Word Hero: A Fiendishly Clever Guide to Crafting the Lines that Get Laughs, Go Viral, and Live Forever Paperback – October 4, 2011
by Jay Heinrichs (Author)
Yes, it’s true: you can learn how to be a verbal wizard!
Ever hear someone utter an unforgettable phrase and feel yourself reacting with with…well, awe? Ever read a great quote and think I could never come up with anything that clever?
Daunting as it may seem, there’s nothing mystical about witcraft. Crafting memorable lines doesn’t require DNA-encoded brilliance. What it does require is some knowledge of the tricks and techniques that make words stick.
In Word Hero, Jay Heinrichs rescues the how-to of verbal artistry from cobwebbed textbooks and makes it entirely fresh – even a little mischievous. Fear not: on offer here are not dry, abstract ideas couched in academic jargon. Rather, Heinrichs takes you on an amusing – and amazingly helpful – tour of the mechanisms that make powerful language work. You’ll learn how to slyly plant your words in people’s heads and draw indelible verbal pictures by employing such tools as “crashing symbols,” “rapid repeaters,” “Russian Dolls” and even the powers of Mr. Potato Head.
With those tools and others tucked in your utility belt, you might not immediately achieve “wordsmith immortality” but you will become a better speaker, writer, and raconteur…and long after people have forgotten everything else, they’ll remember your priceless lines.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“If you dare to be clever with words, Word Hero will help you to make good on that dare.”
–Richard Lederer, nationally bestselling author of ANGUISHED ENGLISH and GET THEE TO A PUNNERY
“WORD HERO takes the mystery out of clever wordplay and hands readers the tools to craft unforgettable expressions of their own. Way to spill the beans, Heinrichs. With this little book, everyone and their mother will know the secrets to being witty, pithy, and memorable. From my spot in the unemployment line, I stab at thee.”
–June Casagrande, author of IT WAS THE BEST OF SENTENCES, IT WAS THE WORST OF SENTENCES
“Whether your goal is to pen unforgettable ad copy, add zest to your fiction, or just release a cascade of laughter, WORD
HERO will get you there. Prepare to learn a lot — and be simultaneously amused.”
–Jan Venolia, author of REWRITE RIGHT!, WRITE RIGHT! and THE RIGHT WORD
“If you love words, WORD HERO will magnify your wit, wisdom, and creative expression.”
–Dave Trottier, author of THE SCREENWRITER’S BIBLE
“This will be of interest to readers on debate teams or in creative-writing classes, as well as to anyone needing a few pointers to make their speech stand out. For anyone fascinated by fun, fantastic, and frivolous words, or for those who want to give speeches where the susurration of their words causes listeners’ hearts to thud, this is the book.” –School Library Journal
About the Author
JAY HEINRICHS has spent more than 25 years in publishing as a magazine writer, editor, and executive. His previous book on language, Thank You for Arguing, has sold more than 100,000 copies.
Product Details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Original edition (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307716368
ISBN-13: 978-0307716361
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Become a WORD HERO
By J.E. Ocean VINE VOICE on September 16, 2011
Format: Paperback Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What’s this? )
I originally had intended to keep this book on the down low, as my secret weapon. And after I and my words had become famous, gone viral or I was rolling in the deep, I would give a nod to Jay Heinrichs and his book WORD HERO and thank him for producing such a brilliant book that equipped me with an enormous advantage every time I sat down to write. Once I began reading it and studying the process, I knew I couldn’t keep it all to myself.
Jay breaks his guide into 5 parts: Word Apprentice, Word Novice, Word Artist, Word Wizard and Word Hero. Part one begins with relatively easy exercises, explanations and examples. Sound layers, word play and the invention of words. Inside you will find tons of tropes (and an explanation) stupendous similes and harmonic homonyms. From analogies to Yogisms, this book is a treasure trove of higher wisdom and esily learned tricks for those who love words.
The lessons were thought provoking and refreshing. If you haven’t been trained to think in this way, you might fine his exercises at the last part of each chapter fun, delivering unexpected results. With our writer’s retreat coming up. these chapters would be great writing prompts to jump start writing processes, or inspire on breaks.
I will be recommending WORD HERO to all my writing friends.
