good books

Does anyone think that reading a book on writing helped them? For instance, is not this site far more useful and 'real-life' than book? egriff

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yeah man Julia Cameron makes a good point. She says writing is as natural to human beings as breathing is. what I liked about that book is she was opening it up for everybody, not just a select few. You know some writers cvan be a bit snobby, and think their the bees-knees, but what they dont realise is everyone if their willing to have a go can write. I mean most of us start writing right from the age of 5 years old. No doubt also we have it in our genes from our ancestors who wrote too. The desire to name and communicate things is deep seated in us all. I have met a few writers in my time and they have been right up their own arses thinking that they are some kind of special elite group; and look down their noses at people like me. Some have sneered at me and when i told them I was getting into writing, they didn't belive that I was a writer. Well those people infuriated me, and only made me want to write more, just to prove to them that I could. Their snidy comments only served to put fuel on my fire. I will never stop writing; unless of course somebody chops my hands off, then I'am pretty much fucked. But I will never stop, regardless of what anyone says to me. Because it is my right to.. I really dig Julias philosophy about writing man. here is what she wrote about writing on the last page, it rocks man: ' I don't believe that writers are like salmon and the truly gifted and strong ones are the ones who make it, I think--I know from my teaching--that some of the most beautiful voices we have have been silenced. They had a cruel teacher or parent, some crreative accident or mishap. If I can help restore those voices--that's what I'am after.' ' I am argueing that the term writer should be abolished. I am argueing that everybody should write. That we should have a million amateur writers making novels just for the hell of it. Hell, we all begin as amateurs. Have you forgotten that?' ' I want to let everybody in. I want us all to write. I want us to remember that we used to write. Before phones, we wrote each other letters. We're doing it again with e-mail, and I think it's a balancing of the wheel. We have been going too fast and we know that. Taking the time to write something down grounds us. Taking the time to write how we feel helps us to know how we feel;. Taking the time to write to each other, we find ourselves doing more right by each other. Yes, I want a revolution. I want us to take the power back into our own hands. I want us to remember we have choices and voices. I want us to right our world, and writing is a tool I feel helps us to do it. We are a restless lot here in the West. We do not take easily to meditation. Writing is an active form of meditation that lets us examine our lives and see where and how we can alter them to make them more sound. Yes, writing is an art, but "art"is part of the verb "to be"--as in "Thou art truly human." To be truly human, we all have the right to make art. We all have the right to write. *** Aye she's got the magic formula that lassy!

When I was doing my degree we had this creative writing teacher who told us that "we weren't writers" because we had never been properly published and recognised. We had this huge argument with him, we write, we said, therefore we are writers. Luckily I then had a really funky tutor who introduced me to Goldberg, which then led me to reading Cameron's book. If it hadn't been for that second tutor I'm not sure I would have really had the faith to keep on writing, even though I'd been writing for years before I did the degree.

I don't know why some people have that attitude about writing - you know the-haven't-been-published-therefore-you-aren't-a-writer vibe. Someone with that attitude shouldn't be a teacher man. People like that are very dangerous. You should watch them like you would watch your feet when stepping on ice. Glad you found a good tutor though. *** Yeah Julia Cameron is an angel. You should check out her other book if your haven't already done so called ' The Artists Way.' it is really inspiring man.

i agree that writing is for everyone. too often, 'the arts' have been hijacked by mediocrities who want to use it as a means of exclusion - a specialist body of knowledge and skills which only an elite group are allowed to possess. whereas the whole point of the arts is that they include - they describe and illuminate our common human state. on a more cynical note, Julia Cameron does have some incentive for saying that everyone can be a writer - the sales of her book would doubtless flourish if this were the case. an angel perhaps, but with wings of gold!

yeah haha

can't argue with that ;o)

talking of reading... where can i find something of yours to read funky seagull person? have tried searching for you under "authors" but no joy.

Yeah you won't find me anymore under that name dude. best to go check out all the other authors - I recommend them all. I'am sure they would appreciate it!! - take care m8 -

sorry to seem so cold man.. didn't mean to sound like that.. what I meant is I've changed my name because I wanted my writing to be seperated - from the guy who posts on these forums - jus so people don't judge my writing on me as a person.. if you get what I mean. Also I been getting a few nasty e-mails, and it is pretty annoying, so I figured if I change my name, they won't be able to find me anymore. It's my own fault, cause of the crazy things I have posted here in the past. I just don't want those things to affect my writing. That's why I don't want people to know my new username. didn't mean to sound cold or anything.. I haven't stopped writing. sometimes it's good to change your name, means you can break out of pigeon holes. Not get too set in your ways. It might seem like a crazy thing to do, but after a while a name starts to nark you and feels like a cage - you start wanting to become something else, something fresh, it kinda feels freeing when you do it - like a whole new lease of creative energy is let loose.

oh yeah, I better mention that my e-mail address under my funky_seagull name don't work no more either - changed it. just in case anyone tries to get in touch and I don't answer - it's not cos I'am being ignorant, just that I don't live there no more..hehe

Fair enough, matey. No worries. Hope I come across something you've written by chance instead.

Dorothea Brande Becoming a writer Strange that none of you seem to have read it... Written around 1930...yes thats right and thought to be the best ever about the subject... Try it Roger

Have read it, years ago. Liked it too. Though, as far as I remember, she lived in an " ideal writer's world", one where she assumed everyone had endless amounts of time to take walks before putting pen to paper. Would like to read it again though, buried in a box in my parents' attic now...

I liked Stephen King's book "On Writing."