Writers Tricks of the Trade SPRING 2017 ISSUE 2, VOLUME 7 | Page 39

PAPERBACK, KINDLE, eBOOK Buy at Amazon , Barnes and Noble, and most Online Booksellers OR from Marina Publishing Group at www.marinapublishinggroup.com WHAT READERS HAVE TO SAY: Prior to finding Ms. St. James' book, I used a variety of other writing sources to start my sessions but most were so dry that they didn't spark much creativity. With this book, I find the style of writing so folksy, that many of them definitely get my juices going in a positive direction. Her best pieces stem from her personal experiences and I wish all of them came that way. Hopefully, when she writes the second edition, she'll add in more of her own experiences to continue to color the prose. For example, in "M is for Mistakes", I'd like to know what mistakes she made and how she used workshops to correct them. L. Nelson, Book Club Organizer As an "aspiring fiction writer" I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of a book on writing. After receiving the eBook edition of the book from the author, Morgan St. James, I dove into it eagerly, hoping to learn what I didn't know about writing and publishing fiction. Writers' Tricks of the Trade: 39 Things You Need to Know About the ABCs of Writing Fiction didn't disappoint. Morgan St. James offers the reader a wide-variety of advice regarding both the business parts (agents, distribution, etc.) and the actual writing parts of fiction writing. I learned about several issues I hadn't previously thought about, particularly in the business end of fiction writing. With those topics I already knew something about, Writers Tricks clarified and/or expanded my understanding. In each chapter the author describes a potential pitfall or challenge a writer might face and presents the reader with some techniques for overcoming those difficulties. She backs up the challenges and their solutions with anecdotes of her personal experiences . The book is written in a casual and personal style which makes for a very accessible book and easily read. The explanation of the issues and their corresponding anecdotes were clear and understandable. I. E. Davis, Aspiring Fiction Writer W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE P AGE 31 S PRING 2017 .