Cover Image: Good Writing is Like Good Sex

Good Writing is Like Good Sex

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I am not writer, but I think I was still able to get something out of this.

Good Writing is Like Good Sex is a fun, short nonfiction book written with writers in mind to help with the quality of their writing.

While I don't consider myself a writer, I do write professionally for a marketing position and am always looking to improve my critical analysis of fiction.

I enjoyed Good Writing. Was it groundbreaking, no. But I often don't mind nonfiction books to be.

For a nonfiction book to stick with me I really need there to be practical advice I can write down and take with me. And I do think that was missing.

I liked the comparisons and think it's worth a read if you're making your way through your nonfiction backlist.

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A racy title to bring in the readers. But just to disappoint, the interior is not so racy.
This is non-fiction. It is by way of being a lesson on how to write well. In that you need to think about the 'other' partner - your reader - for your story. Just like you need to know your partner in sex. The better you know your partner the better the act becomes - the act of reading.
So aspiring authors need to read this instruction manual. There are helpful hints, other resources to research and thoughts about variety - being the spice of life after all.
Also, the aspiring writer may learn how to write a sexy story and not become a candidate for the worst sex in a book award. The author says - It's all about style' and it is - good style brings joy to a reader as does good editing and this is also mentioned. One thing that puts off many readers, myself included, is a book that, even after editing (on the assumption this has happened) is still full pf errors. Errors of grammar or facts or..
A different book to read, but good for a reader as much as or an author and kudos to an author who knows her profession.

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Sex sells. This book attempts to capitalize on that fact to achieve a foothold in the concise writing guide market, a class of books for which there is no shortage and whose entrants include established masters such as Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Ray Bradbury. Given the nature of this market, having hinted at sexiness as a hook, it behooves the writer to boldly embrace that hook, but this isn’t done. I’m not suggesting the author needed to venture into pornographic territory, and I understand that the book is not about writing erotica, specifically [a point that is made quite clear.] However, the banal and disembodied references to sex make the material drier than it otherwise would be. In creating a book that could be read by, say, the Pope or the chairwoman of the Southern Baptist Convention Lady’s Auxiliary without so much as the hint of a blush, the book draws attention to just how much it’s failing to follow its own advice. [I would go as far as to say that if a person had a rare condition in which the slightest sexual arousal would cause his or her heart to violently explode, killing everyone in a ten-foot radius, I would feel safe sitting next to that person on the couch as they read this book.]

The book takes a soup-to-nuts approach, reflecting upon the usual range of topics including: prep work, characterization, tension building, and editing. The information is good, and it’s presented in a brief and readable fashion. That said, it would be a much better first guide than one for someone who has read extensively on the subject because there isn’t much that is novel, either in the advice or the way in which it’s presented. If you’ve read other books on writing, you’ve probably read this advice before – and, in many cases, read it stated in a much more interesting fashion. There are some odd inclusions. At one point the author discusses the parts of speech. If you don’t understand the parts of speech, no writer’s guide will help you, and you probably need to revisit elementary school.

In this kind of book, examples are essential, and, here too, some odd choices were made. One such choice was the author using her own writings. [If you’ve read writing guides by well-known authors, you’ll note that they don’t even use their own writing, and instead tend to use stories like “Macbeth” or folktales – works that are well known to the broadest imaginable readership.] Among examples that weren’t from her own writing, there was a mix of more and less obscure references. It’s not so much that insufficient information was presented to get across the author’s point, but rather that a kind of affinity is achieved with readers when they have familiarity with a story, and that is sacrificed when the couldn’t possibly.

The long and the short of it is this, I think the book was a fine concise writing guide. It presents the information clearly and in a logically arranged fashion. That said, choices were made that felt odd – mostly in using sex as a hook and then eschewing any sense of sensuality. If you’re looking for an introduction to writing, you could do worse than this one [but you could probably do better as well.]

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I was hoping for a fun book with writing tips - something that didn't take itself too seriously. That was, sadly, not what I found.
First things first, I would not consider this any help in creative writing. It's more like a self-help/motivation book. Second, the humor just fell flat most of the time. Too much of "haha, sex is funny, right?", without actually being witty. This of course, can be because I am of a younger generation and this seems to be very "millennial" humor.
The author also spends a lot of time guaranteeing us that they are, indeed, a good and knowledgeable author - which just came off as stroking their own ego, like even the author deep down didn't believe what they were saying, so they needed to say it more.
In conclusion, the advice is ok, the humor is meh, and the writing is acceptable. I wouldn't give it more than two stars.

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Good writing is Like Good Sex is a beginner's guide to would-be authors who want to write a book. It covers the basic concepts, from grammar to editing, and gives solid reasons why. Often compared to the act of sex itself, the author shapes the text in a way that can easily be understood.

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This book is a very interesting creative fiction handbook, covering the process of writing preparation, writing , and specific topic of content and story development. While the volume is serious and well done, the tone remains funny, working on the surprising similarity between writing and sexy.  
The chapters work through specific elements of writing fundamentals, offering insights into starting out as a writer, adapting your own style, building tension, maintaining flow, and providing references.
While the market appears full of this kind of guides, this is a welcome addition, and a really enjoyable reading.

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I didn't get on with the writing style - the humour just didn't gel for me so I didn't finish the book.

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I, unfortunately, struggled with getting into this book. I liked it for the metaphor of writing compared to good sex, but I didn't feel like I learned anything about writing in it. The advice and tips and tricks offered in this book are very surface level. This would be good for someone just starting off writing, but for anyone who has written before, it was all stuff they would know or be familiar with. The book covered a lot of topics on writing and because of that, I felt like it never gave anything the attention it needed.

I also felt the metaphor fell flat. The comparisons didn't always work or they felt repetitive. It was just there as a way to talk about writing but didn't necessarily add anything. As well, sometimes there would be pages without even discussing this metaphor and then it would pop up again randomly. So, it wasn't consistent throughout.

If you're just starting out writing and want something quick that covers the basics this book might be for you. It does have a lot to say about writing and how to tell a story. I think it had a great concept and intention, but the execution just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free version in exchange for an honest review.

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This book was very hard to get into and distracting in self-aggrandizing ways. I don’t believe Johnson was intentionally trying to fluff her feathers or defend her merit to write this book, but I wish she would have got to the crux of her content in a more sleek/subtle/“sexy” way. I was turned off before I could really get into the meat of the text so maybe I missed out on a proper finish.

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A funny and witty book about the elements of good writing focusing on the writing process, creating memorable characters, story development and more.

C.S. Johnson shares how to take a holistic approach to writing, comparing how good writing is just like good sex, in efforts to help readers become better writers.

This was a refreshing and fun read, and many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

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C.S. Johnson is an intelligent writer. What do I mean by this?
Simply that she puts into practice what she is "preaching" in this guide on how to write well.
In one chapter, she advises her readers to start their stories off with a great "hook" and in her own case she immediately captures her audiences' attention with a very eye-catching title. You can bet that more than one idle shopper will pick this book off the shelf, if only to see if there are any "juicy" descriptions to shock and/or titillate them. I confess that the title is what drew my attention to this ARC as well!
C.S. Johnson's writing flows, is loaded with humour, asks a lot of questions then provides answers and resolutions to the prospective writer's conflicts, and, most especially, "romances the reader." Readers are enticed by the spicy comparisons to sex and romantic relationships to keep reading to the end. Know your audience, and write for that audience, she also cautions you. Well, I can truthfully say that she kept my attention throughout this entire handbook. She quite obviously knows what she is talking about here!
I also appreciated the list of "Provocative Resources" for further study on how to write.
I rate this a well-deserved and highly recommended 5 out of 5 stars.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I read this book from the perspective of a reader wanting to understand more about the art of writing, rather than as a writer seeking to learn. It gave me insights into the process and did so in a way which was self-deprecating and sometimes hilarious. Even if you’re not interested in the actual aim of the book, read it because it’s funny!

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This is a good text of introductory level for anyone who is keen to try writing.
Author did a good job at drawing helpful analogies and overall the book was easy to read.
It would have been good to have more examples of different writing for comparison.

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This was a fun and informative writing book. I would put it more under the pep-talk category than having a lot of concrete advice on how to actually improve, but I think it could help a new writer take the plunge. I enjoyed her humor, and it was an easy read.
There were a few typos, particularly with the formatting of the lists, but I assume that will be cleaned up before publication.

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I haven't read anything by C.S. Johnson before so didn't really know what to expect, BUT this was brilliantly written, short read on writing.

Even though the title suggests it will be quite evocative, it's a tongue-in-cheek comparison to sex at best.

I highlighted lots and found lots of great tips to help my own writing.

Highly recommend this book for budding writers.

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Unfortunately I couldn't get this book onto my laptop where I normally read ebooks and had to skim it on my little phone. I like sex and seduction as a metaphor for writing. The book did feel like High School English Lit so it was unsurprising to learn the author has a background in that. It's not a resource I would see myself returning to but it is an entertaining introduction to the basics.

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How often can you put sexy into a book before the reader decides to scream? In my case, it turned out too be way too many times. Yieks.
I was so bored with that book. I chose it because I was curious about the statement made in the title and as it turns out - I should not have requested this book at all. I did not learn anything about writing - or sex, for that matter - nothing. At. All. The comparisons seemed arbitrary and off and sometimes downright weird.
I might, as a person on the ace spectrum, simply not be the right audience for this book, but honestly - the comparison of writing and sex is rather far-fetched.


I received a free copy by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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As an aspiring amateur storyteller, I found C.S. Johnson is wickedly amusing and informative at the same time. Her guide to good writing is like learning to tango with the guidance of a fun, flexible, passionate, professional, and empowering instructor. After all writing is an art form just like dancing or even sex, but rather than crafting our stories with movement we use our words to express what moves within us. Speaking of sex, I appreciate how Johnson simply uses it as a straightforward, yet tactful, metaphor to help guide writers create intentional, authentic work that they can be proud of. While this is a relatively quick read, I am pleased with the little nuggets of wisdom that I have gleaned from Johnson. After reading this book I feel more motivated to work towards mastering my own ability to create and share my writing. I certainly found Good Writing is Like Good Sex very helpful and will continue to use it as a reference tool.

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Content Warning: Christianity

This wasn't for me. There isn't a lot of meat to sink your teeth into, not a lot of actionable advice. It is pretty much a lot of metaphors and encouragement that YOU--the writer reading this book--CAN DO THIS. In my opinion as a copy/line editor, I believe there is also a bit of misinformation about the editing process, but every editor is different.

As a former Christian, I do not appreciate being "witnessed to" in a book that I'm reading for work. There are those of us who have barely made it out of Christianity by the skin of our teeth and with lots of trauma from being told that we are "less than," that women should be subservient, that some people shouldn't love the way they want or be the person they truly are inside, that our bodies and sex are taboo and dirty. I'm done with all that bullshit. Of course, it's fine for everyone to write whatever they please, but for the love of all the gods, please warn us first so we can make an educated decision.

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A writing guide which offers insights into writing that I did not realise until now. A good read, and thank you to netgalley and the publishers for letting me read a copy of it, which is great, but it has not influenced my opinions.

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