WRITE WITH FIRE! Charles Gramlich shows you how.

If you were to choose just one book on writing for yourself - or someone on your Christmas list - you’d be hard-pressed to find a better choice than Write With Fire.

There’s something here for everyone, from rank beginner to seasoned pro, and certainly for those like me, who are somewhere in between. I wish I’d had this book twenty years ago, so I could have started following some of this advice sooner.

Part One, comprised of tips for writers, makes up over half the book. The tips run the gamut from dealing with writer’s block, to getting started, creating strong characters, generating suspense, constructing a strong ending, and optimizing your chances of making a sale. Charles really empties his trick bag, sharing his secrets for getting ideas, finding time to write, and staying motivated, right down to the nitty gritty of  punctuation and problem words.

Part Two goes beyond the tips, exploring subjects like critique groups, blogging, what makes a good horror story, and lessons learned from other writers.

Part Three is more personal, where Charles relates how his own experiences brought him to writing, and how his writing has affected his life.

Write With Fire covers so much territory I couldn't list it all, so I scanned the contents pages for you. Check them out! Bottom line: If you really want to write with fire (and who doesn't?), you need this book.

As an afterword, I’m offering a tip of my own to Charles and his publisher Borgo Press. The way they’ve marketed this book is just fine, but they might find additional readers with another edition aimed directly at the Bathroom Reader crowd. Each chapter is short and to the point, and each tackles a different subject. Just right for those multitaskers determined to miss no opportunity at self-improvement! (Personally, though, lest you get the wrong idea, I read this entire book in the living room. On the couch. With dogs on my lap. Really.)