Inspiring.
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I haven't had any creative writing urges for over 8 years. I bought this book with the hope that I would find these urges again. When it arrived I was not hopeful but after reading the first few sections I am truly feeling inspired. I have rekindled my love for literature and writing and it feels fantastic. Not sure i'd use it as a 'how to write' but just for getting you going again it's great!!
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a fantastic launch pad
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This is an excellent introduction for anyone who's ever wanted to write fiction or poetry but was afraid to start. Its friendly tone, direct advice and focus on freewriting have an unnerving capacity to get you going and its short chapters also make it ideal for dipping into once you've finished. It's also exceedingly well-written; intriguing flashes of autobiography lift it above the mass of creative writing text books on the market.
Which isn't to say it's perfect: Goldberg's concentration on generating material means that the twin processes of crafting and drafting are rather neglected in favour of producing more and more freewrites. Anyone wishing to produce work of publishable quality as opposed to writing therapeutically for themselves will probably find that they eventually 'outgrow' it.
Nevertheless, as a book for getting started again, and as a pleasurable read, it remains the best of its kind on the market. Well worth a look.
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utter drivel
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would have gave it a 0 star rating, but starts at 1.
one of these days i will find a book about how to write written by someone who has written a book of some note. it appears there is a whole industry built round "How to write" that is stuffed full of literary non entities.
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Natalie My Guru
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Warm, witty, fun, and above all, one of the best books on the market for new and not so new writers. Follow Natalie's advice and you won't go wrong - you will fly. A much loved book, one I revisit frequently. It's rather like being with a cherished friend and the writing exercises work. Buy it, you won't have any regrets.
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Save your money
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I've written and published five novels and two works of non-fiction. I still enjoy reading what other people have to say about the art and the craft of writing, but this book really is the most self-indulgent, self-absorbed load of old tosh I've ever read on the subject. The author's attitude is a mixture of New Age flakiness and an unpleasantly dictatorial attitude. She even tells you what kind of notebook to buy. Buy the sort of notebook YOU want, trust yourself and take advice from people who know what they're talking about, eg Dorothea Brande in Becoming A Writer and Stephen King in On Writing.
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