Chuck Wendig - 500 Ways to Write Harder

"Chuck Wendig has done what so many authors desperately need and will never admit: offered a phenomenal book about the real world of writing, and made it reachable and readable by anyone. His terribleminds blog guided me through good days and bad, provided advice and much-appreciated laughter throughout the whole, often painful, process. I'm thrilled to have his brain trapped in Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey, and I'll be referring to the squishy gray-matter of his brilliance often.

If it weren't for Chuck Wendig's advice, I'd have fallen off the writing map long ago. This is the book you want stapled to your chest when you march into the battle of authorship! An absolute must-read for anyone even thinking of dabbling with words for a living. -- Karina Cooper, Author of Blood of the Wicked

"Chuck Wendig's Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey is full of the kind of writing advice I wish I'd gotten in school. Practical, brutally honest, and done with the kind of humor that will make it stick in your brain. Whether you're a veteran writer or new to the craft, you'll find something useful in here.

Plus he says fuck a lot, so, you know, there's that." -- Stephen Blackmoore, author of City of the Lost

"In Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey, Chuck Wendig hammers out writing and career advice that's always brave, profane, creative, clever, and honest. And don't forget hilarious. You'll never laugh so hard learning so much." -- Matt Forbeck, game designer and author of Vegas Knights

These days, a kind word is regarded with suspicion. A supportive gesture is mistrusted. An altruistic move never is. We live in a time where cynics ignore the saccharine of Chicken Soup books and accept hugs only from Mother, and only when we're drunk and crying. When a writer hits cynical, drunken, mother-hugging rock bottom, that's when they need Chuck Wendig's raw, no-holds barred advice. This is not for the faint of heart. But then again, neither is writing. -- Mur Lafferty, host of ISBW(I Should Be Writing) podcast, editor of Escape Pod, author of Playing For Keeps, winner of the John Campbell Award for Best New Writer

"Despite being irreverent, vulgar, and funny, Chuck Wendig is also surprisingly profound. From one wordslinger about another, Chuck is the real deal and every prospective or working writer should read Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey. Hell, the Writer's Prayer alone is worth the price of admission." -- Jennifer Brozek, Author of The Little Finance Book That Could

No seriously, hes not fucking around, you really dont want to be a writer. But if youre mad enough to decide that you do, Wendig will be your gonzo-esque guide, from the technical advice about structure, query letters and submissions, to dealing with agents and editors and how to make your characters do as theyre damn well told, hes just full of good advice. Like a cursing, booze-soaked Virgil to your Dante, let him show you around...

Buy this book, your editor will thank you. -- Jenni Hill, Editor, Orbit Books

About the only thing harder than being a writer is trying to capture the utter insanity that truly is the writers life. In Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey, Chuck Wendig does just that. Youll be laughing, crying, shouting and grimacing, but most of all, youll feel the deep resonance of hearing the truth in all of its sarcastic, profane and comedic glory. If you want to be a better writer, or just want to be inspired by one of the best takes on writing Ive ever read, do yourself a favor and buy Confessions. -- Daniel Ames, author of Feasting at the Table of the Damned

Visceral and often brutal, this tale vibrates with emotional rawness that helps to paint a bleak, unrelenting picture of life on the edge. Publishers Weekly

A gleefully dark, twisted road trip for everyone who thought Fight Club was too warm and fuzzy. If you enjoy this book, youre probably deeply wrong in the head. I loved it, and will be seeking professional help as soon as Chuck lets me out of his basement. -- James Moran, Severance , Doctor Who and Torchwood screenwriter
Enchanting and drowned in blood, Blackbirds is a meaty piece of fiction, a non-stop mind-job where the first hit hurts and you keep going back for more. Its the kind of gritty, unapologetic story that grips you long after the books done; dark, intense, utterly without mercy. Chuck Wendig spins one hell of a tale. -- Karina Cooper, author of the Dark Mission series
"Trailer-park tension, horrified hilarity, and sheer terror mixed with deft characterization and razor plotting. I literally could not put it down." -- Lilith Saintcrow, author of Night Shift and Working for the Devil

" Blackbirds is a horror story, a traveling story, a story of loss and what it takes to make things right. It's a story about fate and how sometimes, if we wrestle with it hard enough, maybe we can change it. Blackbirds is the kind of book that doesn't let go even after you've put it down and nobody else could have made it shine like Chuck Wendig." -- Stephen Blackmoore, author of City of the Lost and Dead Things

"Mean, moody and mysterious, Blackbirds is a noir joyride peppered with black humour, wry observation, and visceral action. Fans of Chuck Wendig will not be disappointed." -- Adam Christopher, author of Empire State
In addition to a cast of well developed yet mentally unstable characters that enhance a fantastically horrifying plot, Blackbirds possesses a natural progression that doesnt rely on convenience or contrived circumstances to move the story forward. Wendigs distinctive, straightforward style is accessible and insistent; and the generous helpings of violence are strangely invigorating. Chuck Wendig has raised the bar of the urban fantasy genre... -- Renee C. Fountain, New York Journal of Books

500 Ways to Write Harder

All material contained within copyright Chuck Wendig, 2014. All rights reserved.

Cover by Chuck Wendig, featuring the PENMONKEY design by Amy Houser .

Visit terribleminds , the website and blog of Chuck Wendig.

The Kick-Ass Writer

Confessions Of A Freelance Penmonkey

250 Things You Should Know About Writing

500 Ways To Be A Better Writer

500 More Ways To Be A Better Writer

500 Ways To Tell A Better Story

Revenge Of The Penmonkey

The Miriam Black Series ( Blackbirds , Mockingbird , The Cormorant )

The Mookie Pearl Series ( The Blue Blazes , The Hellsblood Bride )

The Heartland Series ( Under the Empyrean Sky , Blightborn , The Seven )

The Atlanta Burns Series ( Shotgun Gravy , Bait Dog , Atlanta Burns, Frack You )

The Dinocalypse Series ( Dinocalypse Now , Beyond Dinocalypse )

Zeroes (coming soon)

Double Dead

Unclean Spirits

Irregular Creatures: Nine Short Stories

My e-book release of 250 Things You Should Know About Writing earned this one-star review at Amazon from someone named Linda:

If this author actually had anything helpful to say, it was impossible to find. The book is a conglomeration of abusive statements, excessive swearing, arrogant side-tracking and blatant lack of any sense of how to communicate ideas. Definitely not worth the 99 cents, and since I cannot get a refund, I am hoping this review will save others their hard earned money.

You can tell she hated the book, and thats fine. For my money, I quite like that review. Because you know what? Its pretty goddamn accurate.