Gerald M. Weinberg, author of more than sixty books and hundreds of articles——reveals his secrets for collecting and organizing his ideas for writing projects. Drawing an analogy to the stone-by-stone method of building fieldstone walls, Weinberg shows writers how to construct fiction and nonfiction manuscripts from key insights, stories, and quotes. The elements, or stones, are collected non-sequentially, over time, and eventually find logical places in larger pieces.
The method renders writer’s block irrelevant and has proved effective for scores of Weinberg’s writing class students. If you’ve ever wanted to write a book or article—or need to revitalize your writing career—don’t miss this intimate glimpse into the mind behind some of the world’s favorite books.
Science Fiction and Fantasy writer, Jane Lindskold, calls this book "a strange little gem: part writer's guide, part personal philosophy, and part autobiography. As such, it has something to offer for writers of non-fiction and fiction alike—and would also be a good read for anyone who has ever wondered where writers get their ideas."
Terra Ziporyn, Novelist and co-author of The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health found it to be "inspiring, uplifting, and affirming—valuable even for someone who thinks she knows how to write books. It was also breezy to read and full of the amusing anecdotes that I associate with all Jerry Weinberg's books. Of course, I also enjoyed having things that I have always done unconsciously identified and discovering that they were good ideas. Made me feel competent!
Penny Raife Durant, Award-winning children's book author said, "I suppose the strongest praise of a how-to write book would be to say it's changed the way I intend to organize and write my next book. And it's true! I'm now beginning to gather information and think about the structure of my next project, and I'm going to adopt Jerry's Fieldstone Method. I think Jerry has made my writing life easier. This book is a gift to writers at all levels from a true pro with sterling credentials. -
Howie Becker, author of Writing for Social Scientists, wrote. "Jerry Weinberg's lessons in writing are smart, funny, memorable, wise, engaging . . . and, most important, it is all stuff that works, it's practical. What more would you want?"
Jennifer Lawler, author of Dojo Wisdom for Writers, says, "Part memoir, part how-to, Weinberg on Writing dispenses with the mysteries and misconceptions of craft and shows any writer how -- and how not to -- hone their skills. Weinberg's method of finding fieldstones with which to build your writing strikes me as one of the more effective metaphors for the writing craft I've ever seen. Weinberg also rightly places the emphasis on writing about what matters to you rather than perpetrating the old saw, 'Write what you know.' Writers of any stripe will go far following Weinberg's method."
Matt Heusser, professional writer, said, "Weinberg on Writing describes the actual process a real person goes about when coming up with ideas for a piece, how he organizes those ideas, and little things like transitions and word choice. It will be especially helpful with people trying to get published in a magazine for the first time or people who produce technical documentation for a living.
I've never read a book so specific, down-to-earth, and approachable about the writing process. Most of what I have learned about writing was learned by finding *bad* writing, learning the symptoms, and trying to avoid them. This book actually provides positive, specific steps to improve the quality of your writing, along with exercises.
A few years ago I went to the writing section of my local library and checked out every book I could find. I found better books about the business of writing, pitching stories, and fundamental English rules. As for the actual process of writing, this book is far and away better than anything else I have ever read."
The method renders writer’s block irrelevant and has proved effective for scores of Weinberg’s writing class students. If you’ve ever wanted to write a book or article—or need to revitalize your writing career—don’t miss this intimate glimpse into the mind behind some of the world’s favorite books.
Science Fiction and Fantasy writer, Jane Lindskold, calls this book "a strange little gem: part writer's guide, part personal philosophy, and part autobiography. As such, it has something to offer for writers of non-fiction and fiction alike—and would also be a good read for anyone who has ever wondered where writers get their ideas."
Terra Ziporyn, Novelist and co-author of The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health found it to be "inspiring, uplifting, and affirming—valuable even for someone who thinks she knows how to write books. It was also breezy to read and full of the amusing anecdotes that I associate with all Jerry Weinberg's books. Of course, I also enjoyed having things that I have always done unconsciously identified and discovering that they were good ideas. Made me feel competent!
Penny Raife Durant, Award-winning children's book author said, "I suppose the strongest praise of a how-to write book would be to say it's changed the way I intend to organize and write my next book. And it's true! I'm now beginning to gather information and think about the structure of my next project, and I'm going to adopt Jerry's Fieldstone Method. I think Jerry has made my writing life easier. This book is a gift to writers at all levels from a true pro with sterling credentials. -
Howie Becker, author of Writing for Social Scientists, wrote. "Jerry Weinberg's lessons in writing are smart, funny, memorable, wise, engaging . . . and, most important, it is all stuff that works, it's practical. What more would you want?"
Jennifer Lawler, author of Dojo Wisdom for Writers, says, "Part memoir, part how-to, Weinberg on Writing dispenses with the mysteries and misconceptions of craft and shows any writer how -- and how not to -- hone their skills. Weinberg's method of finding fieldstones with which to build your writing strikes me as one of the more effective metaphors for the writing craft I've ever seen. Weinberg also rightly places the emphasis on writing about what matters to you rather than perpetrating the old saw, 'Write what you know.' Writers of any stripe will go far following Weinberg's method."
Matt Heusser, professional writer, said, "Weinberg on Writing describes the actual process a real person goes about when coming up with ideas for a piece, how he organizes those ideas, and little things like transitions and word choice. It will be especially helpful with people trying to get published in a magazine for the first time or people who produce technical documentation for a living.
I've never read a book so specific, down-to-earth, and approachable about the writing process. Most of what I have learned about writing was learned by finding *bad* writing, learning the symptoms, and trying to avoid them. This book actually provides positive, specific steps to improve the quality of your writing, along with exercises.
A few years ago I went to the writing section of my local library and checked out every book I could find. I found better books about the business of writing, pitching stories, and fundamental English rules. As for the actual process of writing, this book is far and away better than anything else I have ever read."
