Romance Writer's Phrase Book (Perigee Book) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Lists evocative phrases that can be used by novelists to describe people, body movements, facial expressions, voices, emotions, colors, thoughts, and memoriesTitle: The Romance Writers' Phrase BookAuthor: Kent, Jean SalterPublisher: Penguin Group USAPublication Date: 1984/04/01Number of Pages: Binding Type: PAPERBACKLibrary of Congress: 83022947
Series: Perigee Book
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: TarcherPerigee (March 21, 1984)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399510028
ISBN-13: 978-0399510021
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.4 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #376,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #37 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Romance #1738 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Writing Skills #2310 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Fiction
Take a little bit from column A, add it to column B... continue on, and before you know it, you have your very own romance novel! Well, it doesn't quite write itself, and this book doesn't exactly give you everything you need--but where's the fun in writing if you take it all from somewhere else? Sometimes I felt like I was cheating--sneaking a look at the answers before writing something myself. But this isn't cheating. It's inspiration, a nudge in the direction you want to go. It's a companion book, but not something you can't live without.It is exactly what it claims to be--a romance phrase book. It covers looks, feelings, facial expressions, voices, and, of course, sex. This last category I found the most lacking. The sex is the most important part of a romance novel--it's why most people read the books. I felt that the phrases used here were a bit... reserved. They skirted around the lovemaking and didn't get around to the nitty-gritty of it. We get phrases like "love flowed in her like warm honey" and "gusts of desire shook her," but not much that actually gets down to describing the act of intercourse. I guess this is what I have to come up with on my own.Something I was hoping to find in a book like this is more words for anatomy. There is a section on physical appearance--both male and female--but they're the shortest sections in the book. Again, I found this book a little reserved. Where are the euphemisms for that certain part of the male anatomy? There are plenty of words to use, but it's difficult to know which to use when... and this book helps none at all with that. Again, this is one of the most important parts of a romance novel. You'd think that they could at least include something as simple as this--I don't want to have to use "manhood" for the rest of my romance writing career.Other than that, though, this book is rather good. It's a good way to spark the imagination. If you're having trouble in your writing, pick up this and get a little hint. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Don't give it as a gift. Really. This book is beyond insulting to a writer. But, is it useful? You better believe it! It's especially useful when your brain has just cramped up from writer's block; or, when you need just the right hue of green for the hero's eyes and all you can think of is "glittery mold". Save yourself from insult and be sure to buy this book before someone thinks it a kindness to buy it for you.
I've owned this book for many, many years and it's to the point where the cover and pages are dog-eared and the spine fell apart so I had to tape it to make it last longer. So when I read the reader comments below, I had to post a different take on this book.Yes, the book was written back in the 80sm so yes, the verbiage and trends in "how" you say things has changed. Any reference books can become out of date. However, the overall message and purpose of the book seems to have been overlooked. The Romance Writers' Phrase Book is a guide that's meant to inspire an author and get a writer to understand the importance and the role of the "descriptive tag/phrase" when it comes to the overall art of writing as a whole.Romance fiction in particular relies a great deal on emotion and internal conflict. Neglecting the little details, those descriptive phrases, can make or break a story. When I open this book, I'm not looking for a word-for-word phrasing I can simply cut and paste into my manuscript. Romance writing (heck, any writing) is never that simple or that formulaic. For me, the phrase book is a good starting point when I'm stumped on a gesture or where to start on how I want to describe an action or a particular emotion.The Romance Writers' Phrase Book has everything from describing facial features like eyes, noses, lips, and foreheads to common actions like sitting, standing, and shrugging. It covers positive gestures like smiling, to negative gestures, expanding the basic frown to include visual cues like the eyebrows and eyes. The book covers a wide range of "emotion" tags/phrases as well.The Phrase Book isn't meant to be a verbatim dictionary of tags and phrases to copy, it's meant to help teach a writer how to develop their own, to show them the difference between writing:He reached out and touched her arm.ANDA tingling of excitement raced through her as his fingers trailed sensuously down her arm.While some of the phrasing might seem out of date, the message and lesson of the book will never age, and the inspiration a writer can gain from its pages is priceless. That's why this book is never far from reach and is a staple on my bookshelf.
Oh, but this book is awful! Its authors have taken all the very worst, most revolting, most overused phrases found in romance books (those same hackneyed phrases that make romance book editors swear they'll scream if they have to read them one more time) and organised them into one tome, all in neat little chapters. This book is like a tombstone on the grave of creative writing, and my advice to any aspiring romance writers is to follow your heart and your head in your writing, not the sickeningly bad examples shown in this book. Frankly, while this book's terminology is supposed to be rather sexy and sensual in content, it is actually only about as much of a turn on as getting a pap smear. In fact, I've read tractor magazines that were hotter and spicier than this.And yet, in spite of all that, this book is nonetheless still quite a fun read, so long as you don't take it too seriously. Honestly, most of the phrases listed in it are downright hilarious! Read them out with your friends while you're drinking margheritas. Test how long you can keep a straight face before you have to laugh at how ridiculous they are.My advice to you is that if you want a good laugh, then go ahead and purchase this book. However, if you're looking to buy it because you need advice on how to write a good, original romance book and be taken seriously as an author, then look elsewhere. Elizabeth Benedict's book, 'The Joy of Writing Sex' is an excellent alternative. Or try a simple, old fashioned thesaurus. I'm sure sells them.
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