"The best book on writing that I have read . . . The tips, shortcuts, and plentiful examples of good writing versus bad cannot fail to every writer, no matter at what stage he finds himself." --Barnaby Conrad, author of Matador and Learning to Write Fiction from the Masters

"Stimulating . . . Offers a banquet of savvy advice. Unlike Anne Lamott, et al., Stein aims not to help his readers wrestle with writerly anguish; rather, he gets on the page, citing examples from writers famous and fledgling, closely analyzing first sentences, creation of character, plotting, and dialogue . . . Stein concentrates more on fiction--point of view and the creation of love scenes--but his advice on such issues as self-editing and choosing a title applies also to nonfiction. A section on nonfiction contains worthy remarks about adapting fictional techniques (suspense, visual particularity, etc.)." --Publishers Weekly

"This book can jump-start anyone's creativity. Highly recommended for all writing collections." --Library Journal

"My publisher Sol Stein was my producer, and editor Sol Stein was my director. Stein saw what I didn't think possible." --Elia Kazan

"[Stein] went over my manuscript with an ifallible eye for the soft spots in my prose, giving me one of the best editorial readinds I've ever had." --Lionel Trilling