Release the Bats: Writing Your Way Out Of It

I found this book extremely informative about the art of writing I think it was great that Pierre was coming from a non university trained background in writing He seemed to have much better insights into the craft And he was a very motivating presence as well I d recommend this highly to writers working on their craft.

DBC Pierre in Panteon Dolores, Monterrey, Mexico from Tobias Wenzel s exhibition Cemetery strolls with writers What the human mind does by nature is look for order, and because self conscious reality is random and terrifying it makes a lot of it up in the form of ideals, schemes and beliefs.I must admit to not having read any of DBC Pierre s work before this one, though I have a first edition of Lights Out in Wonderland on a shelf that I just haven t got to yet After this, I will very soon And I [...]

Having shared an agent with DBC Pierre and met him on the staircase case outside and read his Booker winning novel Vernon God Little , I was drawn to this book which is part biography and part how to write guide After all, the author had taught himself how to write by trial and error and he had a colourful past So what s not to like Sadly quite a lot There is not enough biography to be truly understand the man and not enough nuts and bolts to understand his craft Having said that, it did help me [...]

More like 3.5 Useful advice Some of the stories were a bit rambling One reviewer here on has said that it might have been better to make two separate books out of this one for the writing advice, one for the autobiograpy I wouldn t go quite that far, but DBC Pierre has a unique writing style which took me a while to get used to Nevertheless, some useful notes on process.

Interesting Let s see if it can salvage the unsalvageable

Honesty dictates that I begin this review with a confession This is a book on writing unlike any that I have read till date No, in fact to lend an even transparent perspective, this book is unlike all the books on writing that I have read I cannot say that I have come out all the wiser or intuitive after reading this book than from where I was before I opened its cover Release The Bats is a raucous, rambunctious, rabble rousing exercise in freewheeling spontaneity than a how to manual for an [...]

Among the plethora of how to write and how I wrote books out there, this one has to recommend it than most I have to say I had rather written off DBC Pierre as a one hit wonder, having read Vernon God Little and some journalism and little else The press office machinations that led to the perfectly timed revelations of his having scammed someone, thus suggesting his novel was a kind of cosmic atonement by a colourful character, actually left rather a bad taste in the mouth and sent my radar awa [...]

A no nonsense guide to writing in the modern world by DBC Pierre who won the Booker Prize with his first novel, so he must have a good idea of how it is done.I enjoyed the frankness of this book and the simple straightforward way the author suggests a good course to chart He makes good observations and brings in other authors ideas to help One concept which is always hard to get across a meaning is Show not tell I have heard it said many times in writers groups but only now have a good descripti [...]

In the beginning I wasn t too sure how to approach this book I d been told it was a sort of guide to writing, and the last thing I like is being told how to do the one thing I enjoy I was wary, at first, and almost looked for anything to complain about, a reason to not continue Accidentally, I pushed through and ended up treating the thing as an actual novel I imagined Pierre narrating the random events of his life in a sort of detached and blase, but humorous manner It made the whole thing much [...]

This is a happily opinionated guide to the art if not the business of being a writer I found the early autobiographical sections elliptical and a bit bonkers but then they do address amorphous matters such as why people write and what should or does drive them If this stuff is sometimes hard to get a handle on, with its wild prose and showers of profanity, it is still valuable and thought provoking discussion.From this, the book settles down into practical matters structure, character, dialogue [...]

The strangest book about writing I ve ever read The only one to include a guide on how various drugs affect the writing process Some useful insights in a very badly written book It just goes to show that inspiration and originality can get you so far, but graft is required to get published and to keep on writing.

An excellent handbook for anyone interested in the artsWhether you are a writer or someone just having an infatuation with the arts, this little gem is worth all of your precious time.

Sorry, couldn t finish it Just not good timing for me to get into it I chose the title because a friend of mine had bats in her walls at the time and I thought release the bats not too worry, neither of us enjoyed the book Perhaps I ll try again at another time.

Provocative, macho, helpful.

Top tips from a rad guy on what writing is and how to do good.Heck yeah, release the bats, baby.

I loved this little book I particularly liked the focus on the human condition and importance of the chaos of creation as opposed to scientific truths.

DBC Pierre has written a how to book autobiography that mixes anecdotal stories with the knowledge he s gained as a self taught writer in a way that is both entertaining and informative I think for those who aspire to be writers or those involved in the creative industry, this book is absolutely full of practical lessons to improve your craft.Though some may find his style of writing too philosophical if they were expecting a simple how to book, I think it forces one to actually think about what [...]

A strange mix I loved the most of it but there were moment when I didn t like it at all Having said that, 80% was pure gold for me As a practicing writer as yet unpublished and teacher of creative writing, his analysis of the writing process and the techniques he uses are second to none There s a chapter near the end in which he discusses explains plot which had me completely gripped Excellent detailed analysis and advice The 20% I didn t like The chapter on drugs One word Naff Other than that, [...]

This is hard I didn t get to the end It was such hard work that I wasn t interested in going further The voice and insights are really unique, but I find the style a real slog to make sense of As a book on how to write, there s many better out there Might be worth it if you enjoy philosophical meanderings and grappling with difficult but potentially rewarding prose I don t ever think I ll be that person, and certainly not at this time in my life.

I ve read a few writing books and this was a good compliment to them Pierre has an engaging style which makes him an easy read There were some useful tips here too, my copy now has a series of folded over pages to mark them out.

His novels are kind of shitty He should read his own book on how to write a good one.