The Art of Slow Writing
Reflections on Time, Craft, and Creativity
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In a series of conversational observations and meditations on the writing process, The Art of Slow Writing examines the benefits of writing slowly.
DeSalvo advises her readers to explore their creative process on deeper levels by getting to know themselves and their stories more fully over a longer period of time. She writes in the same supportive manner that encourages her students, using the slow writing process to help them explore the complexities of craft. The Art of Slow Writing is the antidote to self-help books that preach the idea of fast-writing, finishing a novel a year, and quick revisions. DeSalvo makes a case that more mature writing often develops over a longer period of time and offers tips and techniques to train the creative process in this new experience.
DeSalvo describes the work habits of successful writers (among them, Nobel Prize laureates) so that readers can use the information provided to develop their identity as writers and transform their writing lives. It includes anecdotes from classic American and international writers such as John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence as well as contemporary authors such as Michael Chabon, Junot Diaz, Jeffrey Eugenides, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie. DeSalvo skillfully and gently guides writers to not only start their work, but immerse themselves fully in the process and create texts they will treasure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Memoirist and writing teacher DeSalvo (Writing as a Way of Healing) turns what might have been an exercise in navel-gazing into a lively and inspiring guide for writers of all stripes. Whether readers are taking their first stab at the Great American Novel or have a shelf full of books to their credit, they're sure to benefit from DeSalvo's insight into the many different methods employed by luminaries, such as Virginia Woolf, John Steinbeck, and Henry Miller, and contemporary authors, such as Michael Chabon, Stephen King, and Jonathan Franzen. DeSalvo also addresses the problem of not writing, sharing how authors like Anne Tyler and Alice Munro deal with everyday distractions, and ancillary topics such as the dreaded rejection letter, and the best way to deal with criticism. Readers can take solace in tips, such as "relax into the story," practice daily, and be comfortable with the time it takes for work to become fully formed and gain confidence in themselves, thanks to the knowledge that they're not alone in their struggles. Buy two copies the first will quickly sprout dog-ears.