If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland (May 2017)
This book for the budding writer starts with a fairly basic premise- everyone has something to say. From there, Ueland crafts a short but rich classic that encourages readers to pick up their pens and give writing a try for themselves.
I think this book is useful for anyone operating under some externally created notions about writing. A writer overly concerned with the rules of grammar might benefit from this work's insistence on finding the inner voice and bringing that to full expression through a written work- the proofreading stage will reign in any missteps or indulgences.
The author concerned about writing a 'bad' story would do well to heed Ueland's advice- try to write a bad story! Make it dull, bland, and predictable- odds are, this task will end in an interesting failure.
My favorite idea from the book is her advice to those seeking to become better writers- first, become a better person. The truth as expressed by a great person carries a weight that cannot be made up for by any level of technical skill.
One up: There are a few good thoughts here to keep writers on track when they lose their way.
*Fiction should pose questions. A work of fiction is not a good place to prove a point- that good will win, that one should eat vegetables, and so on. If a writer has an answer to a question, forget fiction- just state the truth.
*The act of writing forces the writer to truly understand the subject. Always ask- did the character really grip the table until the knuckles turned white? Could that actually happen?
*If you see a better truth tomorrow, discard who you are today.
*Initially, everyone tries to imitate what is considered good.
One down: Ueland's 1938 how-to urges aspiring writers to plunge right into the truth- no qualifiers, no introductions, no preambles, just go. Well, then...
I didn't get much from this book. I think this reflects on me, not the book. Recently, I've read a lot of books about writing and I think it is fair to guess that a number of those were influenced by this one. The advice here is timeless- but sometimes timeless advice is the advice most often repeated. As I reviewed my notes here, I found myself connecting much of it to other work I've recently read, a sure sign that perhaps it is time for me to stop reading about writing.
And yet, it is possible that were I to recommend any single book about writing, this would be it. I have not given it that level of thought (and I don't really intend to, so please, dear reader, do not hold your breath). I score this book highly on encouragement but acknowledge that it does not get too far into the technical elements. The result is a light and enjoyable work that is great for someone getting started but the more technically inclined reader will find lacking.
Just saying: George Bernard Shaw (apparently) once said that 'discouragement is the only illness'. I think that line summarizes the book nicely (and suggests something enviable about Shaw's immune system).
To create a work of art does require a level of looseness with the types of things that often concern others- definitions, stability, sensibility. It demands the artist plunge ahead and believe, all alone if required, in the truth of what is to come.
