Well Pilgrim, Write!: May 2012

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Nothing to Lose by Lee Child

Today I finished reading Nothing to Lose by Lee Child.

I read the book because I am a huge fan of the protagonist, Jack Reacher. I love him.

I'm worried about Tom Cruise playing Reacher in this December's movie. Tom's not 6'5" and 250 pounds. I'm not sure how that will work out.

Anyway, I must be in a sour mood from recent personal health issues because I didn't really like this book all that much. And following my rant regarding I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter it confirms I'm a bit of a grouch lately.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter

Today I finished reading I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter.

I read this book because I have been reading everything written by Hunter for many years.

This is the second book in a row that was a disappointment. I'm not sure I'll be reading more books by Hunter. He has the capacity to write a super story. This wasn't one of them.

My Reference Shelf

Block, Lawrence, Spider Spin Me A Web (1988) [2 Stars]
Block, Lawrence, Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers (1981) [2 Stars]
Block, Lawrence, Writing the Novel - From Plot to Print (1979) [2 Stars]
Bradbury, Ray, Zen in the Art of Writing (1990) [2 Stars]
Brooks, Larry, Story Structure - Demystified (2009) [5 Stars]
Brooks, Larry, Three Dimensions of Character, Going Deep and Wide to Create Compelling Heroes and Villains (2010)
Cowden, Tami D., Caro LaFever and Sue Viders, The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines - Sixteen Master Archetypes (2000)
Davis, J. Madison, Novelist's Essential Guide to Creating Plot (2000)
Ephron, Hallie, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead With Style (2005)
Field, Syd, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (2005)
Frey, James N., How to Write a Damn Good Mystery (2004)
Frey, James N., How to Write a Damn Good Novel (1987) [4 Stars]
Frey, James N., How to Write a Damn Good Novel II (1994)
Frey, James N., How to Write a Damn Good Thriller (2010)
Frey, James N., The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth (2000)
Grafton, Sue, ed., Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America (2002)
Hicks, Neill D, Writing the Thriller, The Terror Within Film (2002) [2 Stars]
Highsmith, Patricia, Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction (1983)
Hirschbert, Jeffrey, Reflections of the Shadow, Creating Memorable Heroes and Villains for Film and TV(2009)
King, Steven, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) [3 Stars]
King, Viki, How to Write a Movie in 21 Days, The Inner Movie Method (2001)
Leder, Meg, Jack Heffron, ed., and the Editors of Writer's Digest, The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing (2002) [2 Stars]
Maass, Donald, Writing the Breakout Novel (2001) [3 Stars]
Rittenberg, Ann and Laura Witcomb, Your First Novel (2006) [3 Stars]
Skillman, T. Macdonald, Writing the Thriller (2000)
Snyder, Blake, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told (2007) [5 Stars]
Snyder, Blake, Save The Cat!, The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need (2005) [5 Stars]
Stanek, Lou Willett, So You Want to Write a Novel (1994) [2 Stars]
Strunk, William and E. B. White, Elements of Style (1959,2000)
Tapply, William G., The Elements of Mystery Fiction: Writing the Modern Whodunit (1995)
Wheat, Carolyn, How to Write Killer Fiction, The Funhouse of Mystery & The Roller Coaster of Suspense (2003) [4 Stars]