nadia's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This was great! A super short memoir that goes behind the scenes of Ann Patchett's writing journey and process.
Definitely a must-read for any aspiring writer or any writer who feels stuck in a rut and is questioning their career path. Also a must-read for Ann Patchett fans — I'm not really an aspiring writer but I find books like this fascinating and it was cool to learn more about Ann's life and work.
Loved the mix of practical advice and personal stories. Some of the advice is applicable to being productive in general and with any creative endeavour.
At 45 pages, it's perfect if you're looking for a "read in one sitting" book! Not sure how easy it is to get your hands on it these days though.
Definitely a must-read for any aspiring writer or any writer who feels stuck in a rut and is questioning their career path. Also a must-read for Ann Patchett fans — I'm not really an aspiring writer but I find books like this fascinating and it was cool to learn more about Ann's life and work.
Loved the mix of practical advice and personal stories. Some of the advice is applicable to being productive in general and with any creative endeavour.
At 45 pages, it's perfect if you're looking for a "read in one sitting" book! Not sure how easy it is to get your hands on it these days though.
annaelisereads's review
5.0
Fascinating "Kindle Single"/short story by Ann Patchett - author of Bel Canto (one of my favorite books ever). Must, must read for aspiring writers and an enjoyable and interested trip into her life and mind for all of her fans. Now, I want to read her first book, Patron Saint of Liars, and I want to take a short story writing class...
inthecommonhours's review
5.0
I don't have an e-reader so I struggled to find a way to read this---and bought it via google finally and read in one sitting. I loved Patchett's Truth and Beauty and this book fleshed out some of the same time period in different ways. I'm surprised to hear her method of having most of it written/decided before she begins, but I loved every minute of reading it.
I adore Grace Paley and laughed out loud at her description. I was shocked to find that she applied to other writing programs and Iowa (supposedly the most prestigious) was the only one she got in---and in many ways wasn't an ideal experience. I wish she had written more about the transition from short story to novel.
"I never learned how to take the beautiful thing in my imagination and put it on paper without feeling I killed it along the way. I did however learn to weather the death, and I learned how to forgive myself for it."
"I can't write the book I want to write, but I can and will write the book that I am capable of writing."
My grad school experience is captured in her description of "editing myself off the page."
Another favorite bit (that my boys will regret my reading since I'm already vigilant):
"Based on my own experience, I believe the brain is as soft and malleable as bread dough when we're young. I'm grateful for every class trip to the symphony I went on and curse any night I was allowed to watch "The Brady Bunch" because all of it stuck. Conversely, I am now capable of forgetting entire novels that I read, and I've been influenced not at all by books that I passionately loved and would kill to be influenced by. Think about this before you let your child have a Game Boy."
Ala brain-picking-eque: "I am a compost heap, and everything I interact with, every experience I've had, gets shoveled onto the heap where it eventually mulches down, is digested and excreted by worms, and rots. It's from that rich, dark humus, the combination of what you encountered, what you know, and what you've forgotten, that ideas start to grow."
and a word to the unwise (namely, me): "I have had this same crisis in every novel I have written since: I am sure my idea is horrible and that a new idea is my only hope. But what I've realized over the years is that every new idea eventually becomes the old idea."
Given that the dream scenes of State of Wonder were some of my favorite, I'm a bit upset with Elizabeth McCracken getting her to cut some 90% of them. Do I get to read those cuts?
She talks about Raymond Chandler's advice, which made me remember a line of his---that the best way to get the reader to miss who-dunit is to have them trying to solve the wrong mystery. And then, just like that, I realized that was exactly what she had done in State of Wonder!
I adore Grace Paley and laughed out loud at her description. I was shocked to find that she applied to other writing programs and Iowa (supposedly the most prestigious) was the only one she got in---and in many ways wasn't an ideal experience. I wish she had written more about the transition from short story to novel.
"I never learned how to take the beautiful thing in my imagination and put it on paper without feeling I killed it along the way. I did however learn to weather the death, and I learned how to forgive myself for it."
"I can't write the book I want to write, but I can and will write the book that I am capable of writing."
My grad school experience is captured in her description of "editing myself off the page."
Another favorite bit (that my boys will regret my reading since I'm already vigilant):
"Based on my own experience, I believe the brain is as soft and malleable as bread dough when we're young. I'm grateful for every class trip to the symphony I went on and curse any night I was allowed to watch "The Brady Bunch" because all of it stuck. Conversely, I am now capable of forgetting entire novels that I read, and I've been influenced not at all by books that I passionately loved and would kill to be influenced by. Think about this before you let your child have a Game Boy."
Ala brain-picking-eque: "I am a compost heap, and everything I interact with, every experience I've had, gets shoveled onto the heap where it eventually mulches down, is digested and excreted by worms, and rots. It's from that rich, dark humus, the combination of what you encountered, what you know, and what you've forgotten, that ideas start to grow."
and a word to the unwise (namely, me): "I have had this same crisis in every novel I have written since: I am sure my idea is horrible and that a new idea is my only hope. But what I've realized over the years is that every new idea eventually becomes the old idea."
Given that the dream scenes of State of Wonder were some of my favorite, I'm a bit upset with Elizabeth McCracken getting her to cut some 90% of them. Do I get to read those cuts?
She talks about Raymond Chandler's advice, which made me remember a line of his---that the best way to get the reader to miss who-dunit is to have them trying to solve the wrong mystery. And then, just like that, I realized that was exactly what she had done in State of Wonder!
mturney1010's review
4.0
A quick but fantastic memoir about writing. I liked the stuff about forgiving yourself for not being good enough.
selinamarcille's review
5.0
This essay was incredibly enlightening. It spoke to the pain and pleasure that one feels as a writer. It speaks about the passion one must have and how everyone has ideas, but writers are the ones who decide to dedicate their time to it.
Definitely a good read for all writers!
Definitely a good read for all writers!
jannie_mtl's review
5.0
Terrific Kindle Single outlining Patchett's advice to new (or experienced) writers. Anyone thinking of putting pen to paper should read this. Practical and encouraging.
kellyxmen's review
3.0
Stephen King’s “On Writing” was better.
If I had read this one first, I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to read another writing memoir. The author makes writing sound so damn miserable. I suppose she’s being half sincere and half “quirky” by complaining about something she chose to do. (Hemingway would say that’s weak)
The most useful advice she gave was: if you want to write, then sit down without distractions and write. If nothing comes out, sit some more. You will end up by writing or leaving.
I only read this because David Sedaris said to and I love Sedaris but I don’t see why he loves this piece.
If I had read this one first, I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to read another writing memoir. The author makes writing sound so damn miserable. I suppose she’s being half sincere and half “quirky” by complaining about something she chose to do. (Hemingway would say that’s weak)
The most useful advice she gave was: if you want to write, then sit down without distractions and write. If nothing comes out, sit some more. You will end up by writing or leaving.
I only read this because David Sedaris said to and I love Sedaris but I don’t see why he loves this piece.