Book Review: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

I am not (by definition) into grammar textbooks. I am tremendously into the careful use of language, and so far The Elements of Style is the one book on the subject that I have recommended on any and all occasions without reservations!

This thin little book belongs in every writer’s arsenal. Easily accessible, pertinent and succinct, it touches on subjects that matter (elementary rules of usage, principles of composition, matters of form, and commonly misused words and expressions). In short, all those small, daily, irritating trip-ups which too often bring our writing to the dust. And it’s all done in roughly 80 small pages!

The ending chapter, An Approach to Style, is worth the price of the entire book and (in my opinion) if thoroughly studied is all you might ever need on the subject. To quote: 

“Write in a way that draws the reader’s attention to the sense and substance of the writing, rather than to the mood and temper of the author. If the writing is solid and good, the mood and temper of the writer will eventually be revealed, and not at the expense of the work. Therefore, the first piece of advice is this: to achieve style, begin by affecting none—that is, place yourself in the background. A careful and honest writer does not need to worry about style. As he becomes proficient in the use of the language, his style will emerge, because he himself will emerge, and when this happens he will find it increasingly easy to break through the barriers that separate him from other minds, other hearts—which is, of course, the purpose of writing, as well as its principal reward. Fortunately, the act of composition, or creation, disciplines the mind; writing is one way to go about thinking, and the practice and habit of writing not only drain the mind but supply it, too.”

Most excellent, is it not?

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

Book Review - Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon

“The question every young writer at some point asks is: “What should I write?” And the standard answer is, “Write what you know.” This advice always leads to terrible stories in which nothing interesting happens. We make art because we like art. We’re drawn to certain kinds of work because we’re inspired by people doing that work. All fiction, in fact, is fan fiction.”  

from Steal Like An Artist

With all the furor about plagiarism these days, a lot of subsequent questions about creativity have surfaced. Should we try not to be influenced by what we’ve read/seen/heard? Isn’t that why we seek out all these good things in the first place? So that working together, they can form our thoughts and vision of the world? And how can we escape having what we love come out in our writing—or in any other of our endeavors? Is that even possible?

Austin Kleon approaches all these questions and more with delightful vigor. To quote: “You don’t want to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes…somehow get a glimpse into their minds…to internalize their way of looking at the world.” 

It’s amazing to see some of the famous people he quotes throughout (musicians, painters, filmmakers, authors, sports stars, etc.) while his down-to-earth approach for living creatively is excellent, as he points out good reasons for how and why it should organically tie together with the rest of our life.

And in reality, in the end—whether writing books or blog posts or song lyrics or screenplays—whether sketching on scrap paper or painting a masterpiece—whether changing out a load of family laundry or scrubbing floors or washing dishes for the umpteenth time—everyone is called to live as an artist: seriously, diligently, and creatively.

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com