Review: Writing with the Master by Tony Vanderwarker
When Tony Vanderwarker sat down to a casual lunch with his friend and neighbor, John Grisham, he probably never anticipated that he would walk away with the bestselling king of the legal suspense genre as his newly minted mentor in the novel-writing process. Formerly a successful ad man, Tony had been feeding his creative writing habit for years, but his hopes of publication had been all but dashed as rejection letter after rejection letter piled up. Having given up on writing so long ago, Tony is rejuvenated at the prospect of getting back in the game with one of the biggest players in the industry at his back. The story Tony’s ready to tell is Sleeping Dogs, an action thriller pitting a discredited Pentagon employee against the most notorious terrorist group in the world in the hunt to recover nuclear weapons lost in the Cold War. The process, as Tony will soon realize, doesn’t get any easier with the help of a friend – and when the friend is John Grisham, a writer can expect to be most thoroughly taken to task. Never one to dance around the harsh blows, Grisham puts Tony through the rigorous paces of crafting a bestseller, studiously giving his feedback on story outlines, chapter outlines, first drafts, and rewrites; Grisham digs deep into the problems Sleeping Dogs has, covering plot, character development and presentation, continuity, pacing, and more.
In his new memoir, Writing with the Master, Vanderwarker recounts his experience being mentored by Grisham, and he never seems to flinch at revealing the brutal honesty of some of Grisham’s critiques. Instead he puts everything Grisham taught him front and center, offering an interesting look at the novel-writing process of one of the most beloved novelists at work today. Vanderwarker’s narrative is light and humorous; he’s quick to laugh at himself, recounting his many starry-eyed visions of success, which most laboring future-novelists will relate to. When Grisham pulls no punches and deals the hard hand of reality, Vanderwarker recalls his many reactions to the criticism: his deflated hopes, his frustration – and even occasional anger – at Grisham’s seemingly impossible ability to be pleased, but ultimately he’ll learn some invaluable lessons from two years’ mentorship.
Throughout the memoir Vanderwarker calls on his background in advertising, laying out several experiences that relate to whichever struggle he’s facing with Sleeping Dogs, as well as his active role in a Virginia environmental group when he isn’t writing. These asides could prove uninteresting or even interruptive for the reader whose interest is chiefly in what Vanderwarker has to say of writing and Grisham, but they remain relevant to the book’s bigger picture. Combining his personal journey with Grisham’s plentiful advice, Writing with the Master is the story of a writer on a journey to discover his own unique process of the craft. The result is an intriguing read for fans of Grisham looking to get an intimate glimpse of the author’s process, as well as an enlightening narrative for aspiring writers.
Author: Tony Vanderwarker
Genre: memoir, writing
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Available Formats: hardcover, ebook, audiobook
Release date: February 4, 2014
Source: Skyhorse Publishing (c/o)
Buy the book: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Connect with the author: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
