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A review by ericderoulet
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
5.0
A number of reviewers here seem to have expected Zen in the Art of Writing to be a detailed guide to writing. Certain, Ray Bradbury offers a number of recommendations, some more concrete than others, but this book (really a collection of essays) is better understood, perhaps, as (1) an autobiographical piece on how Bradbury came to be a writer, and (2) a commentary on passion, inspiration, and how they come naturally to those writers who deliberately nurture them.
Not only does Bradbury write with zest and passion, but he effectively puts into words how becoming/developing as a writer is a deeply individualized process. Arguably, there isn't anything resembling a formula for becoming a writer, and even less so a commercially successful one; surely, creative work that's true to the creator won't come from following the same process as everyone else. Instead, what Bradbury does well here is offer a detailed, vivid slice-of-life view of the process of nurturing one's creativity and then pursuing a creative career.
If there's anything universally useful for writers here, it might be the reality check that becoming a skillful writer involves a daunting amount of work; Bradbury apparently wrote several million words' worth of stories before he reached adulthood, and even this didn't instantly lead to a career as a published author. I also appreciate Bradbury's self-enrichment program of sorts: Finding inspiration and subject matter in fiction, sure, but also in poetry, nonfiction, and being both observant and introspective while experiencing the real world. Here, too, there's arguably no one-size-fits-all solution, but plenty of writers struggle for lack of personal enrichment or else because they never read outside their favorite sub-subgenres.
Not only does Bradbury write with zest and passion, but he effectively puts into words how becoming/developing as a writer is a deeply individualized process. Arguably, there isn't anything resembling a formula for becoming a writer, and even less so a commercially successful one; surely, creative work that's true to the creator won't come from following the same process as everyone else. Instead, what Bradbury does well here is offer a detailed, vivid slice-of-life view of the process of nurturing one's creativity and then pursuing a creative career.
If there's anything universally useful for writers here, it might be the reality check that becoming a skillful writer involves a daunting amount of work; Bradbury apparently wrote several million words' worth of stories before he reached adulthood, and even this didn't instantly lead to a career as a published author. I also appreciate Bradbury's self-enrichment program of sorts: Finding inspiration and subject matter in fiction, sure, but also in poetry, nonfiction, and being both observant and introspective while experiencing the real world. Here, too, there's arguably no one-size-fits-all solution, but plenty of writers struggle for lack of personal enrichment or else because they never read outside their favorite sub-subgenres.