« Creative Writing Ideas at Your Fingertips | BLOG HOME | 3 Writing Wishes – What Do You Wish You Knew or Had? »
Review – Pumping Your Muse by Donna Sundblad
By Deb Gallardo
As a voracious reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy — two wholly different types of stories that always seem to be grouped together — and as a writer of non-fiction and fiction, I was particularly interested in author Donna Sundblad’s book “Pumping Your Muse,” which I purchased recently. Both science fiction and fantasy, more than, say, a contemporary mystery, require tremendous “world building.”
Nevertheless, all authors must create a believable, three-dimensional world, whether it has unique physical and metaphysical laws, peculiar societies and problems, fantastic flora and fauna, or if the species of the viewpoint characters is non-humanoid or otherwise out of the ordinary.
Donna takes world building and writing exercises to a new level. My objection to most creative writing exercises is that they ask me to spend time and energy creating a tiny piece of writing that bears no resemblance to what I’m working on or want to work on. That isn’t the case with “Pumping Your Muse.”
From her one sentence rule to Discover the World Inside You insights, Donna Sundblad will lead you from one practical and eminently useful exercise to another. She begins with the sky and ends with fine details, and everything in between to create the world of your novel — almost from the atom up.
Whether you need to create a world from whole cloth or just need fresh ideas for your work-in-progress, “Pumping Your Muse” will stir your imagination and quickly have you writing what you want to write — in a world that comes alive for your readers. And isn’t that what we’re all trying to achieve?
I can’t recommend this book strongly enough. It’s that useful, both for beginners and experienced writers. Run, don’t walk, to get “Pumping Your Muse.”
(Use this link to get the original version: http://www.epress-online.com/SUNBLAD/Pumping-Your-Muse/sales-page.htm(opens in new window) When the new version comes out, it will be available at Amazon and I’ll post that as well.)
Related Posts
- Story Ideas – Daily Writing Prompts
- Creative Writing Workshop: Characters and Story
- Story Ideas – Warren Adler’s Trans-Siberian Inspiration
- Writer’s Block – The Experts Speak
- Story Ideas – the Earth-Sun Connection
No Comments »