Just Write: Here's How!

( 6 )

Overview

Practice, practice, practice. Now Walter Dean Myers, the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, walks you through the writing process.

Includes:

  • Examples from his writing and reading experiences
  • ...
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Just Write: Here's How!

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More About This Book

Overview

Practice, practice, practice. Now Walter Dean Myers, the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, walks you through the writing process.

Includes:

  • Examples from his writing and reading experiences
  • Walter's six-box and four-box outlines for writing fiction and nonfiction
  • Excerpted pages from Walter's own notebooks
  • An afterword by Ross Workman, Walter's teen coauthor of kick
  • Writing tips from both Walter and Ross

Anyone can be a writer, with a little help from Walter Dean Myers!

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Editorial Reviews

Booklist
Myers offers a wealth of advice that is professional and pragmatic and often couched in the context of his own work...Feeling that books saved his life, Myers now gives his readers the same opportunity through his advice and his largehearted example."
Kirkus Reviews
The third National Ambassador for Young People's Literature offers a how-to guide for young writing enthusiasts. Who's more qualified to write about the craft of writing than Myers, one of the biggest names in children's literature and author of 100 works for young readers? Though this volume is far from flashy, the straightforward, no-nonsense, you-can-do-it tone may well inspire young readers and beginning writers. Myers tells about his own life and how he became a writer before moving on to the craft itself, offering advice on structuring fiction using a six-box outline and nonfiction with a four-box outline. Excerpts from his own notebooks and commentaries on his work with teen writer Ross Workman (Myers' collaborator on the soccer novel Kick, 2011; Workman contributes to the backmatter) are enlightening, and readers will find themselves in the presence of a friendly mentor and writing co-conspirator. Ultimately, since writers draw on their own lives and interests, this is a writer's guide to life. Myers advises, "The best way to find inspiration is just to live your life doing these things that interest you most…. Pursuing your passions will expand your world. This will make you a better writer." Good advice on the craft of writing from someone who should know. (writing tips, further reading on writing, about the author, a list of the author's books) (Nonfiction. 14 & up)
School Library Journal
Gr 5–10—Myers uses the same honest and straightforward language that characterizes his young adult fiction to share his ideas about why and how he writes. His earliest childhood memories include being a good reader in school but a socially awkward, combative child. He mentions that he was admonished for "not playing well with others," and describes his transition from reading to writing as a place that allowed him to create his own world of characters. "When I'm writing, I create my own others, and I play very well with them." After recounting his own personal journey, Myers moves on to the craft itself and offers a supportive tone that should inspire young adults. He addresses them directly and draws readers into an intimate conversation about writing. Chapters titled, "Map It Out," "Nice to Meet You," "Then What Happened?," "Leave Your Ego at the Door," and "Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off" address such topics as coming up with story ideas, developing characters and plot, dealing with helpful criticism, and continuing to practice and revise your work. Myers offers advice on structuring fiction using a six-box outline and nonfiction with a four-box outline, including his own notes to better describe the process. He encourages young writers to focus on things they feel passionate about. He notes, "Pursuing your passions will expand your world. This will make you a better writer." His words sum up his philosophy and they characterize the knowledge that he imparts throughout this useful guide.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062203908
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 4/24/2012
  • Pages: 176
  • Sales rank: 155552
  • Age range: 14 - 17 Years
  • Lexile: 970L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 7.80 (h) x 0.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Walter Dean Myers is the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, the current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers has received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He is the author of two Newbery Honor Books and five Coretta Scott King Awardees. He is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults and is a three-time National Book Award Finalist as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was the 2010 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and is considered one of the preeminent writers for young people. Walter lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Dec 25 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Terrible

    Don't even THINK about getting this book!

    1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    To all who think it bad

    I BET YOU HAVEN'T READ HIS BOOKS!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Aimee

    Yea

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Apr 11 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Auther of presipitation

    Am i still in the compititchin

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    ?.l. ? ?

    Mq

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Dec 26 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Whats an efg

    Whats an egg

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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