This masterpiece, written by AA Patawaran, offers a sincere and technical approach with regards to writing in its entirety.

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Being an acclaimed and trusted writer the author is, it was definitely not hard to wrap yourself around the series of tips on the art and skill of composing the pieces.

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Patawaran got everything covered – from starting literally with blank pages, dealing with your editors, sentence constructions, punctuation usages, types and kinds of writing, rhythm, voices, your adaptability, down to every writer’s love affair with adjectives.

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The book has a good tendency to be very dictating, yet the author manages to sway it away that direction. He dodged the topic in relatable manner for all types of writers, whether you are an amateur or a veteran on the craft.

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Aside from the book being a how-to or step-by-step manual, it being sort of a writer’s memoir made it less intimidating, and more likely inspiring.

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The Sense&Style Editor-in-Chief did a great job in terms of stitching in the basics of written pieces, with his own experiences in the span of his career. Chapter per chapter, he did let the readers visualize clearly and understand what he wanted to relay.

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There is also something genuine and pure about the author’s attack on writing this 179-page literary treasure, as validated also by the industry’s top editors and writers in Jullie Yap Daza, Alex Vergara, Myrza Sison, Pauline Suaco Juan, Hector Reyes and Liza Ilarde.

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The subtle humor injected every now and then gave it a refreshing feel and a break when it is slowly turning into a romanticized storytelling, or a procedural style guide. He squeezed in advices in a way that you won’t even notice, which I think is a good strategy. By targeting the unconscious mind, the reader won’t even see that he or she is already hooked into the book.

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Patawaran also twitched in a bit of the modernity through instilling a chapter or two of then still blooming social media. That was a great choice given that it provided an added dimension to what was already becoming as a ‘traditional’ writing brochure.

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This book may not be for everyone though. It may not be as pleasurable to read for those who do not even have the elementary knowledge on the basics of writing. Some chapters contain a grip of heavy and loaded information that may be too much to comprehend.

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Ergo, it is a great treat if finished; especially for amateur writers alike who plan to really pursue on their passion. I will highly recommend this book as it is possesses an encouraging pattern to carry on.
 

But I guess the best thing about this book is its feasibility. You can probably look at it 20 years later, and still get viable tips from it – and that itself is a fine description of a quality book. Through application of the techniques learned, you are imbibing the essence of why the author started writing it in the first place.