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A review by ngfsorensen
Welcome to the Writer's Life: How to Design Your Writing Craft, Writing Business, Writing Practice, and Reading Practice by Paulette Perhach
5.0
WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE is a much-needed guide on how to build the habits demanded of successful writers, because unfortunately, your novel can't write itself. Filled with activities to help writers of all levels stay organized and to keep writing, Perhach's book shifts its focus away from the craft of writing and focuses on the how that puts pen to paper.
Full disclosure: a year ago, before this book was published, Perhach became my writing mentor through the Hugo House in Seattle. I studied under her through the fall, pumpkin latte just to the right of my laptop. After having gone through what became WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE, I expected the book to echo what Perhach had already taught me. Thankfully, I was wrong. WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE built upon the foundations of my writing practice and renewed my passion for keeping up the writer's habits.
What surprised me most about Perhach's lessons, and what may surprise writers looking for how to write their villain's perfect, tragic backstory, is that WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE is not that book. "Shouldn't I send her more writing samples?" I thought every week. Craft, however, emerges from a consistent reading and writing practice that WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE teaches you how to begin and maintain.
Consider this quote from Octavia Butler, taken from her essay on writing, Furor Scribendi: "First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice." This emphasis on habit pumps the blood in the heart of WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE: without dedication and organization, there is no finished work. Reading, writing, organizing, and even building your social media presence to let the world know " I'm a writer!" is how aspiring writers remove the "aspiring" from their bios. Where do you think this Goodreads account came from?
This is not to say Perhach won't make you write. Oh no no nooo. Perhach shares testimonials from other writers, and then gives you homework. Ranging from diary entries, checklists, and putting your draft away for a month to dust it off and read it with fresh eyes, Perhach forces you to write to yourself about why being a writer matters and how you're going to succeed.
Full disclosure: a year ago, before this book was published, Perhach became my writing mentor through the Hugo House in Seattle. I studied under her through the fall, pumpkin latte just to the right of my laptop. After having gone through what became WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE, I expected the book to echo what Perhach had already taught me. Thankfully, I was wrong. WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE built upon the foundations of my writing practice and renewed my passion for keeping up the writer's habits.
What surprised me most about Perhach's lessons, and what may surprise writers looking for how to write their villain's perfect, tragic backstory, is that WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE is not that book. "Shouldn't I send her more writing samples?" I thought every week. Craft, however, emerges from a consistent reading and writing practice that WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE teaches you how to begin and maintain.
Consider this quote from Octavia Butler, taken from her essay on writing, Furor Scribendi: "First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice." This emphasis on habit pumps the blood in the heart of WELCOME TO THE WRITER'S LIFE: without dedication and organization, there is no finished work. Reading, writing, organizing, and even building your social media presence to let the world know " I'm a writer!" is how aspiring writers remove the "aspiring" from their bios. Where do you think this Goodreads account came from?
This is not to say Perhach won't make you write. Oh no no nooo. Perhach shares testimonials from other writers, and then gives you homework. Ranging from diary entries, checklists, and putting your draft away for a month to dust it off and read it with fresh eyes, Perhach forces you to write to yourself about why being a writer matters and how you're going to succeed.