Celebrity Co-Authors

Over the years I have read some very interesting books - mainly myteries - that feature a celebrity writing with a co-author. LOL I can see you rolling your eyes! These really can be interesting books, as the celebrity generally is there to act as the individual that is able to present a coherent background for the story based on their own experience.

The first book that I read in this genre was "Killer Instinct", written by Martina Navritalova and co-authored by Liz Nickles. The protagonist is Jordan Myles, a retired world-class tennis pro. This actually is book three in a three book series, and was well written both from the POV a accuracy in the tennis world, and a really interesting, tight story line.

The next celebrity authored book that I read was "Murder In The Mist", written by Willard Scott and co-authored by Bill Crider. The protagonist is B&B owner Stanley Waters, who is very much written along the lines of who Willard Scott is. The setting is Virgina, and the reenactment of a Civil War battle. Funny, yet serious, well written, and well researched.

The most recent celebrity co-authored book that I read was "The President Is Missing", by Bill Clinton and co-authored by James Patterson. It is a fabulous book, one that only a former president could provide such personal background for. It is fast paced, factual, and a book that you just do not want to put down.

A celebrity book series that I may look into is the "Femmes Fatales", authored by Gypsy Rose Lee (with a forward by Eric Lee Preminger). Yes, THAT Gypsy Rose Lee. (I am old enough to remember her as a talk show host when I was very young). Supposedly the series was written by Gypsy Rose Lee herself, but there is some question about whether there was a co-author (said to be Craig Rice).    

(c) August 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author. 

Master Class With Margaret Atwood

I stumbled across the Master Class series some time ago. At that time I thought that an all access pass was the way to go. My wallet decided otherwise! I just signed up for the class that I was primarily interested in - Margaret Atwoods class on writing. The link above talks about the general outline of what is offered. This post takes a look at what I am actually experiencing in the class.

"Creativity is one of the essential things about being human. So you don't have to apologize for it. It's something human beings do." ~ from the workbook

I downloaded the workbook - which is a true gem!  In it, Atwood references her own work, as well as presenting writing prompts for her students. There are assignments, links to reference material, examples of various techniques that can be used to create beginnings, middles, and ends, deciding on what voice to use in a story, and so much more!

In her videos, Atwood is very clear about her topic, has a very eloquent speaking voice, and a lovely sense of humor. The next chapter that I am going to be working with is all about layered narratives and how to structure a story. I am very happy that I took the plunge and paid for this course ... you will see better work coming from me in the very near future!

(c) July 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.