The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Psychology for Screenwriters
William Indick, author
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933471, $29.95, PB, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Screenwriters-Building-Conflict-Script/dp= /1615933476

Synopsis: People's lives are made up of good and bad decisions, histories f= illed with triumph and pain, behaviors formed from a lifetime of experience=
s. A screenwriter's characters should be no different.

But writing psychologically complex characters requires an understanding of=
human behavior. Fortunately, as a screenwriter you will not need a PhD in = psychology to add complexity to your work.

With the publication of "Psychology for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in=
Your Script", William Indick (an author, active screenwriter, screenwritin=
g consultant, and an Associate Professor of Psychology at William Paterson = University in Wayne, New Jersey) will help you add psychological depth to y= our script with insights from brilliant psychological theorists like Freud,=
Jung, and Adler.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, a careful re= ading of "Psychology for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in Your Script" w= ill enable even the most novice of screenwriters to create memorable charac= ters and engaging conflicts that will have their audiences enthralled. Whil=
e highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic li= brary Writing/Publishing collections in general, and supplemental Screenwri= tng curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Psychology for Scree= nwriters" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).

Editorial Note: William Indick (https://bulletproofscreenwriting.tv/william= -indick) earned his bachelors degree in psychology (1993) and masters degre=
e in music therapy (1996) from New York University. His other books include=
Media Environments and Mental Disorder (2021), The Digital God (2015), Anc= ient Symbology in Fantasy Literature (2012), The Psychology of the Western = (2008), Psycho Thrillers (2006), and Movies and the Mind (2004).

Mining Your Past
Richard Lee Zuras
Belle Isle Books
http://www.belleislebooks.com
c/o Brandylane Publishers
5 South First Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781958754030, $17.95, PB, 194pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mining-Your-Past-Richard-Zuras/dp/195875403X

Synopsis: No one has ever seen the world the way you have. This is a truth = that noted author, poet, and professor Richard Lee Zuras knows well.

As a writer, mining your past for its characters, its lessons, its regrets,=
and its joys can feel intimidating, but it leads to authenticity in any wr= iter's work that simply cannot be replicated. No one has seen the world the=
way you do, and so learning how to tap into that world as you create new s= tories is an invaluable way of finding your voice.

"Mining Your Past: A Creative Writing Professor's Guide" is an accessible a=
nd informative writing guide in which Professor Zuras skillfully combines h=
is previous written works and personal histories with concrete tools for an=
y readers looking to integrate their own pasts into authentic writing.

Refreshingly reader-focused, "Mining Your Past" provides the aspiring write=
r with tangible methods for uncovering their unique world view in order to = create more compelling and genuine storytelling. The reader will step away = with a greater faith in their potential as writers and with a better unders= tanding of their own pasts, making this an essential read -- especially for=
novice writers searching for a way to share their stories, as only they ca=
n tell them.

Critique: A complete course of informative and practical instruction for pe= rsonal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing co= llections, "Mining Your Past: A Creative Writing Professor's Guide" will be=
of special and enduring value for anyone with an interest in writing stori= es, poetry and song lyrics. In full compliance with the old adage of 'Write=
What You Know', this throughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional is unrese= rvedly recommended for novice writers and has a great deal of insightful an=
d thought-provoking value for even the more experienced author, essayist, s= ong writer, or poet.

Editorial Note: Edward Lee Zuras (http://www.belleislebooks.com/richardleez= uras.html) is a professor of English & Creative Writing at the University o=
f Maine at Presque Isle where he has taught creative writing for more than = twenty years. His own stories and poems have appeared in dozens of literary=
journals including Story Quarterly, South Dakota Review, Weber Journal, Bi=
g Muddy, Jabberwock Review, Lake Effect, Chicago Quarterly Review, Laurel R= eview, Yemassee, Xavier Review, Confrontation, Red Rock Review, and Passage=
s North. Richard has held writing conference scholarships at Bread Loaf, We= sleyan University, and Pirate's Alley Faulkner, and is the author of the no= vels The Bastard Year, and The Honeymoon Corruption as well as the poetry c= ollection Birds at the Post Office (all from Brandylane Publishers).

On Writing and Failure
Stephen Marche
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965163, $12.95, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Field-Notes-Stephen-Marche/dp/1771965169

Synopsis: Failure is a topic discussed in every creative writing department=
in the world, but "On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseveranc=
e Required to Endure the Life of a Writer" by seasoned writer Stephen March=
e is the book every beginning writer should have on their shelf to prepare = them for rejections from the publishing industry.

Less an instruction guide on writing and more a 'how-to' manual on what you=
need to continue existing as a writer, "On Writing and Failure: Or, On the=
Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer" aptly descr= ibes the defining role played by rejection in literary endeavors and contem= plates failure as the essence of the writer's life.

Along with his own history of rejection, Marche offers stories from the his= tory of writerly failure, from Ovid's exile and Dostoevsky's mock execution=
to James Baldwin's advice just to endure, where living with the struggle a=
nd the pointlessness of writing is the point.

Critique: Simply put, "On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Persever= ance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer" must be considered essential = reading for anyone seeking to write for a living, be it as a novelist, essa= yist, poet, columnist, or any other writing genre. Itself exceptionally wel=
l written, organized and presented, "On Writing and Failure" is unreservedl=
y recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library W= riting/Publishing collections. It should be noted that "On Writing and Fail= ure" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.79).

Editorial Note: Stephen Marche (http://www.stephenmarche.com) is a novelist=
, essayist and cultural commentator. He is also the author of half a dozen = books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for the New Yorker, the Ne=
w York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Walrus and many others.

How to Write Erotica
Rachel Kramer Russel
Cleis Press
101 Hudson Street, Suite 3705, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 http://cleispress.com
9781627783194, $18.95, PB, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Write-Erotica-Rachel-Kramer-Bussel/dp/1627783199

Synopsis: Have you had intimate fantasies or simmering plotlines you've wan= ted to write but weren't sure how or where to start? With the publication o=
f "How to Write Erotica", renowned erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer = Bussel shows the aspiring writer how to turn those fragments into fully fle= shed out erotic stories, novellas and novels.

An indispensable nonfiction DIY craft guide to writing erotic short stories=
and novels, Bussel draws upon her 20+ years of experience in the genre and=
walks writers through the ins and outs of erotic writing. Whether you want=
to see your work on the shelves of bookstores, pen sexy stories or letters=
for a partner or simply explore your creativity, "How to Write Erotica" is=
a thorough instructional guide and 'how to' manual.

Having taught erotic writing workshops at universities, conferences and sex=
toy stores across the world and online, Bussel knows how to make even thos=
e who blush at the word "sex" feel comfortable putting pen to paper. Her ea= sy-to-follow method to penning erotica is broken down utilizing helpful tac= tics that include: Practical examples from her own writing process; Illustr= ative erotica excerpts; Interviews with over a dozen successful erotica aut= hors; Numerous writing tips and prompts.

Aspiring erotic authors of all genders will learn everything they need to k= now about gaining inspiration from their everyday surroundings, breaking in=
to publishing, promoting their work and making a name for themselves. From = pseudonyms to BDSM, overcoming writer's block and crafting sultry, believab=
le characters, Bussel's advice will have you seeing erotic possibilities ev= erywhere. You don't need an advanced degree, previous writing experience or=
sexual experience to write good erotica. All you need is a keen imaginatio=
n and a willingness to follow your lusty mind wherever it takes you.

Critique: A seminal, unique, and expertly written writer's guide to a speci= fic genre that has always been a lucrative market, "How To Write Erotica" i=
s particularly recommended for aspiring writers working in both erotic and = romantic fiction. While unreservedly recommended for personal and professio= nal Writer Instructional Reference collections, it should be noted that "Ho=
w To Write Erotica" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kin= dle, $13.49).

Editorial Note: Rachel Kramer Bussel (https://rachelkramerbussel.com) is th=
e editor of over 70 anthologies featuring over 700 authors, including The B=
ig Book of Orgasms and the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series. She wri= tes widely about sex, dating, books and pop culture, and has contributed to=
over 100 erotica anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 200=
6. She teaches erotica writing workshops online and in person and consults = with authors via EroticaWriting101.com. She can be followed on Twitter @raq= uelita. Her books have won the IPPY (Independent Publisher) Award for Eroti=
ca and the Samois Anthology Award from the National Leather Association-Int= ernational and she is also the winner of the Living in Leather John Preston=
Award.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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