February 28, 2011

First of all, thanks for all the terrific book recommendations. I have compiled the list and plan to read through them! To thank you properly, I’m going to recommend one of my favorite books to you.

I realized over the weekend that there was a fourth benefit to being sick for ten days. Since I was too contagious to leave the house the first week, I read through my favorite books on writing. I own a lot of writing books, and I underline heavily, so mostly I re-read my underlined parts.

Sounds Heavenly

One book captivated me (again), and I re-read it cover to cover (slowly). Let me quote the first few lines of the introduction, and you’ll see why:

“How to stay limber, how to make the writing not grim, how to enjoy writing. How to make room in real life for a writing life. These are my goals. Are they yours, too?

I want my readers to be able to set up a positive, happy, easy writing life. One that is fun. I believe you can (and fairly quickly) create a writing life where the writing process itself is so enchanting and delicious, you want to write. You go to the desk willingly, stresslessly. In my dream vision for your writing life, you don’t have to make yourself write. It’s not work. It’s not tedious or punishing. It’s what you do.”

Doesn’t that sound like a heavenly writing life? The quote is from a 2005 book by Heather Sellers called Page after Page. It’s food for your writing soul.

9 Comments »

1. 

   Thanks for sharing – I’m going to look into this book!

   Comment by Wendy — February 28, 2011 @ 6:34 am

2. 

   Thanks for the suggestion, Kristi. I look forward to checking it out. I love the beginning you posted.

   Karin Larson

   Comment by Karin Larson — February 28, 2011 @ 6:57 am

3. 

   Thanks for the recommendation, Kristi! I checked out a few of the reviews on Amazon and decided this is a book I want to read. I’ve added it to my shopping list next time I place an online book order.

   Hope you are recovered from your bout with sickness. I spent the last three days sick in bed, and although I felt miserable, I enjoyed having a guilt-free excuse to catch up on computer work.

   Comment by Rebecca — February 28, 2011 @ 12:31 pm

4. 

   I love that book, too, Kristi! Heather is a great motivator, and provides so many tips and exercises to help us writers. I’ve had it sitting on my writing books’ shelf for quite a few years now

   Andrea

   Comment by Andrea B. — February 28, 2011 @ 6:21 pm

5. 

   Wow! That does sound heavenly! Wouldn’t it be great? I think I’ll have to heck out that book

   Comment by Susanna — March 1, 2011 @ 10:15 am

6. 

   Yes, indeed, it sounds “delicious” and “heavenly”. Hmmm. Thanks for the quotes.

   Comment by Joan C. Webb — March 2, 2011 @ 1:34 pm

7. 

   Thanks, everybody! I just knew that quote would snag some writers. Just reading the intro made me relax. We make things so (unnecessarily) hard on ourselves sometimes, don’t we?

   Comment by Kristi Holl — March 3, 2011 @ 4:51 pm

8. 

   I have this book. I’ve had it for a while in fact. Have I read it? No. My plan is to surround myself with books on writing and become a writer by osmosis. That’s how it works, right? Right?

   Comment by April — March 14, 2011 @ 1:30 pm

9. 

   Just wanted to thank you for making me aware of Heather Sellers’ book – I recently checked it out from the library and am thoroughly enjoying it, finding it very inspirational.

   Comment by Tina M — March 20, 2011 @ 2:10 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website