|
|
|
|
|
Whether you dream of publishing a bestseller or you keep writing because the words just keep coming to you, the writer’s life is full of ups and downs—of bad first drafts and sudden moments of clarity. And author and poet Maggie Smith offers her perspective in Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.
This collection of essays breaks down the writer’s toolbox into ten key elements. For each one, the author begins with a short letter to her readers, offering her thoughts on the element. She then breaks it down a little bit more, with a number of short essays on different aspects of each element, offering examples from her own writing and the writing of others, before finishing each section with a writing prompt—and a collection of poems, collections, and more that she recommends adding to the reader’s own reading list.
Though she often mentions different formats and styles, the author’s main focus is on poetry. She spends quite a bit of time talking about things like line breaks and white space and various types of poetry. So if you’re looking for ways to improve your novel writing, you may often feel like you’ve stumbled into the wrong room at the writers’ conference. If you decide to continue reading, though, you’ll find yourself thinking more about poetry—and playing with different kinds of verse. And it might just give you some new inspiration for that novel, too.
The author has clearly spent decades studying the craft of poetry. She’s well-versed in different forms, in different poets, and in different styles—to the point that it’s sometimes overwhelming—but if you’re passionate about poetry, she’ll leave you with long lists of poets to research. And even if you’ve never been particularly passionate about poetry, you’ll find so many creative ideas and prompts that you may be inspired to pick up a pen and paper and try them out. So while the focus on poetry may be off-putting for some readers, the author offers so many fun suggestions that it’s sure to spark your creativity—no matter what your preferred style and format and genre may be.
If you love writing poetry—or you want to write poetry—Dear Writer is a must-read. In fact, it’s sure to become an essential guide to writing poetry. But even if you write novels or non-fiction, you’re sure to find new inspiration and encouragement in its pages.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
|
|
|
|
