Some good solid advice from a master of the craft. All writers have been at a point in their lives where they needed this kind of advice. This book might help

A mixed bag but - wow. I suspect some people are going to feel a bit disillusioned after reading some of the chapters, especially the one about TV scripts and the business. But there are some absolute gems, especially the ones about getting your characters to do the opposite of what you expect. And the last chapter which is intended for a writer's partner is magnificent. I understand myself better after reading it - and that is a sign of good writing.

A friendly and accessible book which avoids the overdone genre of how-to-write and instead explores actually being a writer.

I have been writing for a long time and, like most writers, I have a collection of favorite books on writing. These days, I feel a bit more jaded about the dozens of how-to books that seem to come up every year, full of rules and regulations and attempting to box the creative art of "writing" into a set of routines as if it were a formula for creating publishable words. I was concerned that J. Michael Straczynski's new book, __Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer__ might be more of the same. However, the Ellison quote in reference to the title dragged me in: "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer."

The promise that the second half of the book would be useful for established writers was enough for me to give the book a chance. Straczynsky is famous as both a television and feature film screenwriter, most notably (to me) for Babylon5. This clear success as a working author with a wide range of projects (and awards) ranging from screenplays to comics to games, made me hopeful that Straczynsky would offer practical advice rather than a to-do list. I requested, and received, an advance review copy through Netgalley.

I was not disappointed. __Becoming a Writer__ feels less like a lecture in Writing 101 and more like sitting with a successful friend who was happy to chat with me about his experiences and the lessons he learned along the way. He talks with affection about the golden age of SciFi but also with excitement and approval of the modern diversity appearing in the best science fiction, appreciative of both the classics and the new authors breaking boundaries. His style is conversational and fast-paced, making it easy to skim the chapters that seem less relevant while still picking up the gems interspersed throughout the book. His advice is never is patronising but given in the context of his own writing in the hopes that it might be useful:

"__You know, I used to think that writing science fiction was all about writing familiar characters in unfamiliar settings. It took me twenty years to realize I was wrong. It’s about familiar relationships in unfamiliar settings.__"

I have never written a screenplay and I'm unlikely to ever be tempted by such a thing, but Straczynski's advice is not about technique or Save-the-Cat style rules but much more timeless than that. Although I only expected to be interested in the second half of the book, I found plenty to occupy my mind in the first half as well. Straczynski rarely gets into the nuts and bolts of writing and is more focused on how to establish yourself as a strong writer and a person that is good to work with. His experience as a producer and as a direction gives a different angle which can be immensely useful. But more importantly, I enjoyed the silly anecdotes and interesting behind-the-scenes details that appeared alongside writing advice that was useful and interesting. When I finished, I was almost sorry: I felt for a short time as if Straczynsky was my friend and mentor. If you are looking for nuts and bolts of writing, then this is probably not the book you need. If you aren't writing yet, then I suspect the book will be of limited value. However, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is producing written work and understands there is no magic word that will suddenly turn you into an author.

Becoming a Writer Staying a Writer is simply written and I feel detailed. It seems more focused toward script writing, but I did learn quite a bit that I plan on using for my blog page. Right now, it's just a hobby. In 10 years when we retire to full time RV, I would like to make a supplemental income from my blog page. As I become more serious, I will skim through this book again for advice.

A year ago I started writing a book. I've made it to chapter 2 and have never picked back up. After all, who wants to read my life story? A passage that has stuck with me in this book is that you should write about something that means something to you. My book is something to me. And with the recent loss of my dad, it may mean something to my kids when I pass. I don't expect to sell it and get rich. It's just something that does mean something to me. Becoming a Writer Staying a Writer has encouraged me to continue writing.

The writer now has me curious to watch Babylon 5. I've heard of the series, but never watched it. Even though I will never write a script, I found the detail, trials and errors of the writers account intriguing. I love the personal accounts of the author. It made it for an easier and amusing read.

Fun book to help add little tidbits to improve one's overall writing. Aspiring wrestlers starting in the field will benefit most from learning habits and a middle ground to make writing more manageable.. Longtime writers will have a reminder of the simple things that get overlooked.

Practical Advice for New and Experienced Writers

The title ways it all. This is a book for writers at all levels. If you’re just starting he provides good advice on how to begin. If you’re already a writer who wants to get to the next level, he has advice for you too.

Straczynski has a varied career writing for films, comics, television and, of course, books. These unique experiences led him to develop a series of proven methodologies that will help you at whatever writing stage you find yourself. He always wanted to be a writer and over his thirty years of experience he’s had many challenges. One of my favorite parts of the books is the stories he tells about his career.

His advice is helpful. There are no magic formulas. He embraces the idea that writing is hard work and takes tenacity to succeed. In some ways, this is the most useful advice. I highly recommend this book to all writers and wannabe writers. I think you’ll be glad you gave it a look.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski has spent a lifetime going through the steps from wanting to write, to being successful and how to stay there; Given his list o f writing accomplishments I knew if anyone was going to write a book like this, he'd be one to pull it off. I'm happy to report that I was correct in that assumption.

I have read many many writing books and articles and this is a breath of fresh air from the usual run of the mill instruction manual on how to write. He offers up his own experience with what works, what doesn't work, how to handle failure, how to decide your priorities etc. There is some very valuable tips in these pages. I do wish it was a little less redundant but given the wealth of knowledge Straczynski gifted his readers I can over look that.

Highly recommended for anyone who has even thought of trying to write, whether it be novels, poetry, screenplays or blog posts, you'll find useful hints that will open your eyes and make you feel more confident.

3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 in the interest of fairness to the greatness of the book.

I was provided an advance e-copy from netgalley and publishers in exchange for my unfiltered opinion. All thoughts are mine and not influenced by anything other than myself.

I have learned from mentors along the way that when we reach a certain level of success, it's important to reach back down to help those who follow us, pursuing the same trail. And J. Michael Straczynski has done just that with this book.

"Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer" is probably one of the best books on the writing craft that I have ever read (not just how to write, but how to make a living from it too).

I loved how open and honest he was about what it takes, as well as the bits of wit and snark he peppers his commentary with along the way.

There is only one writing book that I tell other authors must be on their bookshelf to be taken down and referred to regularly, Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style." Now, I have a second recommendation for those who are truly serious about pursuing a career as a writer. "Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer."

While the book is written from the viewpoint of a screenwriter, the tips, ideas, suggestions and wisdom he shares apply no matter what form your writing craft takes. I highly recommend this book!

An unusual take on providing advice for those seeking to write or needing inspiration to continue to write. The author provides a lot of personal experiences in this book. Interesting anecdotes though some might get frustrated that it is not a simple "how-to" book.

I really enjoyed this book on writing! It is so entertaining, actually funny in many parts and has a lot of heart. Lots of practical advise from a very reputable and experienced author. It is for the beginner, as well as the accomplished writer. One of my favorite books on writing!

An excellent guide to writing filled with humor and wit. I especially enjoyed the examples provided and the exercises offered. Those helped bring what the author was trying to convey into something tangible that I could experience with my own writing. So much of what the author talked about really hit home for me. It’s not that I didn’t logically know what he was talking about prior to reading this book, it’s that the way he said it and exemplified it finally connected the unconnected in my head so that it all finally made sense in a real not abstract way.

Subtitle: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

J. Michael Straczynski has written for television (Babylon 5), film (Thor, World War Z), comics, non-fiction books (like this one), and has a novel coming out later in 2021. He has extensive knowledge in writing and storytelling in many forms. The book gets is title from a Harlan Ellison quote: “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” It is divided into two parts: Becoming a Writer is aimed at beginning writers as the level up their craft and face a lot of rejection. Staying a Writer is aimed at writers who have experienced some success, but want or need to make the leap to being able to write as their full-time career. Although I fall into the first group, I also read the second part of the book in the event I could learn something from it.


Straczynski pulls no punches in the advice he gives emerging writers. The more writing you do, the better you get at it – in his opinion, if you don’t make time for writing you don’t really want to be a writer badly enough. I’ve read my share of books about plot structure that fit certain story events to specific spots (down to the page numbers) in the novel/script – Stracynski dismisses these as money-making schemes for the people who develop them, and that writers need to force structure to serve story. Even the sacred cow of the three-act structure is called into question, because it was a carryover from the playwrights Hollywood brought in during its early days, and was designed to give theatre patrons from totally walking away from the production during the intermissions between acts. He encourages writers to treat every scene as an individual act worthy of a gripping ending to keep readers/viewers hooked.

I gave Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer five stars on Goodreads. I recommend it to anyone who takes their writing seriously. I’ve read some of Straczynski’s graphic novels previously, and I’m planning on reading his 2002 book about screenwriting.

4 stars!

This one was surprisingly helpful and fun. Truth be told, I don't read many writing advice books and half of the time I find them completely useless. But not this one. I enjoyed the author's writing here and his humor. There were so many useful tips which would benefit struggling writers such as me. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to become a writer. This is a very valuable resource.

Immensely valuable, and I’d even say that it has readability for those who aren’t even interested in writing, as it has several key teaching moments that are applicable across any skill set.

While I’m certainly not a professional writer, the tiny amount I sneak in will be tremendously helped by the author’s advice and wisdom—it’s a frank, no-frills letter to help out anyone who just needs even just the faintest of navigational beacon from someone who has had measurable success (great success, in my opinion).

It’s buy-worthy even as just a resource and/or recalibration tool.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BenBella Books for the advance read

This was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it. It provided answers to many of the common questions and also highlighted some lesser known aspects of the industry. The author is funny and informative with plenty of tips for anyone struggling with writing. I highly recommend this book and will be sure to check out his other works. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.

I was provided an early copy from the publisher via Netgalley. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.
J. Michael Straczynski would be one of my writing heroes even if all he'd ever done was to write 92 of the 110 episodes of the excellent Babylon 5. But he's done so many other great projects, too. So I was thrilled when I saw that he'd written a book on writing--but not just becoming a writer but also staying a writer. It's right there in the title. What that means is that after spending the first part of the book giving you no-BS advice about the process from his years of experience, he gives you advice for how to stay a writer after you've made it. (And he believes you'll make it.) This includes his three-legged stool philosophy, where he feels you should have three different writing revenue streams (say, comics, TV, and short stories), so that if one of them falls away, you've still got things to keep you afloat. I'm not sure that works, since a three-legged stool that's missing a leg just falls over. But whatever. This book is gold.
I have a To Read pile a mile high, and I fully intended to just read a few pages of this, and then set this aside for one of the other books. The next thing I knew I was 10% in, and aware that I was just going to finish this. It was like drinking from a fire hose. As soon as I finished, I was ready to immediately start again at page 1, this time with an eye toward capturing the specific nuggets of wisdom found throughout. This is excellent advice, even if you're not a genre writer. Highly recommended.

Any writer, published or aspiring would do well to follow the advice in this book! Straight-forward advice and cautions from this already successful writer hit home and give tips to the uninitiated. At times I felt he was writing with me, a novice, in mind. He uses some humor at various times, but it’s not at the expense of the pedagogical voice he uses. An example of his humor is where he uses made-up words to get his point across and gives you as a writer to do the same. But the best advice Mr. Straczynski gives applies to ALL writers, published or not – just Finish It! Well said.

Another excellent "how to" book from JMS. I loved his screenwriting book, so I was looking forward to this more general book, and it did not disappoint. With his familiar style and take-no-prisoners approach, he reminds us writers why we do what we do, and gives practical advice on how to keep doing it.

This book is better than an MFA and certainly less costly! Straczynski's a bit of a crank, his anecdotes are ridiculously juicy and comical, but I personally love his no nonsense acknowledgement of the challenges to making a living in the creative arts. I think there's such a societal (snobby?) tension between writing as "art" and writing as "something to make money doing," and Straczynski offers up his experience and advice on how to maybe do both. I liked how practical and realistic this was, the antithesis of a heady MFA program that is utterly divorced from the realities of the Publishing and Entertainment industries.

This is one of the best books on building a writing career that I've ever read. As a very early-career writer myself (I've published some short stories in professional magazines, but I don't have an agent and I've never sold a novel), I would put this up there with Stephen King's On Writing in terms of writing books I expect to turn to again and again.

Note that this is not a craft book. In my opinion, it's better than that. Craft books are easy to find and very hit-or-miss, but books on building and maintaining a writing career – books with tips and tricks, information on pitching and building relationships and keeping your sanity – are few and far between, and this is a really good one. The information is useful and actionable, drawn from Straczynski's decades of experience across fields, and he cites that experience time and time again without ever coming across as tedious or arrogant. The book is also, frankly, very funny, surprisingly full of heart, and eminently readable.