Book Review: How to Tell A Great Story, by Aneeta Sundararaj

For several years, Aneeta Sundararaj has been helping writers through her website with countless articles, reviews and interviews. Now, she has compiled all her experience and expertise in her new book for beginner writers, "How to Tell a Great Story".

After a brief introduction, Sundararaj takes beginners through all the steps necessary to become a great storyteller, from vital preparation, to understanding themes, to the reasons for telling a great story, to painting your setting and much more. At the end of the book there are five appendixes: on planning and analyzing your research material, information for market research, character profiling, copyright issues for storytellers, and a sample storyline.

Written in an engaging, yet thoughtful style, and combining quotes and written material from other authors, "How to Tell a Great Story" makes a helpful, information-laden reference book for any aspiring storyteller. What I really like about this book, though, is the new angle the author brings into it: the importance of storytelling not only for writing stories, but for other aspects of our lives. For example, knowing how to tell a great story can be helpful in the workplace if you work in marketing and publicity and must give a presentation. A story connects people in a way that a simple explanation or demonstration cannot.
Sundararaj points out the importance of timing and intonation; in other words, often it isn't just the story that's vital but how you tell it. It is a talent some people are born with but it is also a skill that can be learned and improved. The same logic works for writing. You may have a great story idea, but how you write it and execute it is what counts. The author's advice works for aspiring short stories writers, novelists, and anyone who would like to get better at storytelling for everyday use. Reading this book was informative and interesting and I look forward to more of Sundararaj's work in the future.

Aneeta Sundararaj grew up in a small town in Malaysia called 'Alor Star'. She went to university to read law and also practised for a few years. Then, she decided to follow her dream of writing. She self-published her first novel, (The Banana Leaf Men) and, thereafter, created and developed a dynamic website called, "How To Tell A Great Story". She continues to write full time and now lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Title: How To Tell A Great Story
Author: Aneeta Sundararaj
Publisher: Bookshaker
Publication date: 4 July 2011
ISBN 10: 1907498575
ISBN 13: 978-1907498572
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 172
Price: US18.00
Genre: Non-fiction

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Book Review of "Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss" by Danica McKellar

Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss [Soft cover]

by Danica McKellar

352 pages, $24.95

ISBN-10: 1594630496

Nonfiction

At the end of the 80s, the network ABC blessed America with an endearing drama entitled "The Wonder Years." A youthful Fred Savage navigated the unrest of maturing in the 60's, a period of American history fraught with turbulence. In this family sitcom, his co-star, Danica McKellar, was his winsome, on-and-off-again girlfriend, Winnie. Struggling with math concepts was probably too mundane a plot to be aired on this amicable television show.

Ms. McKellar decided to take a break from acting to attend UCLA where she earned a BS in Mathematics-even helping to author original research proving an original math theorem. During that course of study, she had an epiphany: mathematics does not have to be the bane of young females. Opting not to stay in the lofty towers of mathematics academe, she wrote Math Doesn't Suck, a book specifically aimed at young females to help those struggling with math anxiety.

Kiss My Math builds upon the content of Math Doesn't Suck, to take its readership to a higher understanding of pre-algebraic concepts. Having taught math in high school, this writer cannot find fault with the demonstration of math principles presented. One of the benefits of studying math, or even teaching math, is the fact that, in the end - math problems can have only one right answer. Math anxiety arises when a student realizes that math is an exacting study...one that cannot be achieved through a bluffing process.

Prepubescent girls will appreciate the efforts to provide dating tips and glimpses from Danica's personal experiences as she navigated adolescence. McKellar is to be commended for including testimonials from professional women that illustrate the study of mathematics can be helpful in even glamorous feminine careers, such as fashion merchandising.

It is hard to take some of the illustrations seriously, however. For instance, to teach the difference between positive and negative integers, McKellar calls them "mint-egers" instead. A good tasting mint is a positive integer and a bad tasting trifle is a negative integer. If you have a negative taste in your mouth, like -6, you can combine it with a positive integer to get 0. She calls this a "lint-eger" since it's so bland.

Know a young female who's struggling with math? This book could help, but keep it away from her dad; he will laugh himself silly over the rest of it.

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

Get Your Writing Fighting Fit - A Review

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Systemize! Strip it down! Eliminate! Accentuate!

It sounds like a college cheer. Rah! Rah! Rah-Rah-Rah!

Actually, it's a lot more than a college cheer. It is the way professional editors polish writing. Even Asimov and Hemmingway had editors. In fact, without their editors, they wouldn't be the acclaimed writers that they are.

I wouldn't presume to be a polished writer myself, but I know that I see so much lousy writing on the web that I wish everyone had Audrey Own at their elbow, forcing them to write better.

Although we can't all capture Audrey's time, we can review the editing techniques that she so generously shares with us in "Get Your Writing Fighting Fit". In eleven snappy chapters she takes us from sloppy to sublime. It's part of her editing philosophy to keep it snappy: "Lean, mean writing keeps your readers keen" (p.6).

First Audrey examines the elements that editors look for when they do their editing task. Things like words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters - all the good, the bad and the truly ugly.

Then she shares her seven step Quick Assessment Process. Here is how you and I can create writing that flows with a zing. We are to take only two pages of our project, and we set a timer to limit us. Then, with a swirl of circles and X's, looking for very specific items, our writing emerges with strength and vitality. And it's all done in a matter of a few minutes.

For instance, one of her steps to writing success is to read just the first sentence of each paragraph. Reading just that much, does the writing convey the general idea? It should. The first sentence is that important. If it does not, that is an area of your writing that needs attention.

One of Audrey's editing techniques is to give variety to sentence and paragraph length and structure. Mix it up, she calls it.

Like here.

This is a great editing system. It is clear, direct, fast, and very doable for most writers.

Keep in mind that "editing" is not "writing". "Editing" is what enhances our "writing". Before editing can do you a blimey bit of good, you need to start with solid writing. Your idea needs to be there, composed in reasonable sentences and paragraphs.

Then put your own writing through Audrey's great seven step editing process and Bingo! You've got a great piece of prose.

Pick up your copy of "Get Your Writing Fighting Fit" at http://www.writershelper.com/gywffsales.html . It's worth every penny of the $29.00 cost. And while you are at Audrey's website, take a look around. You'll discover slews of more great ideas too.

MaryAnn Shank has been writing for the business world for over 20 years. She is the force behind http://www.businessplanmaster.com/ and http://www.yournetworkmarketingcoach.com/ . As a business plan editor/reviewer, she has seen more awful writing than she cares to think about, and considers Audrey Owen's book and website a very welcome corner of the web world.