Cover Image: Beautiful Writers

Beautiful Writers

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Beautiful Writers is a brilliant book and it is unlike most writing books. This is a page-turning writing memoir, It gets to the nitty gritty part of writing. It presents advice from many of your favorite authors who have been guests of the Beautiful Writing podcast.

Was this review helpful?

Feel like indulging in some self-gratulatory fluff from so-called "writers" you've never heard of?
Looking for wisdom from that towering literary genius, Tom Hanks? Who obviously knows a thing or two about being a struggling writer looking for recognition, and a publisher, and publicity... yeahwell.
If overprivilege and bite-size nuggets of "Why I am so great" rock your boat, this'll knock your socks off. The rest of us will simply be annoyed.
DNF @16%.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, but this was neither beautiful, nor was I convinced by the "writers" featured.

Was this review helpful?

Yes, this is yet another book with tips on writing, but I’m not complaining! I always find reading tips and insights from authors about writing so informative and helpful. I think this book, and books like this one, are good for aspirational authors.
Also, I didn’t realise that this was a podcast, so I guess you could listen to that as well to get the gist of it all.

Was this review helpful?

As a writer of fiction and a journalist I appreciated that this was a writer handbook both part memoir, part advice, and every bit inspirational to keep pursuing a dream that can definitely be hard to chase. Maintaining the passion for this craft can be hard and publishing is no easy journey and I enjoyed hearing from others who share in that experience.

Was this review helpful?

I didn't know until I started reading that this is a podcast! A lovely and inspiring read, if a bit basic.

Was this review helpful?

It's another book on tips on writing, at this point with so many books dwelling on the same subject it's just repetitive.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very good reference and inspirational book for writers. There were several things I will do and keep with me as I continue my own writing career.

Was this review helpful?

Sending my apologies for not being able to provide a review. I am unable to offer a review for this book - I had sent it to my kindle to read and the file did not download properly. Unfortunately the book has been archived and I'm unable to re-send it.

Was this review helpful?

As a writer myself, I found this to be highly useful. It was well written and provided a lot of useful ideas and insight. I have recommended this to all my writing friends!

Was this review helpful?

Writing, as Linda and her interviewees will tell you, is hard (not compared to coal mining, thank you Cheryl Strayed) and this book will keep you company through the ups and downs. It's helpful and validating and insightful to hear from so many people who have been through this harrowing process before. It's impossible to do it alone and Linda offers herself, as well as dozens of best-selling authors to assist you. As someone hobbling to the finish line with a book that feels more like a boulder, many points in her story resonated, and I've found myself "YES!!!"ing out loud when reading some of the author excerpts

Was this review helpful?

A great book for aspiring writers and seasoned writers alike. This book is partially a memoir of a writer and partly a look into the secrets and advice of many famous authors on how to become writers. I loved this book because of this element. It was refreshing to read the author's honest account of her highs and lows as an author.

The work of Beautiful Writers was very inspiring and encouraging. It can be daunting to write a book, but reading this book put me at ease. I consider Beautiful Writers to be my writers bible because of the story of the author and the wisdom contained within.

Thank you #Netgalley and #BenBella books for a copy of this book. This was an honest review

Was this review helpful?

This was a very inspirational book. However, as another reviewer said, there were quite a few religious references in the beginning of the book that put me off a little, and made it more difficult for me to continue reading, as an atheist who does not appreciate religious themes in my books.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book you can go back to over and over. I would not be surprised if some library readers end up buying their own copies. So great to read the triumphs and tribulations of working writers.

Was this review helpful?

Less craft book and more inspiration, this will please writers looking for advice with a spiritual bent. The multiple god references early on could be off putting to some.

Was this review helpful?

I have read so many writing books along the way, always hoping to find a nugget of something new. In Beautiful Writers, there were so many! It's written so well, and I loved the stories she shared in there. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

This is a wonderful book, full of encouragement and inspiration. I enjoyed reading the vignettes by well-known authors, as well as the authors journey. This is a book every writer should read. I'll be re-reading it myself.

Was this review helpful?

I was hoping for an informative read with applicable tips for aspiring writers. There were useful snippets scattered through the book, but I'm not sure it's worth a deep dive.

Was this review helpful?

I had anticipated this to be like many other writing improvement guides I have read for inspiration before but instead found this to be a collation of anecdotes from various individuals, all separated into themed chapters. I liked how if you were struggling in a certain area you could flip to this chapter and find a page-long inspirational guide from a well-known name who also suffered from this predicament. Asides from that, I'm unsure what long-lasting knowledge it provided me with, personally, when read in a handful of sittings.

Was this review helpful?

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I enjoy reading and writing and I recognize a lot of the names on the list of authors included in this book. I have read their work and their words and admire what they do. This book made me feel better about my writing. It was comforting to read about their highs, lows, struggles, and successes. It is a reassuring type of book that all those that read, write or do anything creative in this world. It is a book I will go back to when imposter syndrome comes back to haunt me. This is more than worth the read.

Was this review helpful?

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Beautiful Writers: A Journey of Big Dreams and Messy Manuscripts–with Tricks of the Trade from Bestselling Authors by Linda Sivertsen from Net Galley and Ben Bella Books in order to read and give an honest review.

… I loved this book, I found it insightful, interesting, and engaging, and would highly recommend it to both novice and experienced writers…

Unique and brilliant, Beautiful Writers is not just any other book on writing. The author intertwines her thoughts into a brilliant and diverse collection of vignettes from authors including Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Terry McMillan, Lee Child, and Danielle LaPorte just to name a few. Every author generously shares their lives, and challenges alongside the reader on their journey. This book is such a wonderful blend, part memoir, part guide on the writing life. Each author shares an intimate and often humorous look into the good, the bad and the ugly sides of “the writing life” and offers sound advice and wisdom that is vulnerable, honest, and yet truly inspirational.
This is a wonderful read for anyone looking for inspiration and advice. I loved this book, I found it insightful, interesting, and engaging, and would highly recommend it to both novice and experienced writers alike.

Was this review helpful?