Now in paperback, the national bestseller that is breaking down the mythology behind the "writing life." What if everything we have been taught about learning to write was wrong? In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron's most revolutionary book, the author asserts that conventional writing wisdom would have you believe in a false doctrine that stifles creativity. With the techniques and anecdotes in The Right to Write, readers learn to make writing a natural, intensely personal part of life. Cameron's instruction and examples include the details of the writing processes she uses to create her own bestselling books. She makes writing a playful and realistic as well as a reflective event. Anyone jumping into the writing life for the first time and those already living it will discover the art of writing is never the same after reading The Right to Write.
Writing, for Julia Cameron, is neither solely vocation nor avocation: it is a way of life. It comes first thing in the morning, while the horses are waiting to be fed; it happens at the kitchen counter, while the onions are sautéing; it takes place on "dates" at café tables shared with likeminded friends; it unfurls in the mind as the '65 pickup "bucks over the rutted dirt roads like a stiff-legged bronco." The more than 40 brief personal essays that make up The Right to Write are an unyielding affirmation of the writing life and a denigration of all that gets in the way: busy schedules, procrastination, insecurity, lack of writing space, a day job--you get the point. Cameron's commonsense advice is liberating to anyone who has felt hampered by making a big deal out of writing (this "tends to make writing difficult. Keeping writing casual tends to keep it possible"), by not having the time to write ("Get aggressive. Steal time"), or the like. If you find a spirit that compares writing to revelation, prayer, and Zen pursuits, that might just attribute misguided communication to Mercury retrograde simpatico, then you will find much to embrace here. And you will never, never again dream of waiting for that commitment-free sabbatical in the south of France to get your writing project under way. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
On my yearly reading list:
There are only a few books that I buy anymore because of personal budget cuts and moving close to a GREAT library. I finally decided to buy this book because every time I went to the library I would check and see if it was on the shelves (and check the book out if it was). This little book has done more to free up the writer in me than anything I ever could have done on my own. I feel like this book has helped me to unlearn a lot of those cold, sterile writing techniques I learned back in high school. Now I... more info
Very pragmatic, common sense tips:
Julia Cameron's book is a valuable tool for anyone interested in exploring their creative potential. Her philosophies reach well past writing into expanding the real and imagined boundaries of life's routines. "Each day, each life, is a series of choices, and as we use the lens of writing to view our lives, we see our choices."
(Julia Cameron "The Right to Write") "The Right to Write" is briskly organized, with plenty of practical exercises designed to get thwarted creatives (Julia would... more info
The Need to Write:
Julia Cameron believes that everyone is a writer. Her purpose in writing this book, therefore, is to free the writer she believes is in you. I disagree with her assumption. We are not all writers any more than we are all dentists or mathematicians. As a writer and a psychologist myself, this is an important distinction to make because this book eminently describes many of the facets of the writer's personality. In my experience there are people who think they would like to be writers, but always have... more info
Offers some great kick-in-the-pants tips:
I haven't been able to get into Julia's other books. I often feel very uncreative when I try to work through them. But I like this book as it seems to be telling me just what I need to hear right now. The chapter on Bad Writing and The Time Lie were especially helpful in getting me going. I like that the chapters are short and when I'm done I feel like writing. I don't do the activities in the book and instead go straight to the projects I'm working on. Another good resource with similar tips and... more info
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