I'm a fan of the works of Steve Almond, ever since I picked up and read, somewhat randomly, his collection of short stories, My Life in Heavy Metal. I will gladly buy and read anything he writes. Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow, Almond's latest book, is part memoir, part 'how to' for writers, and part teacher's classroom notes.
Although Almond is a bit self-deprecating throughout, he uses it to point out mistakes he's made , hoping it helps others avoid the pitfalls:

I realized that early in the drafting process, I wasn't thinking about plot at all. I was simply trying to get a beat on my characters, who they were and what they wanted. thus, I spent a lot of time simply marching them around their daily routines and hoping they would bump into plot.
...
This kind of thinking requires the author to step back and consider the larger arc of her story. And again, speaking bluntly, I suck at this kind of stepping back. I'm an inveterate improviser. Put more precisely: I use scenes to conceive of plot rather than to dramatize and advance plot.
But he also talks about these problems or 'mistakes' and we (assuming most readers are writers looking for more insight) recognize them in ourselves. ("Often, I'll spend more words describing a minor character than a major one.")

There's a lot of good advice here and it's not just textbook, by the numbers advice that I've seen in so many other 'how to' books.

I particularly enjoyed his chapter "How Write Sex Scenes Without Shame". He doesn't shy away from the subject matter. I hadn't realized that he's often been anthologized in Best of Erotica collections - not because he's specifically writing erotica but because his characters are sexual beings who have sex. But he asks all writers:

Given this - how much sex matters to us, how much joy and risk it awakens, how much it reveals about us - the question I wish to pose to my fellow writers is this: Why the hell aren't you writing more sex scenes? Aren't you curious about such a fundamental aspect of the people you're writing about? Can you really know them entirely if you don't know their kinks?
Almond does address the dreaded Writer's Block.

I've been creatively stalled so many times over the years that it can be hard for me to distinguish between periods of genuine Writer's Block and eras in which I've managed to avoid deep creative work by focusing on other pursuits, such as making money or promoting a book or poising baby woodchucks. But I certainly remember the worst of my blocks.

Almond gives us a lot of little nuggets of information and I can practically picture some young writers taking copious notes and highlighting with vigor ("Slow down where it hurts." "I didn't want to write a novel. I wanted to be a novelist." "What most writers do is disguise the truth." "Fiction writers frisk the world for symbolic versions of their experience." etc)

I appreciated that Almond doesn't come at this with all the usual platitudes and advice that one might typically find (yes, he addresses the 'show, don't tell' mantra). His take on writer's workshops is a little surprising.

There is a Q&A section of the book from frequently asked questions, which I enjoyed (though I don't know that any of these would have been my questions).

And while I've gushed a bit here, because I do like Steve Almond's literary voice, not all is swell. Pulling out his teacher's notes, Almond references other literary works to provide examples of what he's talking about. A lot. Too much, even. I actually got annoyed at one point when I was about to read yet another example from a different literary work. Perhaps my impatience is a sign of why I don't have the hoped-for success as a writer?

Looking for a good book? Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond is a great, helpful book and it should be required reading for open-minded young writers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Energetic and engaging! I would love to learn how to write humor like Steve Almond. Lol, great way to open: "I suck at plot. More broadly, I suck at planning. I am not an organized person." Which of course made me read more, and drew me into the craft and storytelling and DIY-know-how of this book. I feel like I can do it. Thanks, Steve Almond! Thanks, NetGalley!

I'm critical of books about writing--perhaps because I wrote and published one. Steve Almond's book is lovely and voicey, just like him, and I've been recommending it because it combines craft talk with how to make it as a human being an artist. We've had Steve on the show (Writers on Writing) and I featured him on my Substack page.

Thank you, NetGalley!

Steve Almond is an incredible writer - I had read his "Candyfreak" years ago and remembered liking it. This book is about writing and he writes beautifully about the art of writing, covering everything from plot, character, chronology, opening paragraphs and narrators, etc. In each of his descriptive chapters, he also gives us examples from a variety of texts - both "classic" and more recent. I really appreciated the diversity of writers he leverages - from Paul Beatty, Samantha Irby, Celeste Ng, and of course Swift, Faulkner, Hemingway, Twain, Vonnegut, etc. This book helped me appreciate the beauty in writing and helps shine a light on how writers approach and think about writing, and what is revealed. He also addressed writer's block and writers' workshops. This is not a dry overview on writing - it is packed with emotion, doubt, grief, regrets, loss and also love and joy. This is a very good read and I highly recommend it to all aspiring writers but also those who love reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Steve Almond's 'Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow' appears at first glance to be just another book on the craft of writing. I was pleased to discover that Almond has managed to bring a unique view to the table. This is not a text book so much as an empathetic guide.

Almond's background in literary and non-fiction allows him to bridge the gap between teaching and entertaining, with a book that feels a comfortable conversation with a writerly friend. The chapters are set up clearly and have numerous examples from best sellers and classics to help understand the points being made. But they are also spiked with personal anecdotes to do with reading, writing and teaching. It avoids being prescriptive and encourages the reader to explore.

This reflective and personal approach makes the book easy to read without feeling lectured at.

The examples of obsession particularly resonated with me; I have written the following quote from the book on a post-it on my desk..

> Tracking your obsession should lead you into mystery and reveal things about you that you don't want revealed. Your job is to peer into the dark regions of your heart, not navel gaze.

There's no magic formula here; no easy answers. Almond pushes the writer towards deeper and more honest story the telling. 'Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow' manages both to motivate and reassure.

I am unfortunately not quite sure what I just read. Almond admits pretty early on that he's bad at plot -- as am I -- but dang, this book wanders around a whole bunch of topics without getting to the point. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Absolutely brilliant. An engaging look at the art and craft from one of the most epic and engaging teachers and writers at work today.
Almond’s fiction is amongst my favourites, and his not fiction work is equally great. This is a great under the hood look at the process of this brilliant writer.

Steve Almond approaches the "how to" of writing in the same way he speaks: with humor and being true to himself. No doubt his books (and his voice) will connect to writers who need what he says or how he says it. I'll add this one to my bookshelves so that my students have access to it. However, recent craft books including Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses and The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez are far more groundbreaking for writers and educators.

I would definitely recommend this to writers and budding writers. There are chapters with a wide range of advice, and even experienced writers should enjoy the chance to evaluate how they look at the way they write. There are also great exercises to try based on each topic. I've read several books about writing but this one covered some topics I haven't seen before. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Full of good advice and weird essays, a very different "how to write" book. A good book to read in addition to other "how to write" books.

A beautiful tribute to the art of writing, filled with many insightful gems of wisdom regarding the craft. The academic, but conversational, tone held my interest throughout.

I will note that even thought this book is marketed as a DIY book on writing craft, it doesn't really read that way. It reads more like a memoir, with the focus being Almond's experiences with writing. It is honest and raw—a very real look into what it means to write.

There is much to glean from the wisdom recorded on the pages.

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Engaging and thoughtful - a recommended purchase for collections where writing craft titles are popular.

There's something encouraging about hearing from someone who has been there, done that and cringed while at it that makes this book the perfect gift for writers. I requested to read this book off Netgalley, because I was not writing and the fact that I had a manuscript stored away for over a year, and wanted to jump back into it with NanoWrimo-made this book appealing.
I'm glad the publisher granted my request because what the author succeeded in my case was to remind me of what it feels to write and to read books. He drew from his experience as a writer ad quoted some books that resonated with him and through this his insights on plot, character, storytelling and even the elusive writer's block was interesting. At the end of each key content, he has the 'free write' sessions which got me writing and I'll cringe at the sex scene I wrote-because that got me back into writing again, just exploring where the manuscript that I had shelved would take me.
I'd recommend this to every Writer, yes, especially now with digital enhancement there's AI, series and movies at every turn competing for the readers attention- this book explores storytelling for what it is for the fact that we build psychological and emotional connections through it.
PS: I am only bummed that due to advance reader privileges I can swoon over this book but not blurb about it to everyone else or quote or throw in those phrases that had me shouting 'tell 'em!'