Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life

As an aspiring writer, I nearly despaired about my prospects of becoming an author after reading Stephen King's book on writing, which struck me as demeaning, but this book not only offered me great technical and artistic ideas, it gave me back my hope. Brooks makes a cohesive argument for doing the tough pre-work of writing up front, which many would say takes away from a story's creativity and spontaneity. Given his excellent body of work, though, his methods were nothing less than compelling for me. I was no more successful in putting this book down than I have been with any of his novels.

Brooks gives an insightful look at being a fantasy writer, both in regards to the craft and the business. If you're a fantasy writer or interested in the process, this is a nice title to read.

I find most of Terry Brooks's work to be hit-and-miss, but this one was a definite hit. He lets us in to his head during the creating process. While there is nothing particularly ground-breaking here, his style is very conversational and easy to read. He doesn't get bogged down in mechanics but tries to convey that writing is a process and a craft, not just a hobby.

"Sometimes the Magic Works" is a wonderful book for aspiring authors and fans of best-selling fantasy author Terry Brooks alike. Mr. Brooks has created a truly delightful blend of personal memoir and writing guide that offers a rare peek behind the curtain at the life of a successful writer. In revealing what it takes to "make it" in this incredibly competitive field (discipline, perseverance, creativity, and LOTS of luck, among other things), Mr. Brooks provides the kind of invaluable advice and insight that any young writer would consider themselves lucky to happen upon.

Five or six chapters in, I doubt I'll finish. It's probably interesting to Terry Brooks fans, but...

The opening chapter goes into some detail about how he's "not all here," explaining that his attention is usually in the world of his writing instead of on his "real" world surroundings. Unfortunately, he's not all here in the book, either. It feels amazingly superficial, like Brooks was severely distracted while writing it. I can barely remember each chapter by the end of it.

Several pages, I've simply skimmed, looking for something worth reading and coming up empty. I expect I'll "finish" it that way, if at all.

By contrast, I found King's "On Writing" to be inspirational, instructive, informative, and engaging. I sincerely wish I could say the same for this book.