So I actually read this book a little while ago (mid- to late October if I remember correctly) but then November hit and I found I was spending all my time writing my novel for NaNoWrimo or working - I am saddened for Wonderbook to have been delayed so much, as I really really loved it!
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction is a writing manual by Jeff VanderMeer. I say "writing manual" but it doesn't do credit to what the book actually is: it describes itself as a "road map" and a "cabinet of curiosities that stimulates your imagination", among other things. Having read a few other writing manuals (some of which I liked, others I vehemently did not), Wonderbook felt very different to me, from the moment I began to read it to the point when I finished. It felt different in an organic sort of way - the advice about writing made sense from a very basic standpoint and not overly-constructed as in other writing guides.
I think that part of this appeal comes from the information in Wonderbook being presented in a very non-threatening manner, which means that the book is extremely accessible, even to those who do not consider themselves writers and have never written anything creative before. I have often found that writing manuals and guides can be a little "snobbish" when it comes to presenting information to starting writers, and it is always refreshing to find one that is not. The heavy use of illustrations throughout the book also helps to make points clear and to explain some tricky concepts - the words are summarised in beautiful, clearly-labelled diagrams, such as the below alternative to the traditional plot structure diagram.
I feel that Wonderbook was very fulfilling to read as well: every day I looked forward to my train journeys to and from work when I would be able to read it, even though it is a non-fiction book and I don't often feel that way about non-fiction. Reading the book felt immensely satisfying and exciting, like a journey with a friend down a rabbit hole full of interesting and strange creatures, people and objects. Persistent metaphors and examples (such as the talking penguin and woman with a gun) help to contextualise and make clear new ideas as they are introduced.
The focus for Wonderbook is speculative fiction, mainly science fiction and fantasy, but every technique in the book is easily applicable to just about any story you could want to write. On first reading the book I found I automatically applied much of the advice to an urban fantasy novel I have had in planning stages for several years, but afterwards I flicked back through the chapters and considered the advice in context of my NaNoWriMo novel for this year, which is set in contemporary London and features no speculative fiction elements at all. The advice was solid in both contexts, including the chapter on worldbuilding, which I wasn't sure would be.
I found several things throughout the book particularly useful, the first being that I felt that the advice given on research methods for writing were concise but at a good level of detail, offering just enough for the reader to be able to find their way through the quagmire that is writing research. As well as this, I felt that the essays throughout by other writers (such as Ursula K Le Guin and Neil Gaiman) were not only useful in further explaining some of VanderMeer's points in the main body of the text but also as stand-alone essays, which gave Wonderbook a well-rounded feel. I especially liked Lauren Beukes' "Writing the Other" and Charles Yu's "On the Synthesis of Minor but Note-worthy Universes" and have come back to both several times since finishing the book.
Personally, I think that Wonderbook is the best creative writing guide I have ever read, because it appeals to my imagination and way of thinking without being boring or patronising like other writing manuals. After finishing the book, I felt re-energised and excited about writing - I only wish that I had had it while studying for my BA! While the style will not work for everyone, I found that I understood exactly the angle VanderMeer was aiming for with Wonderbook and look forward to using the lessons I have learned from it in my writing in the future.
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