The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club

//The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club// is a book of letters, containing advice about writing, from beloved //Circle of Friends// author Maeve Binchy, who originally wrote the letters -- 20 in all -- to the students of a writing course at the National College of Ireland. During the course other Irish writers, publishers, and agents rotated through the class as guest lecturers. Short essays from 10 of these guests appear between sets of Binchy's letters. Books by famous authors on writing are always a pleasure to read, but what makes //The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club// refreshing is the absence of downtrodden reminders of the difficulty of being published. Binchy's letters are down to earth, humorously frank, and full of wonderfully kind notes of encouragement. Sadly, this wealth of writing advice ends just shy of halfway through the book. The remainder is an appendix, composed largely of seven of Binchy's short stories and twelve columns she wrote for the //Irish Times//. However, in their breadth of character, style, and topic, these enjoyable stories and columns serve to illustrate some of the concepts discussed in the first section of the book. Reviewed by Megan Just

Bincy's book was excellent. Her writing is always clear and to the point, very helpful for aspiring writers. Love all of her books and the wonderful way she weaves her stories together. Great story teller

I really enjoyed reading this book. The tips included are simple but they go straight to the heart of the matter. The short stories at the end are so well-written, I have to stop reading it lest I adopt her style. If you find yourself wanting to write but get overwhelmed with so much, this book will set it right.

"The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club" is typical Binchy - warm, down-to-earth, and inspiring. Composed of 20 letters from Maeve to students at a writing course at the National College of Ireland, the letters offer beginner/aspiring writers tips,hints and advice as to how to hone their writing skills. The book also contains contributions by other authors, publishers and editors. The advice contained within this book is practical, realistic, and covers not only the basics [i.e. getting started, what publishers look for], but also issues such as procrastination, motivation etc. Maeve's personal experiences really enhances this book for me - and it is written in her signature style - down-to-earth and warm. I felt inspired after reading this [having sat on my own writing project for the last decade, using my career and then my family as an excuse] - I finally feel like someone out there understands me, and who better than a beloved author whose books I have been collecting since I was in college in the 90s! This will appeal to beginner writers who are embarking on their first serious writing project and also those interested in anything to do with the writing craft.Of course, it's a must-have for Binchy fans:) Highly recommended!

If you enjoy reading Maeve Benchy's books, and aspire to write well yourself, this is a great book to read, re-read and study. What a pleasure it must have been to be a part of this group. There are many how-to books in print directed to writing and writers. This is one of the best.