SECRETS OF THE CRAFT
Dean Wesley Smith
I’ve got to say right off that I’m a collector of how-to-write books and essays. It’s a nasty habit that got out of hand my first few years of wanting to be a novelist, and hasn’t slacked off even after selling my 35th novel. I love the things, all the way from Lawrence Block’s Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, to the current Writer’s Digest Fiction Writer’s Yearbook. Beside my computer is my “bible,” Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman. Some of the better how-to-write books I reread often. Many just fill a wall of my home, dusted not-often-enough.
So, when Ken Rand asked me to look at his book, my response was “Great!” I was going to get a free copy of a professional writer’s thoughts on how to improve writing skills. Us collectors love anything free, and knowing Ken, I expected to learn something in the process. A double bonus.
Now let me back up a moment and say a few things about Ken Rand. He’s a long time professional author, a person whom I have talked with many times, and whom I admire. If you meet him you will like him. Almost everyone does. In the text he lists some of his jobs and writing credentials, so I don’t need to here. But let me say clearly that Ken is a person who knows writing.
Why is knowing writing important? My opinion is that new writers (all writers, for that matter) should look for advice from writers who are farther down the publishing road. (More succssful, depending on your definition of success.) I would never listen to publishing advice from a novelist who can’t sell a novel, while I’ve sold almost three dozen. Why would I? Newer writers have more sources of information, since just about any professional writer is farther along the publishing road than most new writers. Ken is a long, long ways down that road, folks. He’s been a professional for many, many years. He’s learned the way of things in publishing, and paid his dues. He’s a person worth listening to. Trust me.
Now, for some reason, he has decided to write down some of his professional trade secrets in this book. And he’s done it in an entertaining, sometimes funny, way. In my opinion, this book belongs on the shelves of every serious writer out there. I sold my first poem in 1974 and my first short story in 1975. I’ve been at this for a long, long time, and I learned some things from this book. I think just about any writer will.
Plus you’ll get this cool book to put in your collection of “how-to-write” books. My guess is, you’ll be reading this one over and over again.