Your Writing Coach: From Concept to Character, from Pitch to Publication - Everything You Need to Know about Writing Novels, Non-Fiction,

As a non-fiction author (including books on how to write non-fiction!) I think Jurgen's book can give even authors of business and academic books a great deal to think about. Dry, boring non-fiction is - thankfully - going out of fashion in favour of a much more creative, story-telling approach. Non-fiction today, even if it is very factual and information-based, has to be interesting and - dare I say it - even entertaining if it's going to hold readers' attention right to the end. And this is where Jurgen's advice and guidance is particularly valuable, no matter what type of writing you do. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

Jurgen Wolff's book, like his website [...], offers a Fort Knox of tools for wanna-be writers as well as the experienced: examples, exercises, helpful websites, and chapter bonuses linked to his website to reinforce and expand on his tips and techniques. From using "time pods" to making an "elevator speech" to hook an agent/reader you'll find yourself turning to this book again and again when you're mired down or when you start a new project or just want a darn good read about writing.

This is a comprehensive guide packaged in a compact, well organized, readable form, with lots of personal examples reflecting this author's experience. It also provides links to a number of interesting interviews with other experts. As an amateur mystery and short story writer I found it very helpful, both in terms of improving one's writing and marketing it.

"Your Writing Coach" is a 248-page book filled with a wealth of practical knowledge, industry insights, writing exercises, and coaching tips that will teach and encourage writers at all levels to write, persist, and sell better. It's smartly divided into four parts with 18 chapters that covers a remarkable range of issues and topics all writers face somewhere along the spectrum. Despite Jurgen Wolff's successful career as a writer in the industry with a prolific list of impressive projects (including writing scripts for several popular TV shows), the tone of the book remains coach-friendly, helpful, and never condescending. Plus, the bonus material on his Web site and his personal invitation to contact him if you still have questions after reading the book make this one wonderful coaching tool I'm happy to promote to readers of the Creativity-[...] Web site.

This is a great book for aspiring writers as well as established writers looking to branch out into new areas. A lot of writing books seem to be by a novelist writing only about novels, by a screenwriter writing only about screenplays, etc., but Wolff explores both of those genres, as well as non-fiction books, magazine articles and more. He assumes you're serious, and while he doesn't fill you with delusions of grandeur, he doesn't insult you by selling some fantasy of instant riches, either. He makes it clear that writing for a living requires dedication and hard work, just like any other career, and then he shows you how to go about making it happen. The title is important and telling - Wolff's tone is professional and authoritative, yet friendly and quite cordial, and you get enjoyable little glimpses into his own successful career and personality as he provides anecdotes from his own published/produced works in all the fields he discusses. It's obvious that he's speaking from his own experiences in all aspects of the business(es), not just the writing, but also the marketing, pitching, ethics, etc. In addition to drawing on his own background, he also brings in snippets and examples from lots of other writers and creative types, most of whom are very well-known. Actually, there is a lot of good information in here for creative business people of all sorts, like copywriters, marketing staff, and even product development types, anybody who needs to manage time, inspire others, hatch ideas or promote a vision, all of which are facets of the writing business and life. The book and table of contents are nicely organized and detailed in such a way that you can easily cherry-pick the information you're looking for. Of course, if you're a "regular" writer you will want to read every page, but the organization makes it easy to revisit various topics without cluttering up the sturdy, finely printed book with unsightly Post-It Notes. Finally, the thing I liked best about this book is that it's a lot more than just a book. Every chapter includes an access code you can enter at one of Wolff's websites, where you can view bonus content and video interviews with Wolff and many of the people he mentions in each chapter. Wolff even makes himself available via his website, like a true coach would, as a source of advice and inspiration. It's a brilliant blend of old and new media, and access to the website makes the book a real 2-for-1 bargain. As you might guess, I'd highly recommend this book. I've got a copy of my own and bought another for a friend, because this is the kind of book that if you loan it out, you may not get it back!