts from Marsden's novels. The cover is, unfortunately, rather dated, featuring a floppy disk with a label that looks as though it was printed on a typewriter, which may make an otherwise useful book seem old fashioned and, perhaps, difficult for the target audience to relate to. Then again



With an improved cover, this one would make a perfect gift for any budding young author. 

Recommended.

This book was read as part of the Aussie Author Challenge 2020

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