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Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs to Know (review)

Drawing mainly on his own and his sons’ personal experiences, Fletcher writes with a crusader’s zeal about the problems faced by guys trying to write in school. He contends that the things guys like to write about too often fall outside the zero-tolerance policies of their schools; blood, weapons, epic battles, and outright fantasy don’t pass muster with teachers who want real stories, but not real enough to include bodily functions or fighting. So what’s a guy to do? Fletcher combines personal stories, interviews with famous authors such as Jon Scieszka, Greg Trine, Robert Lipsyte, and Robert San Souci as well as graphic-novel artist Jarrett Krosoczka, excerpts from published books and short stories written by tween boys, and writing tips to inspire boys to write what they want. The authors offer advice on how to write humor that’s actually funny, how to use blood, gore, and other gross stuff effectively in the service of storytelling, how to condense play-by-play sports stories so they aren’t boring, and how to use provocative hints to evoke horror. Fletcher also talks about process, including using drawing as a springboard for writing and keeping a writer’s notebook. While the book occasionally makes some overbroad assumptions about who guys are and what they like, it opens up a necessary conversation about what is acceptable in school writing, and how narrow restrictions can constrict the achievement of boys, making it important reading for teachers as well as budding guy writers. KC