Book Review: Quantum Writing

Example of Book Review

RATU YUNITA SEKAR

PBI 5

2040 111 0082

Bibliographic Citation

DePorter, B.(2009). Quantum Writer. Bandung: Kaifa.

Introduction

Quantum Writer by Bobbi DePorter (2009) is the title of the book that I chose to review. In this book, DePorter describes that writing is not a difficult subject. We can make it easy, fun, and get the better result. I chose this book because I do agree with the author statement that writing is easy and fun if we have desire to do it and the great strategies. Writing needs one per cent skill and 99 per cent desire. If we have had the desire just try to start writing step by step by using the strategy to bring your brilliant idea out into your paper.

DePorter gives four steps or strategies to be a writer and describes it by using illustration pictures. He writes how to develop the idea, how to write it, how to edit it, and how optimize our written. This book is written for people who want to write but have not known how to do it. The book is suitable for teenager and it is completed by the picture and exercise in every step of writing.

Summary

This book explains that there are four steps in writing. “The steps are named PAK! or Pusatkan pikiran (concentration), Atur (Managing), Karang (composing), Hebat (Awesome!)” (DePorter, 2009, p.12). In writing, you have to ‘wear’ your creativity hat and critique hat. Use it by turn, so you can easy to write, fun and you can get the better result than before.

The first step in writing is concentration. How to do it? There are two ways. You can use row of words strategy. Write the topic that you want to write and connect it with the other relation words. Connect it as much as you can. DePorter also explains about another way if you want to try it. It is fast writing. You just have to write what is in your mind and remember not to edit it. By fast writing, you can see what you need to complete your written (DePorter, 2009).

The second step is managing. Same as the first step, this step also has two ways. Now, you have to know well your row of words before. Make a mapping and give a mark to know the main idea and the supporting idea. If you have known it, it will make you easier in describing it to your reader. Another way is making frame. This strategy helps you in managing your paragraph. You have to write your main idea, give detail which has relation with your main idea, give example in order to strengthen your main idea, and make a conclusion from your main idea and the detail. This second step helps you in making the more concrete written (DePorter, 2009).

Composing is the third step of the PAK! system. DePorter explains about two strategies in composing your writing. The two strategies in the way to focusing your written are target and draft strategy. Target is something that you have to reach it. “The targets are the initial of Time, Audience, Reason, Goal, Excitement, and Tone” (DePorter, 2009, p.40). These words are the key words that remind you to focus. You must make a deadline to write or time limit, declare who is your reader, make a clear reason why you write it, determine what is your goal, ask yourself what makes you so spirit to write, make clear about what feeling you want to rise in your readers’ mind with your written. After focusing your writing in target strategy, it is time to make some improvements by making draft. It is better if you write more natural language, use active voice in your sentence and make it more specific and clear.

The last step is awesome! To make your writing awesome as the name of this step, there are two strategies. The first is using your creativity hat. Imagine what you write in slow motion in order to make it detail when you write it and you can make language style or idioms to make it more awesome. The second step is using your critique hat. You can read it loudly, think about your writing or show it to your friends. These ways is so helpful for you in finding the lack of your writing (DePorter, 2009).

To sum up, in this book, author explains four steps how to write fun and easily. They are focusing your mind, managing the idea, composing your writing, and you will get awesome result. The author also emphasizes to always practice writing after applying four steps above. Practicing helps you to improve your writing skill.

Critique

In term of the content, there are many excesses of this book. It uses simple language that makes readers easy to understand every writing step explained. Readers are also given illustrations about the writing steps by using illustration pictures and simple example. The readers can directly apply all of the steps because there are exercises in this book. It makes the readers easier to imagine how easy or how fun writing is. The best thing of this book is full of motivation and giving us spirit to write.

But, one thing makes confuse is how to differentiate between row of words and mapping concept. They have the same describing but the positions are different.  The author must differentiate it well, so the reader can understand the position of both of steps. There is no way how to publish our writing. We know that the biggest appreciation for the writers if their writing is published by publisher (Jonru, 2008). I think this book have to complete its awesome writing step with the way to publish our writing or at least the motivation to publish it.

Thing that you cannot find in this book is how to give an interesting title to our writing. This book does not tell what we have to be noticed about the title. In fact, title is the first thing that readers see before wanting to read a book. “Title is the nature of book” (Sumardjo, 2009, p.17). If the title doesn’t interesting enough for the readers, they will not be interesting to see the book.

If you want to write a formal writing, I say that this book is not really helpful. This book does not describe the rule of writing scientific work. In fact, there are many students in university complain about writing their thesis and many other scientific works that they have to finish (Dwiloka & Riana, 2005).

In appearance term, this book has to be given thumbs up. This book is good-looking with full color cover. It so describes the teenager soul. The illustration pictures also make this book more interesting to be read.

Recommendation

In the end, I am going to say that this is a recommended book to read especially for teenager who has low confidence in writing. This book is easy to be understood because the author wrote it by using the natural language with clear steps and exercises in each step. Therefore, readers from any level can possibly learn writing from its tips.

For further needing, it will be better to read another book such as Menerbitkan Buku Itu Gampang by Jonru (2009). If you want to know more detail about short story and what the beginner have to notice, you can read Catatan Kecil Tentang Cerita Pendek by Jakob Sumardjo (2007). I would like to recommend another book Teknik Menulis Karya Ilmiah by Bambang Dwiloka and Rati Riana (2005) for the student who wants to write a scientific work.  By combining these books, I believe that we can improve our ability in writing.

References

DePorter, B. (2009). Quantum Writer. Bandung: Kaifa.

Dwiloka, B.,& Riana, R. (2005). Teknik Menulis Karya Ilmiah. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

Jonru. (2008). Menerbitkan Buku Itu Gampang. Solo: Tiga Serangkai Pustaka Mandiri.

Sumardjo, J. (2007). Catatan Kecil Tentang Menulis Cerpen. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.