As a writer, I’m always interested in books about writing. At a conference bookstore I saw a recommended book that would be a good addition to my collection. Spunk & Bite: A writer’s guide to bold, contemporary style, by Arthur Plotnik, addresses the sound words (onomatopoeia), extreme hyphenation (too many hyphens), danglers, tense, modifiers, and much more. Plotnik, an editor and author, writes that he’s tired of writing that follows the rules but lacks zip (my term).
In the introduction, Plotnik addresses ordinary writing. He says, “But if your goal is to break away from the pack, some uber force, some jack-rabbit anima has to inhabit your writing.”
Of course, it’s still necessary to learn the rules of good writing, my writing mentors say—nouns, verbs, sentence structure, as well as punctuation and grammar. But the language used to describe scenes, now that’s a different matter, and that’s what he addresses in this book.
For example, in Chapter 10, How to Loot a Thesaurus, Plotnik urges the writer to beware of plucking out any old word and suggests which versions of the thesaurus are the best “to lay hands on” (p. 75). He writes in Chapter 17, Opening Words: The Glorious Portal, “Compelling words… still have the power to seize the reader’s imaginations, which is always eager to follow hints and implications down the rabbit hole into new realms of feeling.” In chapter 26, Magic in the Names of Things, he mentions that his sailing friends invite him along onboard. He writes, “I’m happier on dry land with my nose in a glossary of nautical terms. That way I can enjoy the salty names of all those boating objects…” rather than all the work he’d have to do while on board.
There are times that straight-up plain writing works best, but for a story or memoir, and poetry, Plotnik’s book will offer fodder to spice up your writing. Even though it was published in 2007, it’s still a good investment and still available for purchase.
More books for writers, recommended by fellow writers:
Books by Anne Lamott
Save the Cat Writes a Novel, Jessica Brody
179 ways to save your novel, Peter Selgin