The Linchpin Writer

I've been writing fiction for a long time, but I still read books on craft because I know there's always more to learn. I highly recommend “The Linchpin Writer” because it offers an entirely new (to me) way of looking at the craft of writing fiction. The book aims at those crucial moments in novels that can make or break a reader's involvement with the story–the beginning, the first lines of the protagonist's dialogue, and so on. As I am just now in the final stages of revising a new novel, thinking about these critical moments–these “linchpins”–has been enormously helpful. Besides offering helpful observations and tips, the book is written in a delightful, conversational style, loaded with humor. It also includes writing exercises to help drive home the points in each chapter, and suggestions for where to find more information on the author's popular website, Bookfox.

This is an excellent book and you won't be sorry if you spend some time with it.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a writer, I'm always happy to come across good writing advice. [b:The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel's Key Moments 61874556 The Linchpin Writer Crafting Your Novel's Key Moments John Matthew Fox https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659785287l/61874556.SY75.jpg 97534244] happened to be terrific writing advice that made me want to drop everything and throw open my notebook. It's been my experience that creative writing teachers/mentors/blogs like to keep an upper hand. Somewhere down the line, they begin preaching that their way is the best way — if not the only way. John Fox's exercises were a sigh of relief. He knows there isn't one way to write that's going to fit every book and every author. Each chapter ends with a series of prompts (keep a pen handy!) that force you to think outside of the box. Speaking as someone who gets hung up on the ‘rights' and ‘wrongs' of writing and having a set way of doing things, it was nice to have a push outside of my limited mindset. Though I didn't have the time to do every lesson at the time of reading this, I am excited to go back and give my undivided attention to the exercises. It's been a while since I've had such a burst of motivation.Part memoir and part handbook, there is a lot to discover about the writing industry and the craft in under 200 pages. The writing itself, no surprise, was charming and encouraging. I'm looking forward to exploring the author's blog and other books. A huge thanks to the author and his team for sending me a free ARC to read and review!Full review: https://oceanwriterreads.com/2022/08/25/book-review-the-linchpin-writer-by-john-matthew-fox/

Every reader picks up a book for their own reasons. For me, if I choose to read nonfiction, I'm largely looking to either be inspired or to learn something new. With The Linchpin Writer by John Matthew Fox, I am happy to say I experienced both.

Borrowing the concept of a linchpin, or the thing that holds everything else together, Fox focuses on those emotional anchor points that keep a reader from putting a book down. Every chapter highlights a different type of linchpin or section of a story. From first lines all the way to last ones, every part is covered. What truly sets The Linchpin Writer apart from other books I've read on writing though boils down to three main things: actualization, relevance, and tone.

Every chapter ends with an action step in the form of a challenge for you as a writer as well as an avenue for finding extra information on the topic. Yes, that information is from Fox's own website, but it's done in such a way that doesn't feel self-aggrandizing. And having been on that site to look around a bit, there truly is a wealth of knowledge to be found there.

I blame the author for why my reading list has suddenly doubled almost. Instead of pulling examples from classic literature or what seems to be a shortlist I've seen referenced in other works, the quotes used come from so many genres and are, for the most part, relatively recent. These samples don't just represent great descriptions or first lines as the case may be in certain sections. They reiterate the overarching point: linchpin moments in novels are important. Without the full context of the rest of the stories they were pulled from or the blurb on the cover, I felt compelled as a reader to add quite a few titles to the aforementioned list because of those linchpins.

The tone of the writing is both conversational and engaging. Personal anecdotes connect and support the various points the author makes without ever feeling like too much. Fox often reminds me of a coach with the approach he takes, inspiring other writers by sharing both successes and failures. He never diminishes the sheer effort that good writing takes, but he does offer strategies that can help hone effort toward something substantial.

I recommend The Linchpin Writer to anyone interested in making sure what they write packs an emotional punch. Readers won't always remember every point of a plot or every action a character takes. But almost everyone will remember how a piece of writing makes them feel.