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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
informative
fast-paced
"Your motto: be Bold, be Free, be Truthful. The truthfulness will save it from flamboyance, from pretentiousness."
"So remember these two things: you are talented, and you are original. Be sure of that. I say this because self-trust is one of the very most important things in writing-"
"But I must go back to my subject—writing.
If you write, good ideas must come welling up into you so that you have something to write. If good ideas do not come at once, or for a long time, do not be troubled at all. Wait for them. Put down the little ideas however insignificant they are. But do not feel, anymore, guilty about idleness and solitude."
"Sometimes when I walk I learn a poem, a Shakespeare sonnet, say, as I go along. I have discovered this: if you say a line over and over again, as children do in memorizing, half mechanically, after a long time the nerves and muscles in your brain and jaws will know how to do it automatically."
"And this is the point: if they kept writing new things freely and generously and with careless truth, then they would know how to fix up the pearl and make it good, in two seconds, with no work at all."
"Saint-Beuve said: “There exists in most men a poet who died young, whom the man survived.” And de Musset said: “Know that there is often hidden in us a dormant poet, always young and alive.”
"Therefore when you write, speak with complete self-trust and do not timidly qualify and feel the ice of well-authenticated literary usage and critical soundness—so afraid when you have finished writing that they will riddle you full of holes.
Let them. Later if you find what you wrote isn’t true, accept the new truth. Consistency is the horror of the world."
"So remember these two things: you are talented, and you are original. Be sure of that. I say this because self-trust is one of the very most important things in writing-"
"But I must go back to my subject—writing.
If you write, good ideas must come welling up into you so that you have something to write. If good ideas do not come at once, or for a long time, do not be troubled at all. Wait for them. Put down the little ideas however insignificant they are. But do not feel, anymore, guilty about idleness and solitude."
"Sometimes when I walk I learn a poem, a Shakespeare sonnet, say, as I go along. I have discovered this: if you say a line over and over again, as children do in memorizing, half mechanically, after a long time the nerves and muscles in your brain and jaws will know how to do it automatically."
"And this is the point: if they kept writing new things freely and generously and with careless truth, then they would know how to fix up the pearl and make it good, in two seconds, with no work at all."
"Saint-Beuve said: “There exists in most men a poet who died young, whom the man survived.” And de Musset said: “Know that there is often hidden in us a dormant poet, always young and alive.”
"Therefore when you write, speak with complete self-trust and do not timidly qualify and feel the ice of well-authenticated literary usage and critical soundness—so afraid when you have finished writing that they will riddle you full of holes.
Let them. Later if you find what you wrote isn’t true, accept the new truth. Consistency is the horror of the world."
This little book was such a fantastic read. Brenda Ueland has written a book about writing that is funny, inspirational, truthful, and that reads like a conversation with a friend. There were so many passages that I took pictures of and passed along to different friends because the book speaks to more than just writing: it also speaks to living a life of passion. I loved this book and I will be rereading it for sure!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I enjoyed this read very much. Ueland writes very clearly, and just thinking about creativity inspires creativity!
Ueland has a voice that is utterly her own. Because she was dedicated and lively writer, she has stories that advise fellow writers better than any rote rubrics ever would or do. For that, this fairly thin volume is worth ten-thousand times its weight.
The fact that this book was written in the 1930s makes it even more impressive than it is just judging the text on its own. Ueland champions the idea that EVERYONE is creative and can write well -- we just have to tap into true selves and describe what we see and feel and not what we think someone else wants us to see or feel. She builds what I thought was a compelling argument for this theory, and then acts as a sort of cheerleader (but not in the annoying rah-rah kind of way--it's more like empowerment than cheerleading). I'd recommend this book to anyone doing anything creative.
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I picked up this book at a library book sale years ago, and I finally got around to reading it.
"If You Want to Write" shares motivation and tips on how to just start writing. Brenda Ueland was a highly prolific writer, and she shares her opinions on how to become a better writer.
Is this book necessary? No. Does this book have some inspiring words to help motivate you to write? Yes. There are definitely points in the book that Brenda is repeating herself. Truthfully, this book could probably be cut in half and still have the same punch, but I enjoy being motivated. I think she writes about some very approachable ways to become a better writer.
"If You Want to Write" shares motivation and tips on how to just start writing. Brenda Ueland was a highly prolific writer, and she shares her opinions on how to become a better writer.
Is this book necessary? No. Does this book have some inspiring words to help motivate you to write? Yes. There are definitely points in the book that Brenda is repeating herself. Truthfully, this book could probably be cut in half and still have the same punch, but I enjoy being motivated. I think she writes about some very approachable ways to become a better writer.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced