This is not a writing manual : notes for the young writer in the real world / Kerri Majors.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Real-world writing advice, minus all the lectures.

You're an aspiring writer. Maybe you've just discovered your love of words and dream of being a novelist someday. Maybe you've been filling notebooks with science-fiction stories since middle school. Maybe you're contemplating a liberal arts degree, but you don't know what the heck you're going to do with it. The last thing you need is another preachy writing manual telling you how you should write.

This book isn't a writing manual. It is a series of candid and irreverent essays on the writing life, from a writer who's lived it. Kerri Majors shares stories from her own life that offer insights on the realities all writers face: developing a writing voice, finding a real job (and yes, you do need to find one), taking criticism, getting published, and dealing with rejection.

Don't have enough time to write? Learn how to plan your days to fit it all in. Not sure how your guilty pleasures and bad habits translate into literature? Kerri explains how soap operas and eavesdropping can actually help your writing. Need a reader for your first novel? Find a writing buddy or a writing group that will support you. Nervous about submitting your first piece? Learn from Kerri's own roller coaster journey to find an agent and get published. This Is Not a Writing Manual is the writing memoir for young writers who want to use their talents in the real world.

ATTENTION TEACHERS! The Teacher's Edition for This Is Not a Writing Manual is now available! This FREE supplemental PDF includes a series of lesson plans and writing class essentials that will improve the writing of students in middle and high school--and beyond. To access, e-mail us at writersdigest@fwmedia.com to receive your free download, or visit Kerri Majors's website.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Majors, founder of the online YA literary journal YARN, takes an autobiographical approach to the rewards and setbacks that accompany "the writing life," sharing stories from her own journey as a writer in more than two dozen essays. As Majors notes upfront in her introduction, she "still hasn't landed The Big One (a book deal for a novel)," and she writes openly about the insecurities that accompany the solitary pursuit of writing and jealousy over fellow writers' successes, but also about finding writing partners and workshops, thinking laterally about one's writing (e.g. "not taking yourself too seriously and letting go of your fears and self-censorship"), being open to revision, and understanding how the publishing process works. Candid, honest advice and reflection from a writer who's been there. Agent: Penn Whaling, Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 10 Up-In this memoir, Majors answers questions that most budding writers have. Mistakes are discussed, advice is given, and tales are told. Sections and advice on the writing process, a writer's life, and the future are dissected into smaller chapters. Writing is not taught; neither is style, grammar, nor any how-to of any kind. Instead, Majors gives readers a glimpse into the daily life and lessons of one already enthralled with the undertaking that is writing. This is an honest, serious, readable chronicle that teens will appreciate for the raw truth and emotional connection to a fellow writer. Personal anecdotes pepper the chapters to teach the lessons needed to be successful. Those with an unrealistic view of the life of a writer may be surprised and discouraged. However, the author won't dampen the spirits of those who feel a calling. A must-read for serious aspiring writers.-Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

This nonmanual is a highly readable memoir stuffed with tips and information about the myriad aspects of pursuing a writing career by one who has carved a niche for herself in that world, namely with YARN (Young Adult Review Network). Majors' mission is to provide therapy for writers and to counterbalance those discouraging words of caution foisted upon budding young scribes. Her joy (and, yes, her misery and heartache) in being part of the writing world and her love for the craft are apparent throughout. Tales about her experiences are juxtaposed with bits of solid, practical advice and information. Majors hasn't had her breakthrough she's not a Stephen King or Stephenie Meyer but she's proof that there is a place in the writing world for those who aren't superstars. She is friendly, savvy, hip, easy to identify with, and definitely in touch with her teenage writer-self. Great reading for anyone interested in the biz, thought-provoking for those looking at any career, and good for folks wanting a pleasant nonfiction read.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

Advice on writing from an experienced writer. Majors, founder of YARN, the Young Adult Review Network, an online journal of YA essays, poetry and short stories, offers a series of essays on writing for aspiring writers. Essentially a memoir, the volume is earnest and practical in tone, covering every angle of writing, from buying a planner and revising to finding an audience and learning from mistakes. More philosophical concerns include what to do for a living before hitting the big time, deciding whether writing is a hobby or a job, and dealing with hating friends who find success before you do. Finally, for those committed to publishing, helpful advice is offered on dealing with agents, editors and publishers, discovering the right journals and finding inspiration. The best advice of all is to write for pleasure, even if the ultimate goal is publication. Clearly, Majors knows what she's talking about, and readers will recognize they're getting advice from someone who knows. However, considering that the author says, "I prefer to think of this book as therapy for writers," it's not always clear if this is really therapy for herself or for aspiring newbies already becoming intimidated and discouraged by the whole process. An upbeat and honest guide for teens already considering writing careers. (Nonfiction. 13 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Kerri Majors is the Editor and Founder of YARN , the Young Adult Review Network (www.yareview.net), an online literary journal of YA short stories, essays, and poetry, which won an Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation. Kerri's short stories and essays have appeared in journals such as Guernica and Poets and Writers . She is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, has an MFA from Columbia, and now lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Mike, and their daughter. You can find out more about her at www.kerrimajors.com .