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Becoming a Writer

by Dorothea Brande, John Gardner (Foreword by)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 1,038 ratings · 118 reviews

A reissue of a classic work published in 1934 on writing and the creative process, Becoming a Writer recaptures the excitement of Dorothea Brande's creative writing classroom of the 1920s. Decades before brain research "discovered" the role of the right and left brain in all human endeavor, Dorothea Brande was teaching students how to see again, how to hold their minds sti...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published March 1st 1981 by Tarcher (first published 1934)

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Feb 09, 2012 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: five-star-nonfiction, how-to, nonfiction, to-be-read-again, scribblery, booky-books

Four stars for content, and the fifth star for renewal of hope.

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May 21, 2009 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glendale-library-store, books-about-writing, books-deserving-rediscovery, 2009

Holy crap, Dorothea Brande, why the hell is your book almost completely forgotten?

I give "Becoming a Writer" five stars not because it's the most amazing book ever written -- it is, after all, an instructional book, and as such has its limits -- but because it feels almost like it was written yesterday, not 75 years ago, when it actually was published. More importantly, it far surpasses even the most famous and best-loved books on writing that have come since. I couldn't bring myself to finish N...more Holy crap, Dorothea Brande, why the hell is your book almost completely forgotten?

I give "Becoming a Writer" five stars not because it's the most amazing book ever written -- it is, after all, an instructional book, and as such has its limits -- but because it feels almost like it was written yesterday, not 75 years ago, when it actually was published. More importantly, it far surpasses even the most famous and best-loved books on writing that have come since. I couldn't bring myself to finish Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones" from 1986, and found Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" from 1994 flawed but better; Brande's 1934 manual, however, easily blows them both away.

Brande's genius is that she doesn't really care whether you're talented or publishable, what kind of material you want to write, or whether writing is, in and of itself, an important activity. All she cares about is that, if you're reading her book, you want to write, and she's going to show you how to do it. And she doesn't mince words: Becoming a writer, she makes clear, requires strict discipline and continuous practice.

As I haven't tried her techniques yet, I can't speak to how successful they will be for me, but they certainly appear sound: forcing yourself to write on a strict schedule, in various frames of mind, and without giving yourself any excuses. And I love the passage that ends the "Writing on Schedule" chapter: "Right here I should like to sound the solemnest word of warning that you will find in this book: If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, give up writing. Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write, and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy early as late." See what I mean about Brande not mincing words? Even with pages and pages devoted to the writer getting in touch with his unconscious mind, there's nothing namby-pamby about "Becoming a Writer."

A reader of Brande's book may quarrel with my assertion that it feels like it was written yesterday, as there are several passages that discuss using a typewriter. But any publisher who wanted to modernize this book -- and I'm certainly not suggesting such be done -- could easily replace the word typewriter with computer (and the words portable typewriter with laptop), and the meaning would be unchanged. Brande also doesn't write at length on the topic.

As a side note, you have to give Brande credit in her passing mentions of then-contemporary authors. She somehow was able to name-drop writers who, almost without exception, continue to be read today: Wharton, Hemingway, Forster, Wodehouse, Woolf and Ford Maddox Ford among them. Granted, those writers all were quite famous in their day, but so were many others who are no longer read. (OK, I did have to look up who Kathleen Norris was, but she's the exception.)

By the way, if you read the reprint of Brande's book with a foreword by John Gardner, it's completely skippable. Gardner may have had noteworthy things to say about the art of writing elsewhere, but here he doesn't add much, I'm sorry to say. No matter: "Becoming a Writer" needs no introduction, and its readers should just dive right in.(less)

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Dec 13, 2007 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Long before Julia Cameron gave budding artists a creative kickstart with "The Artist's Way", Dorothea Brande was coaxing aspiring writers out of self-imposed dry spells, first with her creative writing classes and finally with "Becoming A Writer", which is a Cliff Notes version of the practical lessons she presented to one roomful of disillusioned students after another during the 1920s.

"Becoming a Writer" was originally published in 1934. Long before introspection became the norm in our societ...more

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May 21, 2008 Kressel Housman rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: aspiring writers

Shelves: writing, all-time-favorite, non-fiction

Without exception, this is my very favorite book on writing. More than craft, it’s about psychology – the psychology of the artistic mind. Dorothea Brande breaks down the creative process into two parts: the unconscious or imagination, and the conscious or inner editor. When you see the stereotypical “temperamental artist,” she explains, what you are seeing is an artist whose conscious and unconscious are at war with each other. When artists get themselves in balance, both their writing and thei...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Denae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I like all her advice except when she says not to read any (similar) books while trying to write one yourself.

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Apr 29, 2013 Bob Nichols rated it 2 of 5 stars

As opposed to writing technique, this book is about the "roots" of creative writing, which the author believes lies largely in the unconscious. She argues that all writers have a "genius" of some sort and her book is about how to tap the best that lies inside. "What we need is not to add to [our] natural endowment, but to learn to use it," she states. Her book makes numerous suggestions about how to do this. Some, such as keeping one's own counsel by not sharing drafts before they are ready for...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

BECOMING A WRITER is not a writer’s manual in the sense that it will not teach you about plot or grammar or viewpoint. Instead, think of it more as a manual for the artist’s brain. Brande writes about how to confront your fears and doubts, how to get your mind in a place to be productive, and how to balance your inner editor against your inner creative. In other words, this is the book you need to read before you start writing. It’s a great tool for beginners or for those who have been feeling b...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Michael McGuire rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the book that got me writing again.

Brande stresses the play of the unconscious in writing -- but without coming across as faux-psychologist. Brande makes you work, gets you writing, and that is exactly what I needed to get doing: I was doing far too much reading about writing.

With Brande, I wrote.

I'm not sure how original any of her theories might be -- although, remember, Brande was writing in 1934 -- and some of what she's writing about has become common fodder for writing books, but t...more This is the book that got me writing again.

Brande stresses the play of the unconscious in writing -- but without coming across as faux-psychologist. Brande makes you work, gets you writing, and that is exactly what I needed to get doing: I was doing far too much reading about writing.

With Brande, I wrote.

I'm not sure how original any of her theories might be -- although, remember, Brande was writing in 1934 -- and some of what she's writing about has become common fodder for writing books, but the presentation and coherency of Brande's approach kept my interest piqued. The pace of the book grabs you and pulls you into it. She stresses the need to keep moving, to push forward and let the unconscious do its work. At times, I felt like I was sprinting through the book, trying to keep up with her enthusiasm.

Here's an example --- and, for me, the exercise that re-sparked my own writing -- showing her practical advice, her way of making you feel you are engaged in something new, something adventurous. From Chapter 5: Harnessing the Unconscious:

The best way to do this is to rise half an hour, or a full hour, earlier than you customarily rise. Just as soon as you can -— and without talking, without reading the morning’s paper, without picking up the book you laid aside the night before -— begin to write.

Write anything that comes into your head: last night’s dream, if you are able to remember it; the activities of the day before, a conversation, real or imaginary; an examination of conscience. Write any sort of early morning reverie, rapidly and uncritically. The excellence or ultimate worth of what you write is of no importance yet. As a matter of fact, you will find more value in this material than you expect, but your primary purpose now is not to bring forth deathless words, but to write any words at all which are not pure nonsense.

This exercise/technique not only brought back to me an enthusiasm for writing but also introduced an exploratory component to my writing -- just what was going to come out of the recesses of my mind? I can't over-stress the satisfaction of crawling out of bed, staggering to the computer, then -- half asleep, mind you -- pounding out 30 minutes of writing. It just flowed. The trick was to keep the censoring mind at bay and to see what my mind wanted to talk about. More than once, I found myself half-asleep at the keyboard, my mind making those crazy jumps that you often find in those after-the-alarm-rings half-dreams. The resulting story-scraps almost seemed as though written by another hand.

Don't focus on her explanation as to how this all works, especially if you are prone to over-analysis. Just do the work and see what it does for you. For me, it has done more than I could have hoped for.(less)

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Feb 22, 2012 Gwen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: writers, anyone who needs motivation for a creative project

Recommended to Gwen by: Jeanette

Shelves: non-fiction

I was recommended this book, and I'm glad that I checked it out, as it was much more helpful and easier on the brain than Aspects of the Novel, a book by E.M. Forster which I read at the same time as this one. I have already started to take the advice given within the first chapters of this book on writing something every morning, and I am eager to see just how I will progress by following Brande's advice.

This is not really a book about developing a plot or characters, nor is it a primer on the...more I was recommended this book, and I'm glad that I checked it out, as it was much more helpful and easier on the brain than Aspects of the Novel, a book by E.M. Forster which I read at the same time as this one. I have already started to take the advice given within the first chapters of this book on writing something every morning, and I am eager to see just how I will progress by following Brande's advice.

This is not really a book about developing a plot or characters, nor is it a primer on the mechanics of grammar or punctuation. It's more of a How To for getting an aspiring author to sit their butt down in front of a writing device everyday and get the words and ideas out onto the page without the process feeling like extracting wisdom teeth.

This is precisely the sort of advice I've needed for some time now. I've written a good deal of words as part of one writing challenge or another (National Novel Writing Month, Script Frenzy, etc.) as a way of forcing myself into overcoming my squeamishness about what my thoughts look like on paper. The strange thing is that I'm not even aspiring for formal publication. I would like to write stories because I find the process of creating stories to be fun, yet the actual act of putting them down onto paper is still a horrendous chore. Lately, even the writing challenges haven't been enough to get me to finish anything, and I have two novels sitting around half-written and another that barely got out of initial planning. I like the ideas that went into them well enough. I don't think I actually hate writing or storytelling, I just need to find a way to make it less unpleasant when the initial steam and excitement of starting off on a new journey is over and coming up with what happens next actually becomes real work.

Brande describes not only how to go about making writing into a comfortable habit but also how to regain your unconscious creativity by learning how to be still and concentrate. I really liked her advice about avoiding describing your story before you actually write it, because I know I've come up with ideas which I worked out word for word in my head, only to feel no enthusiasm for the idea anymore when I actually sat down to recreate it in writing. She also talks about the dangers of getting into a rut creatively, the problems inherent to apeishly copying other authors, and how to avoid doing both by learning to observe the world around you and gather ideas of your own.

As I write this, I've managed to write over 1K words for today, and I feel a sense of accomplishment which will hopefully carry me into writing more tomorrow. I've already decided to buy a copy of this book for myself, so that when I return the copy I read to the library, I can use my own for a pick-me-up pep talk again whenever I need it. Because I suspect I will need it.(less)

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Nov 12, 2011 Steven Belanger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like John Gardiner's book, The Art of Fiction, this one is very helpful because of its honest directness and simplicity. An easy read, it sounds like she's in the room, talking only to you. An important work because it dispels advice on technique and instead gives bare-bones advice about who writers are and what they must essentially do. In essence, she advises how to get the butt in the chair, and she tells you what to do in order to keep it there and to be productive. A large part self-help, i...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Frances Brody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-writing

This book was first published in 1934. My edition is Papermac 1983, with a Foreword by John Braine. Time has not diminished its value. Dorothea Brande's ideas developed from writing, editing and teaching writing to sometimes diffident young students.

She will not instruct about story arcs, character development, five act structures, or how to make a sentence pack a punch. The title says it all.

She defines four difficulties that face a writer and outlines how to overcome them. She calls these: The...more This book was first published in 1934. My edition is Papermac 1983, with a Foreword by John Braine. Time has not diminished its value. Dorothea Brande's ideas developed from writing, editing and teaching writing to sometimes diffident young students.

She will not instruct about story arcs, character development, five act structures, or how to make a sentence pack a punch. The title says it all.

She defines four difficulties that face a writer and outlines how to overcome them. She calls these: The Difficulty of Writing at All; The "One-Book Author"; The Occasional Writer and The Uneven Writer. These obstacles do not connect with "technical training" or the lack of it. The difficulties arise from within, from the writer's personality. Everyone who writes will recognize the truth of what she says. She advises that the writer be their own Best Friend and Severest Critic. The secret is in knowing which to be, when. The writer must learn to acknowledge and develop a dual personality.

Her set exercises really work. She says you must wake up half an hour earlier in the morning and begin writing (anything at all) before the world and other words intrude. You must then make an appointment with yourself to write at a certain time, and stick to it. At this point it does not matter what you write, as long as you keep the appointment. These exercises are designed to train both sides of the character to work in harmony, so that you write not as though you were one person, but two.

At the end of Chapter Six, Writing on Schedule, she gives a stern warning: "If you fail repeatedly at this exercise, give up writing. Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write ..."

This book is not only about becoming a writer, it points out how best to live as a writer, ways of looking at the world, finding "the writer's magic". I love the way Dorothea Brande defines what is sometimes called writer's block as "the slough of despond", which she sees as navigable by practical means.

The book will prove helpful to the hardened professional who stumbles as well as to the beginner who as yet only dreams of writing.

(less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a staunch loather of self-help books, I picked this up mostly out of curiosity. When I glanced at a few pages, though, Brande's wit and practicality convinced me that this might be that rarest of things, a self-help book that 1: actually reflects human experience and 2: doesn't use shame to bully the reader into some shoddy semblance of "normal."

Indeed, Brande is blunt about the realities of creative work--she talks about writer's block, inability to finish pieces, having only one good work t...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Bart rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book may well suffer from its legacy. That is, so many books have been written about this subject since 1934 - so many books have been unknowingly influenced by it - that reading it in 2010 will make you wonder where the original insights lie.

There are still a few, and they still resonate. This book should be read by anyone who hasn't yet decided he's a writer, or anyone who's decided he's a writer but can't figure out what comes next.

There's a difference between a writer and a "writer", of...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Renato rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, escrita, non-fiction

Normalmente os livros que prometem "ensinar" a escrever são uma treta: e quanto mais específicas se tornam as suas fórmulas, mais garantias oferecem os seus autores, mais promessas fazem quanto a ensinar-nos a atingir "aquilo de que as histórias são feitas", mais o livro me parece uma fraude. Ao invés de se ocupar com as técnicas ou truques do ofício, Dorothea Brande fala do escritor (e não da sua escrita): quem é, que características tem, como funciona a sua criatividade, que é isso de ser-se "...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Dasia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is dope.

A short but content-rich read, Becoming A Writer is a fluff-free gem of sensible advice about how to stop being a tortured artist and start being a happy and productive writer.

Written in 1934, it's a classic of the writing-on-writing genre. It's easy to see why. Even though it's been around for over 70 years, the message was fresh and relevant to me.

There are some cool exercises, all practical things that should turn into habits rather than fill-in-the-blank homework. Some I h...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Daniel Viramontes rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Becoming a Writer, Dorothea Brande does exactly what she sets out to do - tell you how to become a writer. Not how to write, not the best way to construct characters, or dialogue, or crafting mood, rhythm, or cadence in your work, but simply some of the foundational steps to becoming open to the possibility of being a writer. This is a book full of sound, sometimes stern advice (at one point she says "If you cannot do this, then you will not be a writer. Stop now, and do something more worthw...more

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Jul 19, 2012 A.M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

What I enjoyed about this book is that it takes an entirely different approach to writing self-help; one I hadn't encountered before.

The premise is as follows: this book does not teach the mechanics of story writing and plot, it teaches you how to get your ass in the chair and write. It teaches discipline, overcoming your fear, getting the words to flow. In practical steps, it shows you how to begin producing content regularly.

Sure, the book was published in the 1930s and has some archaisms, but...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Simon Thirsk rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was recommended by Hillary Mantel as the only book a would be writer needs to read. I read it to see if I should recommend it when trenching writing groups. And found I learned quite a lot I didn't know that I didn't know.
Dealing almost entirely with how to train oneself to write and develop a writer's state of mind, it takes a thoroughly professional view to the discipline and mental skills required to overcome writer's block, poor work and other familiar - not to say notorious - frustrati...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Nicky Penttila rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wish I'd had this book when I started writing! I'm one of those people who needed to get my head in order, forget my image of The Writer, and get my writing habits built before any of the craft courses I was taking could have an effect. I'm also one of those who was so discouraged by the process of "workshopping" stories in college that I didn't write fiction again for a decade. Knowing there was another way to begin, and to proceed, would have eased my heart and shortened my course to publica...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Neeraj Bali added it

I came across this slim 1934 classic in the Exclusives bookstore at Bloemfontein. The book has several insights to offer to prospective writers. What it does not do - and clearly mentions it up front - is to offer technical advice on style, structure etc.
The book is about tapping your subconscious - or unconscious as it is called now - to create a flow. There are several helpful suggestions, including writing first thing in the morning, making an appointment with oneself to write and even what...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Linda Rollins rated it 4 of 5 stars

The language is a bit old fashioned because it was written, I think, in the 1930s, but what a fantastic book. If you really want to be a writer, this book will get you there. It's not about learning how to write but about learning how to be a writer, that is, what prevents you from writing that best selling novel. Basically, there's the unconscious, creative side and your other, critical side and it's all about how we can work with each individually and then bring them together - in balance. Som...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is unique among writing guides in that it does not address style or technique, but rather the habits and the mindset one must develop in order to become a writer. Sometimes that's the hardest part, as even the most brilliant writer won't accomplish anything if he or she is daunted by the prospect of sitting down to work or the process of writing itself. I give it three stars (I wish I could give 3.5!) because Brande doesn't cover much beyond the beginning stages of writerdom, but as a...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Ruth Livingstone rated it 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful book, written in an conversational tone, that deals with the most important hurdles an inspiring writer will face. This is not a text book on plot, narrative, dialogue or structure. Instead, this deals with a far more important issue: harnassing your creativity and getting your creative and critical self to work together in harmony.

Dorothea describes a number of exercises in this book. Many of these have been copied and regurgitated by other people and, in some cases, misrepresented....more

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Sep 25, 2012 Graham Dinton rated it 4 of 5 stars

The original self-help book for writers and worth the read. I like the direct style of the messages, the author simply tells you to get on with it and there are plenty of practical tips for how to achieve your goals. Worth the read and pre-dates the likes of Stephen King's On Writing and Steven Pressfield's kick-ass books like Turning Pro. It's good to read an original view - and the messages are much the same - get on with it! There's a quote in one of Pressfield's books about choosing two door...more

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May 03, 2010 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderfully lucid book. I would not hesitate to take writing advice from Dorothea Brande, for the simple reason that her own writing is so elegant and clear. As I was reading, I was reminded of George Orwell’s dictum that good writing should be like a window pane. Brande’s book, written in 1934, is a perfect exemplar. It does not draw attention to itself, but simply communicates the author’s ideas in a clear, pleasing manner.

Brande states from the outset that she will not deal with iss...more This is a wonderfully lucid book. I would not hesitate to take writing advice from Dorothea Brande, for the simple reason that her own writing is so elegant and clear. As I was reading, I was reminded of George Orwell’s dictum that good writing should be like a window pane. Brande’s book, written in 1934, is a perfect exemplar. It does not draw attention to itself, but simply communicates the author’s ideas in a clear, pleasing manner.

Brande states from the outset that she will not deal with issues of technique. Even in 1934, there were plenty of books and writing courses to give advice on plot, pacing, etc. In any case, her belief is that in most aspiring writers, the problems holding them back are not technical, but psychological. The reason people turn up to workshops and classes and buy endless books is not to learn the craft, but to discover the secret of being a great writer.

"In almost every case he will be disappointed. In the opening lecture, within the first few pages of his book, within a sentence or two of his authors’ symposium, he will be told rather shortly that genius cannot be taught; and there goes his hope glimmering."

The aspiring writer may not believe that he/she is looking to acquire the secret of a writer’s genius, but that’s really what it is, even if only unconsciously held – an idea that there is some kind of magic about writing. And Brande agrees: “I think there is such a magic, and that it is teachable. This book is all about the writer’s magic.”

The rest of the book contains a lot of practical advice on setting schedules, etc., all of which is good. But the part that really stood out for me was her discussion of genius. For her it is not a rare gift owned only by the likes of Shakespeare; rather it’s something that anyone can access, but most people don’t know how to. She says that writers should think of themselves as split personalities: a hard-working, sensible artisan, and a free-spirited, spontaneous, sensitive artist. Both sides must be in balance: too much spontaneity and the writing never gets done; too much sense and the writing gets done but is no good.

Having recognised this need for a split personality, it is then important to cultivate the sensitive “unconscious” side even as your workaday self gets you to your desk on time. One idea I loved was not talking about your writing until it is done. This is something I have always done without really knowing why – it just seemed to work better for me that way. Brande’s view is telling a story to friends before writing it down is very dangerous:

"Your unconscious self (which is your wishful part) will not care whether the words you use are written down or talked to the world at large... Afterward you will find yourself disinclined to go with the laborious process of writing that story at full length; unconsciously you will consider it as already done, a twice-told tale."

In addition, the unconscious is very sensitive to criticism, and the damage done by talking too freely can be severe:

"Send your practical self out into the world to receive suggestions, criticisms or rejections; by all means see to it that it is your prosaic self which reads rejection slips! Criticism and rejection are not personal insults, but your artistic component will not know that. It will quiver and wince and run to cover, and you will have trouble in luring it out again to observe and weave tales and find words for all the thousand shades of feeling which go to make up a story."

There’s so much other valuable advice in this book that I can’t summarise all of it. In fact, I feel as if I should read this book on a regular basis. So many of the ideas resonated with me, but they’re the sort of thing that are easy to forget when you’re mired in the routine of writing. So this is definitely one to keep on the shelf, and pull out at regular intervals, especially when things are getting tough and inspiration is hard to find.(less)

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Dec 22, 2009 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing-books, classics

You never forget your first. :) This was the first writing book I ever read. It started a beautiful, lifelong obsession with books on writing. And as much as I love all my writing books, this one will always feel more magical than the rest.

A very practical guide that provides advice on everything from what to drink while writing, to how to train your mind to write on command, to how to read like a writer. Useful, comprehensive, and charming. The author always seemed like the kind of person I wou...more

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Jun 30, 2009 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

John Gardner's introduction drew me into this reprint of a book from the 1930s and I know I have read it in the past. I have not put its insights into practice. It is not a book about the technical details of becoming a writer, but about the habits and even the mentality of a writer. It borders on the mystical by encouraging a tapping into the unconscious and your personal genius, but it is more about discipline in the end. Its value is in offering simple steps to take and the encouragement that...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Farhan Mosavi marked it as to-read

Read Becoming a Writer, by Dorothea Brande. Then do what it says, including the tasks you think are impossible. You will particularly hate the advice to write first thing in the morning, but if you can manage it, it might well be the best thing you ever do for yourself. This book is about becoming a writer from the inside out. Many later advice manuals derive from it. You don't really need any others, though if you want to boost your confidence, "how to" books seldom do any harm.- Hillary Mante...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

If I could, I'd give 10 stars. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

Instead of discussing how-to-write Plot, Character, Setting, or POV, Brande says that a fledgling writer first needs to understand the psychology of an atypical writer. She then talks about what it's like to actually be a writer: how you act, think, how the mind works, and even how to train your writing brain (i.e., the duality of Composing and Editing) to actually work FOR you!

!!!!

This is great stuff! Where's this been all m...more If I could, I'd give 10 stars. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

Instead of discussing how-to-write Plot, Character, Setting, or POV, Brande says that a fledgling writer first needs to understand the psychology of an atypical writer. She then talks about what it's like to actually be a writer: how you act, think, how the mind works, and even how to train your writing brain (i.e., the duality of Composing and Editing) to actually work FOR you!

!!!!

This is great stuff! Where's this been all my life? It takes information that I've always considered as cryptic and esoteric and breaks it down into common, everyday, perfectly understandable ideas. It's as if I've thought about the writing process as similar to higher mathematics with its sines, cosines and imaginary numbers, when all the time it's only 2+2=4. Have people been giving this writing advice all the time anyway but I just haven't listened? I don't think so; these ideas were new to me. So therefore, WHY haven't I heard this anywhere else??

(That's a hint, all you other writers/authors out there ....)

The following is on a personal note: (view spoiler)

If I have one quibble, it's this. In one section, Brande suggests scheduling a set time (for most people, that's usually an hour earlier in the morning) to sit down and write, and only write, anything, so as to train yourself to be able to get the words to flow whenever you want. This is a wonderful exercise, but what I'd really like to know is how to sit down and let the correct words flow. I mean, I can sit down and scribble out ideas, introspections, rants and so forth, but how do I get the words for my book to spill forth in wondrous glory?

Ah well, a definite quibble; a minor point. After all, perhaps that ability comes with Living as a writer.(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Christine Rice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande is written from the perspective, and with the skill, of a fiction author. Brande uses fluid, creative, imaginative prose that takes the reader on a journey through her thoughts about how one becomes a writer.

I picked up the book because I was interested in learning about, and learning how to overcome, the difficulties a writer has with their personality and work structure (i.e. being a writer and writing regularly). Brande reveals a unique perspective on how...more

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Language > Writing

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About Dorothea Brande

Dorothea Brande (1893 – 1948) was a well-respected writer and editor in New York.

Dorothea Collins died in New Hampshire.

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Books by Dorothea Brande

How to Wake Up and Live: A Formula for Success that Works

Secrets Between Your Ears: How to re-program your own mental computer to get the wealth, happiness, and health you deserve!

Becoming the Fiction Storyteller of Your Dreams...

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Quotes from Becoming a Writer

“Writing's not always a pleasure to me, but if I'm not writing every other pleasure loses its savour.” — 2 people liked it

“All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success. ~Dorothea Brande” — 2 people liked it

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