“Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process” by John McPhee
This is a charming little book about the inner workings behind the professional writing process. It has the feel of a scrappy note book of a pro writer, with the narration can jump from explanations to stories to memoir to stories to explanations in a fast-paced manner.
The book is indeed written by an actual pro, in fact it is none other than John McPhee, a four-time finalist of the Pulitzer Prize (winner of the 4th) who is considered to be the pioneer of creative non-fiction writing.
And his credentials are reflected in the book. With so many tips and tricks on writing, and plenty of anecdotes from McPhee’s decades of experience and war stories in the publishing industry, it is such an intriguing book to read.
EDWIN SETIADI 