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A review by howifeelaboutbooks
Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by David Goodwillie
5.0
An account of Goodwillie's life, from a childhood in London to how witnessing 9/11 in New York changed the course of his life. He was a minor league baseball player, a private investigator, and copywriter for auction houses, all while struggling to be a writer and take advantage of start-ups when the Internet was just taking off. The book is long, but so well-written and interesting that you'll keep flipping pages. Throughout the book, Goodwillie is on a quest to write fiction, to be an artist and live a good life. It's fascinating to read about his true feelings while he's getting caught up in "real" jobs - something most everyone can identify with. While it's an excellent autobiography, I would be more likely to categorize it as a book about writing - it was inspirational; it made me feel that familiar itch to put a pen to paper. It didn't hurt that he had some excellent quotes:
- Friend Ken Hamm, talking about trying to be an artist. "You realize you need something more than a career. And that's when you notice the exits snaking off that highway to riches. They don't have signs, only ramps leading into the unknown distance. But if those exits nag at you, then you still have a chance. It's a cold, isolating decision, turning off that highway. Your life becomes defined by one goal … It's just you and your art. But you know what? You're finally living with no regrets."
- "…but is there a better challenge, a better life, than creating your version of the world in words? The beginning of every story is a blank screen with a faint reflection of the writer."
- "You find a voice, a style, a plot, and run with it, then cut off the rough edges until you're left with only the essence, the rounded center, wrinkle-free and ready-to-wear. Except I can't do that. I mix metaphors. I copy cliches. I say too much or too little. I show when I should tell, tell when I should just shut up."
- "There are two parts to being a writer: desire and purpose. Desire I've had for a long time, but purpose is trickier. Purpose is what carries us through. I want to write about a genuine life, about journeys and dreams and all the stuff we learn as kids. Because it's the same when we're older. We make decisions. We gain experience. And at some point, we all have a story to tell. I spent years dreaming of writing, and now, finally, finally, I'll write about those years of dreaming."
- Friend Ken Hamm, talking about trying to be an artist. "You realize you need something more than a career. And that's when you notice the exits snaking off that highway to riches. They don't have signs, only ramps leading into the unknown distance. But if those exits nag at you, then you still have a chance. It's a cold, isolating decision, turning off that highway. Your life becomes defined by one goal … It's just you and your art. But you know what? You're finally living with no regrets."
- "…but is there a better challenge, a better life, than creating your version of the world in words? The beginning of every story is a blank screen with a faint reflection of the writer."
- "You find a voice, a style, a plot, and run with it, then cut off the rough edges until you're left with only the essence, the rounded center, wrinkle-free and ready-to-wear. Except I can't do that. I mix metaphors. I copy cliches. I say too much or too little. I show when I should tell, tell when I should just shut up."
- "There are two parts to being a writer: desire and purpose. Desire I've had for a long time, but purpose is trickier. Purpose is what carries us through. I want to write about a genuine life, about journeys and dreams and all the stuff we learn as kids. Because it's the same when we're older. We make decisions. We gain experience. And at some point, we all have a story to tell. I spent years dreaming of writing, and now, finally, finally, I'll write about those years of dreaming."