I loved this book.I know that's not the most inspired opening line in a blog post, but it's a pretty effective summary for the rest of this post. I bought Write Away stumbling across it in a bookstore and thinking it sounded right up my alley. I was looking for a good writing book that would motivate me without making me feel guilty, something that would give me offer an established author's take on the fun and frustration of writing, and something that would be thoroughly readable. (You'd be amazed how difficult it is to find a book that fits all of these categories.)
May I also admit that I loved the cover? That's fairly pathetic, I know. But it reminded me of a clipping from one of those old Victoria magazines, and it made for feel all excited about writing. Yeah, kind of silly, but it did get me to read the book.
Ultimately, what I liked the most about this book is the author's honesty. She admits that she struggles with feeling good about her work, despite her success in being published multiple times. She pooh-poohs a number of traditional writing recommendations (i.e., write what you're familiar with) and gives them a more practical spin (in this case, write what you're interested in). She takes readers through the practical side of writing, as in what makes a good story and how to set one up. Broken down, writing, while not easy, is manageable. The so-called "tyranny of the blank page" seems to diminish under the simple value of preparing and drafting. I'm the type of person who gets so overwhelmed by something big; if I were a horse, I'd go through life with those blinders on, to avoid having to see too much that might frighten me. Faced with a large project, I'll avoid it altogether when I don't know where to begin. It's not that I can't do it but that I'm so overstimulated by what needs to be done that I feel too scattered to get started. George's advice, however, breaks down writing a book into such accessible steps that make the writing process seem like fun.
George also says what needs to be said about writing: if you're a writer, writing is your job. So you need to sit down and write, every day, just as you would otherwise get up and go to work. (Of course, many writers will be balancing writing with other jobs that pay the bills, but the advice is still sound. Carve out time each day to write.) This is something I definitely need to hear, in large part because I do really well when I have a routine. Waiting for inspiration to strike is pretty foolish, and I can prove this because I've been waiting a long time. Nada. But sitting down and putting words to a page, even if they're not the best is better than hoping for a fairy godmother to grant a wish of a great idea.
So to swing back around to my opening sentence, this was a keeper for me. I'm glad I bought it; in fact, I've already referenced it several times to my students in the hopes of motivating them as well. Highly recommended for anyone who needs a very enjoyable inspiration to, as George notes, "write away."
Year of publication: 2004
Number of pages: 270
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