Review - How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead by Ariel Gore

Review:
Whew! It’s December and NaNoWriMo is over! OVER! If that challenge has taught me anything, it’s that writing a complete novel might be one of the toughest things to accomplish in life All authors whose work I has the chance of reading this year, including the ones I didn’t particularly enjoy (yes, I’m thinking of you, Liz Berry) deserve a hardy pat on the back for their achievement!

Now, should you be an individual who (unlike me) earnestly undertook the NaNoWriMo challenge and are well on your way to completing your first novel, but have never actually published anything before, you might be overwhelmed by the thought of the hurdles to come in transforming that NaNoWriMo baby into a tangible book.

It was with this in mind that I decided to read Ariel Gore’s writers’ self-help book entitled How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead, in which she shares the secrets to publishing superstardom. Gore’s main argument is that the secret to success in the novel-wring world has more to do with one’s conviction than raw literary talent, and that we’re all capable of improving ourselves in both areas with a little discipline. Gathering an assortment of tips she has learned through her own journey as a writer and literary coach, she’s manages to create an excellent argument for writing. If you ever gave up on your dream of becoming a famous novelist because of age, time constraints or lack of ideas, you might find yourself inspired by Gore’s own success story. She made it while being a teenage single mother! And really, what’s tougher than that?

Interspersed in Gore’s narrative are snippets of advice from a few prominent literary figures from a variety of literary niches. Although they all have their own story to tell about what lead them to success, the key terms of discipline and self-confidence permeate throughout everyone’s advice. You might even be surprised by how basic yet profound their writing tips and recommendations are.  

Bottom line, Gore’s voice is filled with so much energy that even if you never dreamed of writing a book, you might get sucked into believing that you could and perhaps even should! I really enjoyed How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead. Despite having little aspiration of writing a book myself, Gore’s word were compelling enough to make me add “write a novel” as a goal on my list of things-to-do-before-I-die.

LitSnit Verdict: A