Review: Just Write by James Scott Bell
When it came to picking the Week 1 book for my personal reading challenge, the choice of author, at least, was pretty easy. James Scott Bell is one of my favorite writing teachers, and several of his books sit proudly on my shelf.
In Just Write: Creating Unforgettable Fiction and a Rewarding Writing Life was a book I bought just because of the reviews. “James Scott Bell is my go-to writing teacher.” (Terri Blackstock, New York Times best-selling author). I agree whole-heartedly with Ms. Blackstock’s sentiment.
Inside the covers, this book surprised me a little with its two-pronged approach. Part 1: Unforgettable Fiction is devoted to what Bell knows best: the craft of fiction. On the other hand, Part 2: A Rewarding Writing Life, presents Bell’s take on what it takes to be a writer. Combining craft and business in one volume might suggest that insufficient attention is paid to one or the other, but Bell pulls it off.
Chapter 1: What Readers Want immediately turns Bell’s laser focus on what I believe is the most important part of the writer/reader relationship: the fact that the reader is an equal participant. So many authors want only to write “their story” and they forget that at the other end of the tunnel is a reader who must consume those words. Writing a story without considering a reader is like designing a luxury car and forgetting all about what the seats feel like.
Bell’s opening lines say it all:
“Your readers are of vital importance to your career as a writer. They’re the ones who shell out money to read your writing. If you can’t entertain them and keep them interested, you’ll have a hard time making a career out of writing.”
Bell continues with his introduction to craft at a higher level than he usually does in his other writing books. That’s to be expected; half of this book is devoted to the business of being a writer. But while he does introduce topics and then refer to his more subject-specific books for the deep-dive, he does offer some gems in this volume that shouldn’t be missed.
One jewel is his trick for generating “killer copy”, which Bell refers to as the ultimate book description to draw readers in and keep them. His three-sentence trick serves as more than a template for the cover blurb, it also serves as a tool for the writer to zoom in on the basics of her story in the simplest terms, the elevator pitch. It’s one of the best explanations I’ve seen for how to create the elevator pitch.
Bell devotes a full 25% of Part 2 extorting the values and virtues of continued study of the writing craft (also one of my personal soapbox issues).
“Make constant and never-ending improvement a goal just as important as your daily pages.”
I love that Bell doesn’t rest on the theory that writing well is an inborn talent that doesn’t need improvement. Instead, Bell believes anyone can learn to write, and write well, and that the study of craft is essential to learning to write well.
Bell brings decades of teaching experience, real-world examples, and a light-hearted but accessible approach as he draws back the curtain on many aspects of being a writer today. For the amateur just sticking her toe in the writing water, or a more experienced wordsmith looking to polish her craft, Just Write offers plenty of gems.
* Note: this post includes affiliate links
