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A review by flatmtns
Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
4.0
Usually, I'm almost embarrassed to pick up self-helpy books, especially ones with such bright-eyed titles as "Becoming a Writer". Who wants to admit that they need help, especially from an 80 year-old book? But by chance I lucked into Brande's book, and I'm really glad I did.
It's a poetic, simple, and blunt book filled with thoughtful advice, great for the writer for sure, but really helpful to any artist or crafter of any kind. She's not offering technical knowledge, as she states from the beginning, but rather a perspective on making things that transcends medium. This is a book about trusting yourself and valuing your vision, and treating your labor as just artful labor, rather than the will of the muse. I especially liked her insight about self-criticism: When it is necessary, make it specific and thorough, with definite goals - and then leave off for a while, to give yourself time to actually make progress! It's good stuff.
She overemphasized originality and (I think) looked down too much on the idea of influences in general, but all in all "Becoming a Writer" is a helpful manual on making and doing in general.
It's a poetic, simple, and blunt book filled with thoughtful advice, great for the writer for sure, but really helpful to any artist or crafter of any kind. She's not offering technical knowledge, as she states from the beginning, but rather a perspective on making things that transcends medium. This is a book about trusting yourself and valuing your vision, and treating your labor as just artful labor, rather than the will of the muse. I especially liked her insight about self-criticism: When it is necessary, make it specific and thorough, with definite goals - and then leave off for a while, to give yourself time to actually make progress! It's good stuff.
She overemphasized originality and (I think) looked down too much on the idea of influences in general, but all in all "Becoming a Writer" is a helpful manual on making and doing in general.