If you're a writer, you will find this book helpful and entertaining. What I loved the most (besides his writing advices) was the fact that he took the time to respond (through letters) to readers and aspiring writers (even during a War period). Really enjoyable!

On Writing (and Writers) by C.S. Lewis is a compilation of essays on topics on writing and book reviews written by C.S. Lewis. While there were some elements that can be gleaned to assist one’s writing, this wasn’t anything new that can’t be found in other writing craft books by other authors. But if you like learning more about the writing process and thoughts of classic authors, this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

ARC - thank you to the publisher!

C. S. Lewis is, and always will be, a favorite author of mine. These writings provided a sincerity of closeness and comfort. Almost like having a conversation with Lewis throughout. I am so pleased to have read this and to be given the opportunity to recommend it to our many patrons.

This was not really what I was expecting and that may be my fault.

Unlike other writing advice books, this was short snippets of things Lewis had written over his lifetime and while I appreciate that, it wasn't a valuable learning experience for me. Everything was so short and snappy that I didn't fully get enveloped in any of the concepts.

I can see how this could be useful for some people, but it didn't work for me.

What a collection of gems! On Writing (and Writers) is the kind of book you'll want to stop reading every few pages just to read a few lines aloud to whomever is willing to listen. Lewis gives his opinions of Austen and Orwell and Thackeray, and even reviews a few of Tolkien’s titles. There’s advice for writers young and old on everything from originality to science-fiction and political poetry. These collected excerpts from Lewis’ essays and letters make the perfect gift for any writer—especially paired with The Reading Life, also by HarperOne.

A terrific little collection of C.S.Lewis’ thoughts and musings on writing, writers, and reading.

Lewis is a delight to read no matter the subject, but I’ve recently become especially appreciative of his nonfiction and literary criticism, which is fantastically sharp, funny, and spot on. This one is particularly good if you’re an appreciator or practitioner of the craft of writing.

I particularly enjoyed Lewis’ thoughts on writing for children, as well as the collection of missives about well-known writers and their works. The piece on T.S. Eliot was absolutely hilarious, and I loved reading Lewis’ intriguing thoughts on why Sayers’ translation of Dante was such a success.

An absolute gem of a book.

On Writing (and Writers) is a collection of C.S. Lewis's thoughts on writing. I wanted to read this book because I love C.S. Lewis's writing (especially the Chronicles of Narnia and his books about faith).

This was a lovely, inspiring, and thought provoking read with passages like:

"For poetry too is a little incarnation, giving body to what had been before invisible and inaudible."

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in C.S. Lewis's work, and especially for anyone who also enjoys writing.

This was an interesting book to read. I loved reading Lewis' thoughts on writing. The book is divided into nine sections: On Good Writing, On the Writing Process, On Writing Fiction, On Writing Poetry, On Writing for Children, On Writing Science Fiction, On Christian Writing, On Writing Persuasively, and On Other Writers.

I also love that C.S. Lewis interacted with people who wrote him letters. It's clear that not only did he enjoy writing stories, but he also loved teaching.

I adore CS Lewis, and was so excited to discover this book! He was such a prolific author, and wrote so many letters over his lifetime--I loved the opportunity to focus just on one topic, that of writing and writers. His humor absolutely shines through here, along with his quintessential dry wit!

As an editor myself (I will never get tired of saying that, lol), I found the read informative, encouraging, and inspiring; indeed, it will help me do my day job all the better.

A fantastic opportunity to learn from one of the very best on a topic he was exceptionally good at, and more than qualified to address. 5/5 stars.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed On Writing (and Writers). It was a fascinating look into the mind of an incredibly talented writer. The book is more interesting because it's a series of parts of letters Lewis wrote to people who corresponded with him. Who knew he was so good at responding to his fans?

I was a bit surprised to not always agree with Mr.Lewis on what works and doesn't. I've enjoyed books that he might have not thought well written according to his thoughts in these letters. I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't a snob about genres. He discusses romance as well as the fantasy you'd expect from him, and others.

For anyone interested in writing or who just a likes to learn, this book is a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.

Fabulous.

Adored this compilation of Lewis’s thoughts on writing—he describes things so aptly, with such clever turns of phrase and incisive insight. There’s honestly probably more highlighted in the book than there isn’t, every page is a gem.

Would recommend to any writer!

Abounding gratefulness to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc—I’m going to order my copy now!

-A

A witty collection from C S Lewis, “On Writing and Writers” is a timeless treasure chest for writers. Each chapter stands as a masterpiece of literature. Readers will find themselves laughing from cover to cover. I especially enjoyed the wisdom and writing tips, generously written by C S Lewis for his students and friends.

In the beginning, the chapters are a collection of witty writings. The book structure changes towards the middle of the book, where chapters resemble lectures. Then it changes back to shorter quotes from CS Lewis letters. The reader is entertained yet challenged with a brilliant collection of writing wisdom.

“On Writing and Writers” by CS Lewis is packed with memorable quotes. Refreshingly brilliant, this is a handy resource book. I would recommend this book for high school and college literature courses, or as a wisdom book for anyone who enjoys writing.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley and then purchased this book via Kindle.

I really appreciated this collection of advice. It was refreshing to get snippets of advice rather than large, heavy chapters where I have to figure out what the actual guidance it. Here, in such short bits with descriptive headers, I was able to read through without feeling weighed down, and also to skim back through to find the things I wanted to focus on in my own craft. I will absolutely be adding this to my collection of reference and craft books in my own collection as well as for my creative writing students.

On Writing (and Writers): A Miscellany of Advice and Opinions. Pay close attention to the subtitle of this new C.S. Lewis book. Miscellany is right! This short book is packed with writing advice from legendary writer C.S. Lewis. Over the course of his career Lewis wrote in most genres and on such a variety of subjects. Now here in this book, culled from his letters, books, and essays, are his insightful thoughts on all facets of writing: covering technical issues as well as style. Writing for children, writing science fiction, Christian writing, verb use, adjective use, originality vs imitation, poetry, just to name a few of the dozens upon dozen upon dozens of subjects touched upon. As I said this is a short book and one that can easily be read through in an afternoon, which is in fact what I did. But there is such a wealth of advice here that I know I’ll be returning to this book again and again. Thanks so much to HaperOne and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this wonderful and educational reference book.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1WBFXOX95I8X1/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

ON WRITING (AND WRITERS) presents the words of C.S. Lewis specifically oriented to writers, writing, and the world of writing. Gathered and arranged byDavid C. Downing, the book lays out the considerable depth, wit, kindness, and intelligence of an essential writer in English literature. I delighted in the depth and breadth of Lewis' correspondence and other writing and laughed out loud at his clear, forthright repudiation of so many modern myths of how to write and be a writer. If Downing's intent was to share a buffet, he has succeeded well, but left me wanting so much more, both in the words of Lewis and the perspective of an expert in Lewis' body of work. The parsing of particular topics felt too fine and small; I think more would have been gained had the editor gathered the words into looser groups and let them loose rather than tethering them with citations that interrupted what would have been an entirely pleasurable read. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

A great reference for anyone who has taken up writing as a hobby or a vocation. Lewis is a master and there are so many lessons to come back to again and again.

As the title states, this is a collection of writing advice taken from letters and other sources from one of the greatest authors of our time, C.S. Lewis. He is probably most well-known for "The Chronicles of Narnia". If you have not read them, stop what you are doing right now and go find a copy.

If you are an author, put this on the top of your to-be-read list. It doesn't matter what kind of writing you do. Read this. Note - Lewis taught at Oxford and Cambridge, and some of this book sounds like it. Don't let it discourage you if it's a bit heady. Just read it again.

The highlight is his reviews of "The Hobbit" ("The Hobbit may well prove a classic.") and "The Lord of the Rings" ("Nothing quite like it was ever done before."). Lewis and Tolkien were good friends, and Lewis got to read them before they were published. Can you imagine?

Completely family friendly.

Publication Nov. 1, 2022

It seems presumptuous of me to even be reviewing a book of C.S. Lewis' writings. It's also presumptuous of me to use the word presumptuous as one of the things he repeatedly cautions writers against is using a big word when a smaller, more common one will do. So, let's rephrase this as "It seems wrong for me (or anyone) to review work by C.S. Lewis." But, well, here we go....

Lewis was a writer, yes, but also a teacher. Reading his responses to letters obviously written by young writers is eye-opening. It isn't just the advice he gives but the patient, positive vibes of his responses show the teacher side. Divided into sections by focus, it's a book easily read in spurts, flipping back-and-forth or, gasp, even skipping a section or two. I read them all, even the poetry section even though my poetic skills seems to largely begin and end with trite phrasing such as "I'm not a poet/And I know it". Hopefully you're more poetic but there is something within for every budding writer no matter what your genre. Heck, you don't even have to want to write books. It's applicable for everything from your efforts at the Great American Novel to, well, reviews and common written exchanges today.

I wonder what Lewis, who died in 1983, would think of modern social media, too. One of the points he makes is to write for the ear as well as the eye, yes, but he also strongly emphasizes, as I've already noted, the need to be direct and avoid using a big word when a little one, so to speak, will do just as well. For instance, don't say "the mortality rate escalated" when "many people died" says the same thing in a clearer, more direct way. No, I don't think we'd find C.S. Lewis writing news headlines for social media. Bottom line, choose your words and avoid verbicide, ie the murder of words. I love that word. I also loved this book and expect to return to it again and again. Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperOne for reminding me that I need to read the Narnia Chronicles again...soon.

Really nice to have so much of CS Lewis's advice about writing in one spot. Many of the little tidbits from the letters were new to me, though I had recently read several of the longer pieces ("On Science Fiction," "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said," and his commentary on Lord of the Rings). Lewis's advice is still relevant in the modern day; I always find some new concept when I read his work. For example, his idea of "narrative-lust" as a distraction in our first reading of a book was interesting in the context of the modern obsession with avoiding spoilers. Though there was less new content than I had hoped, I still appreciated the collection and pulled lots of quotes from it into my quote archive.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

For readers who enjoyed Stephen King's On Writing, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in writing as a career. C.S Lewis provides succient but concrete advice about writing. The format of the book is easy to read. The chapters are organized so that if you only want to learn about advice on a particular topic such as poetry, you can skip and read the aspects that are most relevant to you.