Book Review: Young Writers' Toolkit

Though written with students in mind, the Young Writers' Toolkit deserves a spot on all aspiring writers' bookshelves.  Presented in a clear and logical format, the book hits all the key problem spots that bedevil those starting out in the craft.  Authors Michael C. Fine and Veronica Hoyle-Kent do an excellent job helping writers sharpen their writing with easy-to-follow examples.

Part One presents a variety of word lists organized under general concepts:  senses, feelings, colors, character descriptions, etc.  Even experienced writers sometimes find themselves in a verbal rut, and the lists help writers find just the right word to express what they want to say.  For example, the book offers over two dozen different ways to describe something that is red. What might seem like a trite issue isn't when you are staring at a blank page wondering how to describe your heroine's hair!

Part Two presents word groups sorted by genre.  Writing a pirate story?  There is an entire section of common pirate themed words.  Writing a western?  There is a section of common terms from the time period.  These word groups will help young writers tell their stories in an authentic voice by using words in the manner they would have been used in their time period.

Part Three should be required reading for all writers. It targets dozens of overused words and provides a variety of better words.  No more writing "The food tasted good.  The dessert was really good.  The soda was very, very good." 

And speaking of "very" and "really,"  Part Four targets these weak words and others.  For every writer that struggles with the "show, don't tell" issue, Part Four will be a boon.  This section will help writers get rid of redundant words and other wishy-washy language that makes stories boring.

Part Five is a catch-all section that hits on a variety of other thorny issues, from commonly misspelled words to words that sound alike but mean different things.  The section also talks briefly about citing sources and the different parts of the story.

Young writers will surely benefit from reading this book cover-to-cover.  And even experienced writers can benefit from the no nonsense refresher course.

Published by Per Se Press.