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Letters to a Young Writer

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( 2,350 ratings, 442 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann is an inspiring collection of insights, advice, and reflections aimed at nurturing aspiring writers. The book offers a series of short chapters that explore various aspects of the writing process, from creativity and discipline to perseverance. McCann's engaging and motivational wisdom serves as a guide to help writers develop their craft and maintain their passion for storytelling.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are an aspiring writer seeking inspiration and guidance. The author provides insightful essays and advice on the writing process, creativity, and the challenges writers face, making it a valuable resource for honing your craft and igniting your passion for storytelling.

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From the New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning, Booker Prize-longlisted author of Let the Great World Spin and Transatlantic comes a passionate and practical book of advice, as essential for budding writers as Stephen King’s On Writing

From the New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning, Booker Prize-longlisted author of Let the Great World Spin and Transatlantic comes a passionate and practical book of advice, as essential for budding writers as Stephen King’s On Writing

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

I hope there is something here for any young writer – or any older writer, for that matter – who happens to be looking for a teacher to come along, a teacher who, in the end, can really teach nothing at all but fire.

From the critically acclaimed Colum McCann, author of the National Book Award winner Let the Great World Spin, comes a paean to the power of language, and a direct address to the artistic, professional, and philosophical concerns that challenge and sometimes torment an author.

Comprising fifty-two short prose pieces, Letters to a Young Writer ranges from practical matters of authorship, such as finding an agent, the pros and cons of creative writing degrees, and handling bad reviews, through to the more joyous and celebratory, as McCann elucidates the pleasures to be found in truthful writing, for: ‘the best writing makes us glad that we are – however briefly – alive.’

Emphatic and empathetic, pragmatic and profound, this is an essential companion to any author’s journey – and a deeply personal work from one of our greatest literary voices.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Letters to a Young Writer by Colum McCann is praised as a warm, inspiring celebration of the craft of writing. Reviewers highlight its practical advice intertwined with a passionate exploration of creativity. McCann's writing is described as elegant, with echoes of literary greats, which adds to its universal appeal. The book is seen as a delightful pick-me-up for writers at any stage, offering beauty and grace that linger in the reader's mind.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526600943

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 January 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 169g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Colum McCann is the author of six novels and three collections of stories. His most recent novel, TransAtlantic, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013, and his previous novel, Let the Great World Spin, won the National Book Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and was a New York Times bestseller. His most recent short story collection, Thirteen Ways of Looking, includes the story ‘What Time is it Now, Where You Are?’ which was shortlisted for the 2016 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. His work has been published in forty languages and has received many international honours, including a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, election to the Irish arts academy and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China and an Oscar nomination. He is the co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organisation, Narrative 4, and he teaches at the MFA program in Hunter College. He lives in New York.

colummccann.com

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