Making a Good Writer Great ***

*** Making a Good Writer Great: A Creativity Workbook for Screenwriters, Linda Seger, 1999

Third of the three Linda Seger books I bought recently, making four of her books total that I've read. This book is endorsed by Ray Bradbury, which carries a lot of weight with me, as a Bradbury fan for almost 40 years, now.

This book is largely a set of creative exercises to get the juices flowing and take it to the next level. I typically shy away from such works, since I typically know what I want to write and how to write it, so if it hadn't been Linda and hadn't been endorsed by Bradbury, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. But I have great respect for both, so I snagged it along with the others.

It's worth the read. One paragraph in particular caused me to start re-thinking the rewrite on my current project. Other sections, such as mining your dreams, didn't do much for me. But you can't have everything. Where would you put it all?

Creating Unforgettable Characters ***

*** Creating Unforgettable Characters, Linda Seger, 1990

I got 3 Linda Seger books recently and read this one second. Linda has a way of distilling the essense of what you need to focus on. I highly recommend reading her before and while working on a writing project.

RIP Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman has died.

I reviewed two of his books recently: The Shape Shifter and Skeleton Man. And others buried in the annual reading lists for 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Check him out. Very recommeded.

The Italian Secretary ***

*** The Italian Secretary, Caleb Carr, 2005

Three stars for Holmes buffs, two stars for everyone else. As noted elsewhere, I have a decent collection of extra-canonical Homes stories and I'm always looking to exend it. I noticed this in B&N on the way from the coffee shop to the screenwriting critique group, and grabbed it. Later I realized it was by Caleb Carr of The Alienist.

It's a decent addition to the canon, but there are others I think feel more authentic, such as Meyer or Hardwick or the stories by Doyle's grandson, Adrian Conan Doyle with John Dickson Carr. Hmm, Carr. Wonder if there's a connection. Could be Caleb's father or uncle or something.

While digging around, I also found this website, where a guy has indexed the characters in 298 novels, 896 short stories and 88 kid's stories about Holmes. I guess my collection of 20+ books is meager, after all.

The Alienist ***

*** The Alientist, Caleb Carr, 1995

I bought this a long time ago and carted it around in boxes from TX to AZ to CO to HI and back to TX. At 600+ pages, it's kind of daunting to pick up. But then I realized it was the perfect elliptical workout book because it's hardback and so big it will stay open without me having to hold the pages down. However, as I began reading it, I discovered it might not pass The Ellipitcal Test.

The funny thing is that this is exactly the kind of book I have always loved to read, especially on a nice winter night by the fire with and a pipe and brandy at my elbow. Old, dead white guy kind of writing. But while working my guts out on an elliptical trainer, I began to lose patience with the slow pacing and "Tour of 1896 NYC" feel. I wanted something exciting to distract me from my pain, but all the book did was make me want to grab a Guiness, lounge in an armchair, and disappear into the world Carr created.

I powered through the first few score pages and after a few workouts I finally got invested enough to get past that issue. That being acheived, I really enjoyed the story. Exactly the kind of stuff I used to read extensively back 10+ years ago. Highly recommended if you like that kind of stuff, and I do.

Advanced Screenwriting ***

*** Advanced Screenwriting: Raising your Script to the Academy Award Level, Dr. Linda Seger, 2003

I've read somewhere around a half-dozen screenwriting books. The best was Seger's Making a Good Script Great. I had the opportunity to attend several of Seger's workshops sessions in April. They were so useful that I decided to get the rest of her books and I finally got around to it.

Much of what is in here is not particularly revolutionary or paradigm shattering, but there are plenty of thought-provoking suggestions that help in getting a fresh perspective on what you're writing. I already have several ideas to experiment with on the next draft of my current project, particularly on identity and movement as theme.

Which is the whole point - fresh ideas, improving the script, honing the craft. A writer is a pilgrim on a journey that has no end, only resting places.

The Shape Shifter ***

*** The Shape Shifter, Tony Hillerman, 2006

I scored a bunch of hardbacks at Half Price Books. Three Connellys and this Hillerman and some other stuff. I saved the Hillermna for our trip to Llano.

I have this to say, "He's back." Skeleton Man wasn't as strong as some of his earlier stuff, but this one is a solid Leaphorn story. It's worth a read.

The South Beach Diet, Arthur Agatston, 2003 ***

*** The South Beach Diet, Arthur Agatston, 2003

The first 120 pages of this book have info on blood chemistry and why the diet works. The rest is meal plans and recipes. I've already read up on glucose and cholesterol, so the book didn't tell me much I didn't know already.

However, I gleaned two factoids from the book. Insulin doesn't just regulate blood sugar. It regulates fuel, which means it also regulates fat as well. The other is that the sugar in beer (amusingingly called maltose) has a higher glycemic index than fructose, the sugar found in sodas. Wine is the better choice, which I knew already, but I didn't know why.

This diet (Phase Three) is pretty much the way we should all eat. I was already doing most of what it recommended just based on my own research, but there were some good suggestions and recipies, so it was worth the read.

The Woman is on board, so we've been doing a lot of cooking together, which has been fun. And I learned how to cook an omlet. I don't flip it, though. I'm not a show off.

Three stars for those interested in fixing your blood chemistry, eating better and living longer. Four stars for everyone else. Ha!

Property Management for Dummies **

**Property Management for Dummies, Robert Griswold, 2001

I have stumbled upon the opportunity to become a slumlord. I read this book to decide if I wanted to or not. If you're faced with such a decision, this is a good book to read. The second edition just came out, so I'm going to check it out. It has a CD with forms and stuff. Cool.

I skimmed two other books, but they didn't have much that wasn't in this one.

The Shape of Mercy ***

*** The Shape of Mercy, Susan Meissner, 2008

The cover looks like a romance novel. I was certain I wouldn't like it, but had committed to reading at least one chapter. Wow.

First, it's not a romance novel. Second, this is good writing. It reminds me a little of Sleep Toward Heaven in that it's about three women: a college girl and an old woman in present day Santa Barbara, and a girl accused of being a witch in seventeenth century Salem. Susan weaves these three stories together expertly.

If you're looking for something fresh, give The Shape of Mercy a shot.