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OUTWITTING
WRITER'S BLOCK AND OTHER PROBLEMS OF THE PEN Reviewed by Billie
A Williams Outwitting
Writer’s Block is more than a book. It is more than a to-do, or how-to manual.
It is a compendium of light-hearted, playful, fun and very serious tips and
tricks for moving your writing and your career forward.
Glatzer's instructions are laced with humor and encouragement.
She uses plain language-- not dull or drab language, but undressed,
naked-revealing-truths kind of language that pulls the reluctant writer out of
his/her shell to start a love affair with pen and paper (or keyboard if you
prefer). Glatzer asks the
reader to begin a list of goals that they break down into objectives, then break
down further into doable steps to be executed forward. She gives hints about the
stimulation you may need to get your muse to cooperate. Nowhere does she ask the
reader to follow any prescribed rule about anything. Matter of fact, Outwitting
Writer's Block is a book about breaking rules, casting off cloaks of
classroom-learned etiquette as it pertains to writing, charging full speed ahead
even if the yellow light is on. Writing prompts
separate the ideas in her chapters-- for instance this prompt: "A man has
tapped a woman's phone-- why?" or "Now that she was gone, I was
finally free to tell the truth." What writer doesn't come up at least a
half dozen "what ifs" to begin writing with those prompts? Glatzer uses
examples from her own life, and a friendly conversational tone to gently
persuade the reluctant writer to step out, launch that boat, and row to the
other shore. She says "a writer looking at things sees words and metaphors,
instead of objects as an artist would." A dream journal
that she suggests reminds me that I don't dream, yet she tells me why I think I
don't. It's one of those "leap and the net will appear" eye-openers
that she sprinkles throughout her book. When she says with a gentle nudge at the
end of her book, "you don't need me anymore," my heart felt crushed as
if my mother were letting go of my hand when she left this world. I warn you the
book is that good. You will not put it down unchanged. You will not suffer it to
languish in some dark corner of your study or bookshelves. It will be there,
because whether or not she thinks we don't need her any more, having her there
in spirit will be enough motivation to keep writer's block away and keep us
writing. You will become a writer. I highly recommend
this book to any aspiring writer, any writer who has ever experienced writer's
block, or any writer who fears they might. (Or anyone who merely wants a
terrifically good, humorous read.) Get the "patch" before the virus or
the worm appears. Get Outwitting Writer's Block. Billie is the
author of Death by Candlelight (available now), and Fire at Thunder Ridge (Feb.
2004) available from www.wings-press.com.
Her books Tung Umolomo and Writing Wide will be published in fall, 2003.
Visit her website at www.billiewilliams.com.
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