WritingNothing New, But Good Advice Nonetheless

4stars

By Robert M. Knight
Marion Street Press, $9.95, 108 pages

Robert Knight’s Public Prose reinforces what your high school English teacher told you to do — if only you had listened. In other words, the reader won’t find any earth shattering tips in Knight’s book. As a seasoned writer, he offers words of encouragement and lots of fine examples of what to do and what not to do. Knight suggest ways to write introductions and offers tips on using the active voice. Knight also spends time on accuracy and originality. He clearly hates clichés and shares many he thinks the writer should avoid. There is also a chapter on red-flags or words and expressions that should never be used unless it is a direct quote. Chapters nine and ten give tips for writing for audio and visual and he even discusses speechwriting. Knight’s final chapter is a style guide which includes those insidious words that writers often mix up (i.e. farther/further and conscience/conscious). Public Prose is only 91 pages but offers the writer tons of tidbits and opinions on effective writing. There is no new information in this book, but it certainly contains a few good reminders of what to include and what to dismiss in your own writing.

Reviewed by Seniye Groff

[amazon asin=1936863014&text=Buy On Amazon][amazon asin=1936863014&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]