Leippya's review

If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit
by Brenda Ueland

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248954.If_You_Want_to_Write_A_Book_about_Art_Independence_and_Spirit?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173124836m/248954.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248954.If_You_Want_to_Write_A_Book_about_Art_Independence_and_Spirit?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/145456.Brenda_Ueland">Brenda Ueland</a><br/><br/>
  <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7763083?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
  rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/>The author of this book is unbelievably kind, and it really comes out in the book. She constantly focuses on the positive, and I'm sure she had to be a fantastic teacher. It's a nice read, if you currently feel blocked it's probably the best moment to get this book. However, if your only focus in life is to sell your writing, this might not be the book for you (although it might contain answers if you're failing to sell). This book isn't about skills or market, it's about *being*, it's about attitude -- and I took a lot of notes during my reading because so many things felt like a revelation. I find it sort of difficult to apply her advice to novels, to fiction but I still learnt a lot. 
<br/>
<br/>For those who would worry about the age of this book, it doesn't matter -- it's actually surprising to see how little have changed between then and now.
<br/>
<br/>All in all, I recommend reading this book at least once at some point, preferably during one of those moments when you feel down, unsure of yourself and wondering if you actually have any "talent." Brenda Ueland's extraordinary generosity is bound to make an impact.
  <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/436784?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Leippya's review
rating:

bookshelves: writing
recommended for: people creatively blocked
status: Read in October, 2007

The author of this book is unbelievably kind, and it really comes out in the book. She constantly focuses on the positive, and I'm sure she had to be a fantastic teacher. It's a nice read, if you currently feel blocked it's probably the best moment to get this book. However, if your only focus in life is to sell your writing, this might not be the book for you (although it might contain answers if you're failing to sell). This book isn't about skills or market, it's about *being*, it's about attitude -- and I took a lot of notes during my reading because so many things felt like a revelation. I find it sort of difficult to apply her advice to novels, to fiction but I still learnt a lot.

For those who would worry about the age of this book, it doesn't matter -- it's actually surprising to see how little have changed between then and now.

All in all, I recommend reading this book at least once at some point, preferably during one of those moments when you feel down, unsure of your...more

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