Review: Wish I'd Read This Forty Years Ago
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2012
When I was a business owner, I read the Wall Street Journal. It was expensive, but just idea could be worth thousands of dollars, I figured.  What I didn't realize until a decade had passed was that I couldn't afford it, even if it was free - the time I spent reading it was the real expense; I'd have made more by working my business.And I've been reading books about writing since the 1960s, when I first started selling my words.  Few of the books were worth the paper they were printed on.  This book is an exception.As one example, I spent 25 years editing as I wrote.  It didn't matter much in short form, but eventually I found I was more productive if I wrote at breakneck speed, then went back and rewrote/edited.  Shawn, however, explains WHY that works best for long-form writing, in just a few words.And that's not the only good PRACTICAL advice for writers.  Most of them are also things I lucked into after a while.  They weren't as valuable to me as the write first before editing advice, but I didn't find a single false note in the book. Not one.I must reveal that Shawn and I have exchanged tweets, and we've exchanged compliments on each others' writing. I especially recommendAuntie Anne: My Storyas being tasty as a soft pretzel, hot from the oven, but I've read several other books Shawn wrote, and they're all page-turners. This book is a fine memoir as well as a good tutorial on freelancing as an occupation.  Recommended.