Most authors writing books on writing end up with more biography than writing. Palahniuk ends up with about half and half. Unlike a lot of the greats, he's closer to our time and the description of writing as a job, and publishing as an industry, reflect the current torpor instead of the by contrast wildly optimistic suggestions of much earlier books. Writing ain't what it used to be. The advice is general, but punchy. Like most books of this kind, it's more of a disguised pep talk, and it's a good one.
The biographical parts are the same blend of funny, shocking and insightful as his books usually are - which is way above the cut on the usually stumbling and navelgazing material in the books of other authors. Something about the self-reflection seems to demolish the author's usual style normally.
Recommended. ( )

From the author of Fight Club and other works, this is a loose collection of writing tips and advice, much of it drawn from Palahniuk’s own experiences, some of it borrowed from the pages or experiences of other writers of fiction. The bits are held in loose collections titled Textures, Tension, Process and so on. Between these chapters Palahniuk offers Postcards from the Tour - entertaining stories that illustrate the highs, lows, dangers, and practicalities of book tours.

I listened to the audiobook version then read bits in a hardcopy of the book later. Both are loaded with useful items and for anyone writing fiction are well worth a listen/look. In Textures, for example, Palahniuk divides the collection into subsections such as The Three Types of Communication (alternate description, instruction, exclamation), Big Voice vs Little Voice (big voice gives meaning; small voice delivers facts), Mix First, Second and Third Person Points of View (shift between all three, Palahniuk says) etc.

While the book is rich with ideas, navigating through them isn’t the easiest. There is no handy index to help readers find something specific, a handicap for a book of this nature.
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A bit short and lacking in direction, this does contain enough useful thoughts that I'll probably buy a copy (I read the library copy this time). Veers occaisonally into pretentiousness and/or self-congratulation which might be inevitable due to the semi-memoir nature but behind all that there's lessons worth learning. ( )

Some of this advice was applicable and very useful. Some of it was very specific to the author's style of writing (Minimalism). A lot of it was things I'd heard before, but phrased better and with practical advice attached. Either way it was a very fun and entertaining read that left me feeling closer to the author and inspired to write. ( )

Review now available in Volume 25 Number 2 Summer 2020 (#98) of Rain Taxi Review of Books.

https://www.raintaxi.com/volume-25-number-2-summer-2020-98/
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