I bought this some years ago - it was published in 2007 and reprinted in 2010 - and used to enjoy the late writer's column in 'Writing Magazine'. However, apart from the fate of all such books in the digital age - they go out of date in a few years especially the coverage of digital publishing (which is very rudimentary in this one) - the whole tone is one of trying too hard. I soon lost count of the many references to alcohol, drunkenness and general 'wine o'clock' hilarity which I'm afraid I didn't find very amusing.

There were a few interesting points, but even those have to be treated with caution - for example, although the Richard and Judy Bookclub is still in existence it is now a website as far as I know and I don't know when it ceased to be a TV programme. However, it does still seem to be the case that Waterstones buy books centrally (there is an interview with one of their book-buyers of the time).

There was a bit of laziness in a couple of places where the author states that she knows nothing about a particular type of writing, but recommends a book about it which she admits she hasn't bothered to read - but the author on the one about TV writing is apparently a nice bloke. It ends with several pages of quotes about writing from different people in the book trade, which I must admit I skimmed. So for me this rates an OK 2 stars. ( )

Rather different to this average book about writing, this one is full of anecdotes, humour - some of it rather risque - and a great deal of advice to drink heavily and eat a lot of chocolate. Clearly not all to be taken seriously, but I found it very readable and quite inspiring in places. The author doesn't try to inflate her experiences or suggest that getting published is just a matter of hard slog and brilliance; nor does she focus on layouts or grammar or even how to construct plots. Instead she looks at reasons why people might become writers, and suggests pretty much any outlet (greetings cards, film strips, restaurant critiques...) rather than producing a novel.

Then there's some general good advice to those who are determined to go ahead, punctuated with more anecdotes and suggestions, and then a brief overview of how to get published. Perhaps. I read the first half over just a few days before getting a bit bogged down in the final chapters, not realising (since my version was a Kindle freebie) that the end of the book is simply pages and pages of quotations about writing from other writers. I read the first twenty or so then got bored, and skipped through the rest.

Worth perusing for anyone who is interested in an honest, often self-deprecating account of the life of a writer, with some humour, some bad language, and much that should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. ( )

I really want to like this book, but it was just another rah rah you can do it craft book. I didn't feel like I learned any new tips. ( )

I enjoyed this book as well as gaining quite a few tips from it. It wasn't the meaningless manufactured slog that you usually get from books about writing. Not only did it engage you as if you were a friend, it provided tips on various areas of writing and the stages after that. I recommend it for anyone else who might be starting out as a writer. ( )

This is very different to any other ho to writing book I've read as it is full of great inside info but is also terribly funny. Jane Wenham-Jones reveals the tortured path to getting published and has top tips from leading names in the industry. Highly reccomended! ( )