Author Susan Griffin breaks down the creative process step-by-step, guiding the reader through a practical course in how to begin and end a work of literature, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, or prose. This collection of brief chapters designed to help beginning writers get started also guides experienced writers through blocks and difficulties.
Fortunately, Griffin’s rhetorical throat-clearing soon gives way to insightful suggestions culled from 50 years 'of teaching writers and those who wish to write' ... Notwithstanding her talk of magic and miracles, Griffin is a notably practical guide ... Her advice on routine is direct and implementable ... An excellent place to start.
Aiming to offer a 'kind and gentle' writing guide, Griffin... takes a Zen-like approach to generating, constructing, and honing a piece of writing. In serene meditations, sometimes less than half a page long, she reflects on topics such as silence, focus, reading, the need for solitude, and the power of attentiveness to one’s surroundings and feelings ... Warm reassurance from a veteran writer.
An elegant guide to the art of writing ... Sections titled 'How I Learned to Write' appear throughout and add up to an illuminating memoir of her life in literature ... These pearls of wisdom will be a boon to novice writers.
