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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
I'm definitely of two minds about this book. On one hand, it was inspirational at times and I appreciated Cameron's rejection of the stereotype of the "Writer" who has to suffer for the sake of art, and all that. Some of my favorite chapters were "Loneliness,"which discusses how writing can help with that; "Witness," which talks about writing as "witnessing" life; and "Containment," which discusses the importance of not sharing your writing with too many people while it's still in progress.
The New Agey crap, however, really got to me. Quite frankly, I found it ridiculous. Not everyone sees writing as some mystical way to become One with the Universe, as Cameron apparently does. The constant wordplay--an attempt to show how certain words "fit into" other words and therefore must be spiritually connected--is irritating to the extreme. For instance:
"No matter how secular it may appear, writing is actually a spiritual tool. We undertake it solo, and, not to be too facile with puns, it is worth noting that the word does have the word "soul" embedded in it. Moving alone onto the page, we often find ourselves companioned by higher forces, by a stream of insights and inspirations that seem somehow "other" than our routine thinking."
No thanks.
This sort of claptrap continues throughout the entire book. Cameron often discusses her idea that writing is just "channeling" some sort of higher power. And, in a chapter called "ESP," she explains that she believes that the universe "sends" you what you need when you write. She then offers the following suggestion:
"Name one topic on which you would like more information for your writing. For one week be alert to any 'coincidental' flow of information that comes your way."
Can you say "confirmation bias"?
Anyway, it's not that this takes away from some of the actually valuable advice that she offers, but it did make me want to fling the book across the room quite a few times. Take it as you will.
The New Agey crap, however, really got to me. Quite frankly, I found it ridiculous. Not everyone sees writing as some mystical way to become One with the Universe, as Cameron apparently does. The constant wordplay--an attempt to show how certain words "fit into" other words and therefore must be spiritually connected--is irritating to the extreme. For instance:
"No matter how secular it may appear, writing is actually a spiritual tool. We undertake it solo, and, not to be too facile with puns, it is worth noting that the word does have the word "soul" embedded in it. Moving alone onto the page, we often find ourselves companioned by higher forces, by a stream of insights and inspirations that seem somehow "other" than our routine thinking."
No thanks.
This sort of claptrap continues throughout the entire book. Cameron often discusses her idea that writing is just "channeling" some sort of higher power. And, in a chapter called "ESP," she explains that she believes that the universe "sends" you what you need when you write. She then offers the following suggestion:
"Name one topic on which you would like more information for your writing. For one week be alert to any 'coincidental' flow of information that comes your way."
Can you say "confirmation bias"?
Anyway, it's not that this takes away from some of the actually valuable advice that she offers, but it did make me want to fling the book across the room quite a few times. Take it as you will.
If you've done The Artist's Way program (and you really should), you know what Julia Cameron is all about. This won't hold any surprises for you. I didn't do the exercises--excuse me, initiations--but I think many of them were in TAW.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Fabulous! Absolutely outstanding. If you want to be motivated, rejuvenated, re-energized toward writing... look no further than THE RIGHT TO WRITE. Julia Cameron is a creativity genius. She understands the writer's life perhaps better than anyone. I couldn't put this book down. It's going to have a permanent place on my keeper shelf. 'Nuff said. Excellent, excellent book. (A+)
This book is everything my generation doesn’t know that it needs. We’ve all been fed the “starving artist” myths since infancy and they are just complete and utter bull, invented by a capitalistic patriarchal society that wants only the people in power to have a voice.
Okay, so that’s an extreme sort of example, but I just get so angry about this stuff. All the people who told me when I was a kid that being a writer wasn’t “practical” or I’d never be able to make a living off it (implying that my writing would never be good enough to earn me a living, of course). Can we instead nurture creativity in our children? Can we trust them to be practical but also to chase inspiration and novelty and joy?
I think we can. And I think this collection of essays is a great place to start. If you’re a blocked writer, if you’ve ever felt like you don’t suffer enough for your art, if you feel caught up in the capitalistic standards of productivity and output, you should read this book.
I read it over time, a couple essays a night, and that was the perfect way to really digest the content. It gave me time to think, time to ruminate, and time to apply the concepts to my own writing and my feelings about my writing and myself.
I recommend this book to any writer, no matter what you write. Creativity is magical, and should be cherished. This book will help you remember how to do that.
Okay, so that’s an extreme sort of example, but I just get so angry about this stuff. All the people who told me when I was a kid that being a writer wasn’t “practical” or I’d never be able to make a living off it (implying that my writing would never be good enough to earn me a living, of course). Can we instead nurture creativity in our children? Can we trust them to be practical but also to chase inspiration and novelty and joy?
I think we can. And I think this collection of essays is a great place to start. If you’re a blocked writer, if you’ve ever felt like you don’t suffer enough for your art, if you feel caught up in the capitalistic standards of productivity and output, you should read this book.
I read it over time, a couple essays a night, and that was the perfect way to really digest the content. It gave me time to think, time to ruminate, and time to apply the concepts to my own writing and my feelings about my writing and myself.
I recommend this book to any writer, no matter what you write. Creativity is magical, and should be cherished. This book will help you remember how to do that.
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
I didn't get a chance to finish this before it was due back at the library, but I really appreciate Cameron's way of forcing you to open yourself up and to also take responsibility for yourself and your writing. When you're not writing, you're choosing not to write. Use every spare moment for creativity, write about anything and often and you'll get somewhere. I'll probably be going back to this at some point or another for a pick-me-up.
This book is everything my generation doesn’t know that it needs. We’ve all been fed the “starving artist” myths since infancy and they are just complete and utter bull, invented by a capitalistic patriarchal society that wants only the people in power to have a voice.
Okay, so that’s an extreme sort of example, but I just get so angry about this stuff. All the people who told me when I was a kid that being a writer wasn’t “practical” or I’d never be able to make a living off it (implying that my writing would never be good enough to earn me a living, of course). Can we instead nurture creativity in our children? Can we trust them to be practical but also to chase inspiration and novelty and joy?
I think we can. And I think this collection of essays is a great place to start. If you’re a blocked writer, if you’ve ever felt like you don’t suffer enough for your art, if you feel caught up in the capitalistic standards of productivity and output, you should read this book.
I read it over time, a couple essays a night, and that was the perfect way to really digest the content. It gave me time to think, time to ruminate, and time to apply the concepts to my own writing and my feelings about my writing and myself.
I recommend this book to any writer, no matter what you write. Creativity is magical, and should be cherished. This book will help you remember how to do that.
Okay, so that’s an extreme sort of example, but I just get so angry about this stuff. All the people who told me when I was a kid that being a writer wasn’t “practical” or I’d never be able to make a living off it (implying that my writing would never be good enough to earn me a living, of course). Can we instead nurture creativity in our children? Can we trust them to be practical but also to chase inspiration and novelty and joy?
I think we can. And I think this collection of essays is a great place to start. If you’re a blocked writer, if you’ve ever felt like you don’t suffer enough for your art, if you feel caught up in the capitalistic standards of productivity and output, you should read this book.
I read it over time, a couple essays a night, and that was the perfect way to really digest the content. It gave me time to think, time to ruminate, and time to apply the concepts to my own writing and my feelings about my writing and myself.
I recommend this book to any writer, no matter what you write. Creativity is magical, and should be cherished. This book will help you remember how to do that.