Review: The Story Cure: A Book Doctor’s Pain-Free Guide to Finishing Your Novel or Memoir by Dinty W. Moore

Review: The Story Cure: A Book Doctor’s Pain-Free Guide to Finishing Your Novel or Memoir

Dinty W. Moore

Ten Speed Press

2017

I wish I had had this book a long time ago!  Not only is this one easy to read, it’s helpful too.  The author is the director of the MA and PhD in Creative Writing programs at Ohio University.  And he’s published in normal magazines that people like me read from time to time.  And he works with beginners.

This is a back to basics book on how to finish your novel, and if you have read a few of the books that cover basics you will find he covers the same territory.  It’s the basics.  Basics are basic and don’t change.  It’s the way he does it that makes this book worth your money.  He has examples!  Lots of them.  And that is the way I learn.  He’s used the show don’t tell to teach.  Much of what I have read lacked that, and after reading them I still had no clue.  Maybe I’m a slow learner, but this book just clicks for me.  His style makes it fun to discover my shortcomings.  Yes, fun.  Colored highlighters, short exercises.  I can honestly say that I have just learned more in the short time it takes to read this book than I have ever before. 

I’ll say it again.  I wish I had had this book a long time ago.  

I received this book form the publisher in return for a review.