Gesture by Lauren Gawne

Alex Kourvo 4 stars, craft books , , , ,

Humans communicate with body language as much as they do with voice. However, most books about body language are focused on what humans do unconsciously. GESTURE is different. Gawne is a linguist, and she’s writing about the gestures we make on purpose, to help add meaning to our words. Whether we’re pointing to things, giving a thumbs up, or making heart hands, gesture is an important part of how we communicate. In fact, it’s so important that people will gesture even if they’re on the phone and the other party can’t see them.

GESTURE is filled with fascinating insights like this. For example, we use gestures to emphasize words in sentences, and because of the gesture, a listener can “hear” the emphasis even if the voice doesn’t modulate. We point in front of us with a finger, but behind us with the thumb, simply because of the way our limbs are shaped.

What’s important for writers to know is that gestures are shaped by our culture and our native language. For example, English reads from left to right, and native English speakers are more likely to gesture to their left when talking about the past, and to their right when talking about the future. Chinese is read top to bottom, and Chinese speakers are more likely to gesture upward when talking about the past, and downward when talking about the future. People who are bilingual will usually have a combination of gestures that reflect two cultures.

GESTURE is interesting for all writers, but it should be required reading for science fiction and fantasy authors. When writing about aliens, a writer has to take into account the way their physiology and culture influence their gestures. The same is true for supernatural beings like demons or djinn. It’s hard to imagine a demon giving a thumbs up or an extra-terrestrial invader flipping someone the bird. But there are countless other, more subtle, gestures that writers give to their non-human characters that they probably should reconsider.

GESTURE is an academic book published by a university press, and cites a lot of research, but it’s not intimidating to read. It’s a short, friendly book that will open your eyes to the ways that humans move when they speak, and the way that gestures add meaning to every sentence.

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GESTURE can be found here

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Rating: 4 stars

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This book is best for: intermediate or advanced writers

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I recommend this book

Writing Invisible by Noelle Adams (Claire Kent)

Alex Kourvo 4 stars, business books , , , ,

Writers are always told to be more visible. Writers are taught that they need to get on social media, cultivate a following, and dance for the algorithm. This might work for some authors, but most of us are left asking, “but what about the books?”

Adams (who also writes as Claire Kent) takes a different approach. She makes a living writing genre fiction. She’s hit the USA Today bestseller list as well as the New York Times list, all without showing her face on social media, and without posting any photos of herself. She doesn’t care about her online persona or building a brand. She lets her books speak for themselves, and only markets her novels, not the author behind them.

This approach isn’t for everyone, but Adams is intentional about making her novels work harder. She makes sure they are written to market, and that she maintains consistency in her release schedule. She’s careful about separating her pen names, giving each of them a narrow lane to stay in. She also writes a lot. Adams makes writing a priority and has published over a hundred books in a decades-long career. She doesn’t need any of her books to be blockbusters when each of them is contributing to the bottom line.

Adams is playing the long game. She’s seen trends come and go, social media sites disappear and new ones take their place, and readers jump on different bandwagons. But no matter what, she always prioritizes the work, which she loves. She urges other writers to define success for themselves and never deviate from their priorities. At the same time, she’s generous about sharing her experience with other authors. WRITING INVISIBLE has tangible action steps and examples in every chapter.

WRITING INVISIBLE is a rare marketing book that acknowledges that visibility is a cost, not a virtue. It’s for writers who want a career without burnout, without constant online performance, and without tying their identity to algorithms. For writers who want longevity instead of likes, WRITING INVISIBLE is essential reading.

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WRITING INVISIBLE can be found here

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Rating: 4 stars

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This book is best for: intermediate to advanced writers

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I recommend this book

Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang

Alex Kourvo 5 stars, inspirational books , , , ,

If you’re a writer, you don’t need anyone to explain rejection to you. It’s part of the job description. Query letters vanish into silence. Editors pass. Readers give one-star reviews. REJECTION PROOF reframes rejection not as a verdict on your worth, but as a kind of game you can ultimately win.

Jiang challenged himself to get rejected one hundred times in one hundred days. His rejection therapy began as a personal project, but soon became a masterclass in emotional resilience. Jiang documents all the things he tried, from asking if he could play soccer in a stranger’s back yard to asking to give the flight safety speech on Southwest Airlines. Along the way, he learned that people rejected him for reasons that had nothing to do with him. It was more about timing, business constraints, or not being a good fit.

What makes REJECTION PROOF so valuable for writers is how clearly it shows that rejection isn’t about you. Writers tend to treat rejection as a sign that we’re bad at this, or that we should quit. Jiang’s experiences prove how flawed that thinking is, as he discovered that people said no for reasons that had nothing to do with him.

Jiang also explores the idea that rejection is evidence of desire. You don’t get rejected unless you’re trying. And you don’t keep trying unless you really, really want something. Writers often wonder if the pain means they should quit, but this is a powerful reframe. The fact that rejection hurts doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path. It often means the opposite.

REJECTION PROOF is also a great reminder of how often writers reject themselves. We don’t submit. We don’t query. We don’t share our work because we’re trying to avoid rejection. Jiang shows that rejection loses a lot of its sting once you stop treating it like a catastrophe and start treating it like part of the process. Do it enough, and rejection starts to feel like background noise. It’s just temporary, and totally survivable. For writers, that shift is everything.

REJECTION PROOF isn’t a book about writing, but it may do more for your writing career than many how-to books. Careers aren’t built by people who never get rejected. They’re built by people who keep showing up anyway. Jiang shows exactly how to do it, in a hundred days or less.

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REJECTION PROOF can be found here

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Rating: 5 stars

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I recommend this book

How to Talk About Writing by Barbara Turner-Vesselago

Alex Kourvo 5 stars, craft books , , , ,

Writers and critique groups naturally go together. Every writer I know has tried a critique group at least once, and all of them cherish their trusted beta readers. However, critiquing a piece of written work isn’t a skill that writers are taught. Even in MFA programs, it’s assumed that the writers already know how to constructively give feedback. Groups might have loose guidelines, but mostly, writers are free to gas each other up, say nothing, or tear each other apart.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT WRITING shows how an ideal critique should be given. Tuner-Vesselago doesn’t just spout theory. She gives precise, concrete instruction that’s genuinely useful. She explains that there’s no such thing as universally helpful feedback. Nor is it helpful to quote writing rules as if they are the law, instead of just popular convention.

Instead, each critique should be crafted to fit the writer’s stage of development as well as the current manuscript’s stage of completion. A new writer does not need the same kind of critique as an advanced one, and an early exploratory draft should not be treated like a polished submission. This may sound obvious once stated, but few how-to books articulate it so clearly, or give exact details about how to put it into practice.

When it comes to beginner work or an early draft, Turner-Vesselago advises focusing only on what’s working and why. A middle draft should ask, “what’s this about?” focusing on structure and intent. Pointing out what’s wrong should only be done on polished work from advanced writers. HOW TO TALK ABOUT WRITING validates the messy, nonlinear nature of drafting and reminds readers that uncertainty is not a flaw but a necessary part of creative work.

Turner-Vesselago breaks down common critique situations and explains what kinds of comments help, what kinds harm, and why. The result is feedback that meets the writer where they are, rather than where the critic wishes they were. It requires more effort from the critic or beta reader, but it’s work worth doing.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT WRITING is a clear, practical guide that should be required reading for anyone in a critique group or MFA program. It will make you a better reader of other writers’ work, and a better steward of the creative process itself.

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HOW TO TALK ABOUT WRITING can be found here. It’s currently free on all ebook platforms

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Rating: 5 stars

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This book is best for: all writers

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I recommend this book

How to Thrive as a Writer in a Capitalist Dystopia by Russell Nohelty

Alex Kourvo 1 star , , ,

The title HOW TO THRIVE AS A WRITER IN A CAPITALIST DYSTOPIA promises a lot. It speaks of urgency, survival, maybe even a little rebellion. Unfortunately, what’s inside doesn’t deliver. Despite its compelling premise, this book reads less like a guide to navigating the creative life under late capitalism and more like repackaged blog posts cobbled together with a new introduction and conclusion.

Worse, the book never fulfills its own thesis. The title suggests practical advice on thriving as a creative person within an exploitative economic system, but what’s here is mostly musing and rants, filled with contradictions. Nohelty rails against capitalism one moment, then pushes entrepreneurial hustle the next. He champions artistic authenticity in one chapter and tells you to chase market trends in another. These contradictions aren’t presented as intentional tension. They’re simply never resolved.

A more generous reader might see this as a collage of evolving ideas. But without editing or clear framing, it reads like a rough draft of a better book that never materialized. There’s a sense of potential in the margins, glimpses of interesting questions about art, money, and purpose, but they’re buried under repetition and self-contradiction.

By the time the book circles back to its conclusion, it’s hard to say what, exactly, Nohelty wants the reader to take away. The promise of helping writers thrive in a dystopian marketplace dissolves into vague encouragement without a single action step.

In the end, HOW TO THRIVE AS A WRITER IN A CAPITALIST DYSTOPIA is an intriguing title in search of a real book. There’s no cohesive takeaway, no roadmap, and, sadly, no substance.

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HOW TO THRIVE AS A WRITER IN A CAPITALIST DYSTOPIA can be found here

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Rating: 1 star

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I recommend NEVER SAY YOU CAN’T SURVIVE by Charlie Jane Anders or THE ARTISAN AUTHOR by Johnny B. Truant instead of this book

The Artisan Author by Johnny B. Truant

Alex Kourvo 5 stars, business books , , , , ,

Truant is the co-author of one of self-publishing’s early bibles, WRITE, PUBLISH, REPEAT. Many authors took his advice far too literally, thinking they had to produce a book every few months. At the same time, Amazon started pushing authors in that direction by rewarding new releases, and before long, “rapid release” was considered the only way to succeed as an indie author. The problem? It doesn’t work for most authors, and the authors who do make it work can’t sustain that pace for long.

THE ARTISAN AUTHOR encourages a different way of publishing, starting with a different way of thinking. Truant wants writers to get back to writing books for readers, not for algorithms. His approach isn’t a get rich quick scheme or an easy button. It’s work. But unlike the rapid release strategy, Truant’s ideas will lead to a long, happy, and sustainable career.

The most important thing an artisan author needs is fans. Not casual readers, but actual fans. Fans feel a personal connection to a writer. Fans will buy their favorite author’s books no matter how often she releases them, and no matter the price. There are hundreds of ways to cultivate a fan base, so each author needs to evaluate sales strategies for herself. The strategies that work for an artisan author are the ones that nurture the author/fan connection.

Selling in person works well for Truant, and he devotes a lot of the book’s pages to encouraging others to do the same. But not every author is temperamentally suited to selling at conventions or comi-cons. Some are limited physically, logistically, or geographically. Truant has advice for those authors as well, so if in-person sales aren’t for you, you’ll still find plenty to love in THE ARTISAN AUTHOR.

If you’ve ever felt squeezed by the publishing treadmill, The Artisan Author is a balm and a challenge. It invites you to slow down a little, write better, and build relationships instead of feeding algorithms. For writers who want to last, rather than burn out, this is a must-read.

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THE ARTISAN AUTHOR can be found here

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Rating: 5 stars

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This book is best for: intermediate authors

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I recommend this book

Improv for Writers by Jorjeana Marie

Alex Kourvo 4 stars, craft books , ,

IMPROV FOR WRITERS is a toolbox of exercises, mindset shifts, and pep talks. Marie says that ideas are everywhere, but writers stall out when they let fear or self-criticism stop the flow. To get the pen moving, she borrows ideas from improv theater. She wants writers to regain joy, fun, and the confidence to go for it, wherever “it” might lead.

IMPROV FOR WRITERS starts with eleven principles of improv. Marie explains the improv lesson and how it applies to writing, then suggests writing exercises, with a clear explanation of why each exercise will be helpful. Sometimes these are small, like simply saying, “Yes, and…” Some are larger, like taking on a whole new premise or theme to your novel, or writing a scene without planning. The results are immediate because they force a writer to just start, somewhere, anywhere. Seeing what shows up on the page is how the best ideas emerge.

The first half of the book is by far the strongest. The second half of the book delves more deeply into single aspects of writing craft, like plot, characterization, and theme. Marie is on shakier ground here, since the exercises don’t actually apply to one’s work in progress, and Marie’s expertise is in improv, not fiction writing. IMPROV FOR WRITERS is all about busting blocks, and probably could have done without the second half of the book entirely.

If you stick to the first half of the book, the material is gold. It would work well for writers who are in a rut, or those who outline their stories in such meticulous detail that they lose their desire to actually write. It will also work for writers who are burnt out, feeling like their idea factories have shut down for good. Since there are so many exercises, you can dip in, try something, and see what shifts. It would be fantastic for a writer’s group to explore together, or for a solo writer as a warm-up to a day’s writing.

IMPROV FOR WRITERS is one of those gifts you give yourself when you realize creativity is a muscle you aren’t using to its fullest extent. If you’re willing to approach the exercises with an open mind, it will gently nudge you back to your own creative ways. It will help you hold your pen a little more loosely, so you can write with natural freedom, and probably have a lot more fun along the way.

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IMPROV FOR WRITERS can be found here

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Rating: 4 stars

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This book is best for: beginning to intermediate writers

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I recommend this book

Finishing School by Cary Tennis and Danelle Morton

Alex Kourvo 5 stars, inspirational books , , , , , ,

FINISHING SCHOOL is a about a program that Tennis developed when he was creatively blocked, unable to finish his novel. He gathered like-minded individuals to meet weekly, but not to critique each other’s work, or even read it. Nobody was to give any advice about the content of the work whatsoever. The meetings were all about encouragement, and more importantly, accountability.

Everyone made a schedule and blocked out time for writing. Everyone got a buddy to check in with at the start of writing time. The weekly meetings were for a status check: did you write when you said you would? Yes or no? No one cared about perfection, only progress.

This simple idea was the start of something extraordinary. By taking the notion of quality out of the equation, people were able to complete long-stalled projects. Along the way, Tennis and Morton started seeing patterns in the Finishing School attendees, as the same mental blocks came up over and over. They also saw ways to defeat those blocks.

FINISHING SCHOOL starts by identifying six emotional pitfalls: doubt, shame, perfectionism, judgement, fear, and arrogance. I was surprised by that last one. Shouldn’t writers believe in themselves? But arrogance looks like biting off more than you can chew, ignoring feedback, or refusing to ask for help. Self-belief is healthy, arrogance is not.

Tennis and Morton alternate chapters, giving advice that is thorough without ever belaboring the point. They understand a writer’s mental state because they’re writers themselves, and because these emotions are common to us all.  

The second half of FINISHING SCHOOL explains the program in detail, including how Tennis came up with the idea, how it works, and how to make this program work for you, even if it means having just one accountability partner. The whole thing sounds super appealing. The safe space, the gentle encouragement, the focus on forward momentum, and the cheerleading are all things I need as a writer. Luckily, I have this kind of writing group already (if you can call two people a group). If I didn’t, FINISHING SCHOOL would make me want one!

FINISHING SCHOOL is great for writers who love to start books but never finish them. Even if you don’t find an accountability buddy or formal group, just learning the method will go a long way toward changing that work-in-progress to work that’s complete.

FINISHING SCHOOL can be found here
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Rating: 5 stars
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This book is best for: beginning to intermediate writers
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I recommend this book

The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings by Paula Munier

Alex Kourvo 5 stars, craft books , , , , ,

When it comes to novels, first impressions matter. If the opening paragraphs don’t hook an agent, she’ll move on to the next manuscript without a thought. Some writers bristle at the idea that agents make decisions based on just a few hundred words, but agents are standing in for readers, whose attention is just as fleeting.

THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS offers practical advice on how to craft those vital first pages. This isn’t abstract theory. It’s a hands-on guide to starting your novel with confidence. Munier gets right into the trenches with writers, showing why openings need action and momentum, how to handle backstory and exposition, and how to fix common pitfalls. Rather than bogging writers down with warnings of what not to do (my personal pet peeve), Munier teaches through positive examples. She pulls from popular and classic novels, explains exactly why their openings succeed, and how to apply those same techniques to your own book.

Of course, different genres have different expectations for their opening pages. Even within one genre, the setting, characters, and tone will be different. Munier doesn’t teach formulaic, cookie cutter openings. In fact, she does the opposite. She empowers writers to write the best version of their own unique stories. In other words, Munier teaches principles, not building blocks.

Munier’s engaging writing and clear teaching make THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS a pleasure to read, but it’s not a quick fix. Implementing her advice takes work. I’d recommend approaching this book like a textbook: do the exercises, think through the advice, and apply it with intention.

This is true of all writing advice, of course, but especially true when it comes to writing beginnings, since beginnings are so crucial to finding your audience. If you want to find yours, THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS is an invaluable resource.

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THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS can be found here

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Rating: 5 stars

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This book is best for: beginning to intermediate writers

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I recommend this book

The Author’s Checklist by Elizabeth K. Kracht

Alex Kourvo 1 star, craft books , , ,

I was excited to read this book. You know I love a good checklist in book form (wink, wink). The subtitle promised a guide to developing and editing your manuscript, and since it was written by a literary agent, I thought surely it would contain unique insights.       

It did not.

THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST is nothing more than a glossary of writing terms. Some are basic writer 101 like pacing, plot and theme, and some are industry terms like synopsis or query letter. Each entry is given three to five short paragraphs of definition. Not instruction. Not advice. Not insights. Simply definition.

THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST is simultaneously too much and not enough. The list of terms is comprehensive, but with no organization beyond an alphabetized list, we go from one thing to another—synopses to tension to text boxes—as if they all must all be given equal weight. Craft considerations bump up against business ones with no separation or context. And how do simple definitions help? Knowing what something is isn’t the same as knowing how to use it.

I’m honestly baffled as to why anyone would need this book. If a writer has written an entire novel and doesn’t know the definition of setting, or pacing, or characterization, then nothing in THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST is going to help, since these things are the foundation of writing craft. There are numerous blog posts and books that will give actual instruction on these things. And if an author is confused by industry-specific terms like book proposal or comparable title, internet search engines are readily available.

In the end, THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST feels less like a guide and more like a pamphlet that got lost on the way to a real craft book. If you’re looking for the meaning of a word, save your money and just google it.

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THE AUTHOR’S CHECKLIST can be found here

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Rating: 1 star

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I recommend The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing edited by Writer’s Digest or Author in Progress edited by Therese Walsh instead of this book.