The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life

The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life
By Julia Cameron

Product Description

Now in paperback, the national bestseller that is breaking down the mythology behind the “writing life.”

What if everything we have been taught about learning to write was wrong? In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron’s most revolutionary book, the author asserts that conventional writing wisdom would have you believe in a false doctrine that stifles creativity.

With the techniques and anecdotes in The Right to Write, readers learn to make writing a natural, intensely personal part of life. Cameron’s instruction and examples include the details of the writing processes she uses to create her own bestselling books. She makes writing a playful and realistic as well as a reflective event. Anyone jumping into the writing life for the first time and those already living it will discover the art of writing is never the same after reading The Right to Write.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11322 in Books
• Published on: 1998-12-27
• Released on: 1999-12-27
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 236 pages

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Reviews

Amazon.com
Writing, for Julia Cameron, is neither solely vocation nor avocation: it is a way of life. It comes first thing in the morning, while the horses are waiting to be fed; it happens at the kitchen counter, while the onions are sautéing; it takes place on “dates” at café tables shared with likeminded friends; it unfurls in the mind as the ’65 pickup “bucks over the rutted dirt roads like a stiff-legged bronco.” The more than 40 brief personal essays that make up The Right to Write are an unyielding affirmation of the writing life and a denigration of all that gets in the way: busy schedules, procrastination, insecurity, lack of writing space, a day job–you get the point. Cameron’s commonsense advice is liberating to anyone who has felt hampered by making a big deal out of writing (this “tends to make writing difficult. Keeping writing casual tends to keep it possible”), by not having the time to write (“Get aggressive. Steal time”), or the like. If you find a spirit that compares writing to revelation, prayer, and Zen pursuits, that might just attribute misguided communication to Mercury retrograde simpatico, then you will find much to embrace here. And you will never, never again dream of waiting for that commitment-free sabbatical in the south of France to get your writing project under way. –Jane Steinberg

Customer Reviews

The Need to Write
Julia Cameron believes that everyone is a writer. Her purpose in writing this book, therefore, is to free the writer she believes is in you. I disagree with her assumption. We are not all writers any more than we are all dentists or mathematicians. As a writer and a psychologist myself, this is an important distinction to make because this book eminently describes many of the facets of the writer’s personality.

In my experience there are people who think they would like to be writers, but always have some reason why they are not; and there are others who write because they need to do it for themselves. There is something inside of them that they have to get out, and it is best expressed through writing. I believe that this is why several reviewers have felt that this book could not help them. They weren’t really writers at all.

If you have the personality of a writer, then this book will tell you a great deal about yourself – your feelings, your struggles, and your thoughts. It will explain the artistic temperament to you and help you to understand your own behaviors and fears. But, if you are not an artist in general, and a writer in particular, then this book is probably not for you.

Offers some great kick-in-the-pants tips
I haven’t been able to get into Julia’s other books. I often feel very uncreative when I try to work through them. But I like this book as it seems to be telling me just what I need to hear right now. The chapter on Bad Writing and The Time Lie were especially helpful in getting me going. I like that the chapters are short and when I’m done I feel like writing. I don’t do the activities in the book and instead go straight to the projects I’m working on.

Another good resource with similar tips and inspiration is Heather Seller’s books Page by Page and Chapter by Chapter.

Indulge yourself
Julia Cameron’s work is always engaging and this book is no exception. `The Right to Write’ is written with beauty and eloquence and would make the perfect companion for any would be writer who struggles with making a start or trusting in their own abilities to bring their work to completion.

With many years as a published writer, Julia’s experience and candour gives the reader insights into her own writing life that are inspiring and profound. She takes the budding writer by the hand, and through carefully selected exercises, guides her to overcome resistance and start producing results. Julia turns the experience into something to be cherished, not feared, and the results can be extremely gratifying. If you are in love with the idea of writing and desire to deepen your relationship even more, then this book is for you. Indulge yourself!

Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life

Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life
By Robert Fritz

A revolutionary program for creating anything, from a functional kitchen to a computer program, to a work of art, Robert Fritz demonstrates that any of us has the innate power to create. Discover the steps of creating; the importance of creating what you truly love, how to focus on the creative process to move from where you are to where you want to be, and much more.

 

 

Customer Reviews

What do I want?
This is an excellent book. The author logically and intuitively guides any “thinking” reader through a new view of human circumstances and opens a door to creating one’s reality rather than being stuck with only problem solving. I am an artist and a spiritual student and this book is a revelation on breaking bonds and choosing to live creatively.

Create new structures and change your life
“The greatest leaders and statesmen in history have not been problem solvers. They have been builders. They have been creators.” ~ Robert Fritz from “The Path of Least Resistance”

The theme of Robert Fritz’ brilliant book, “The Path of Least Resistance” can be summed up in three words: “Structure determines behavior.”

Like you, before reading the book I had no idea what the heck that meant. Nor did I have any idea what “structural conflict” vs. “structural tension” was all about–let alone why creating structural tension is the core attribute of creative genius.

As you gain an understanding of how structure determines behavior, you’ll also gain a sense for why Fritz believes affirmations and willpower and all that other “positive thinking” stuff will never give you sustainable creative powers.

For that? We need a whole new structure. And that’s what Fritz great book helps us create.

You can create the life experience you desire… if you define it.
Upon first glance you might think that this book is just another typical self-help book, but it is actually much more than that. You might think that what the author discusses, that you need to determine what you want and decide upon the steps is overly simplistic, and you might be oversimplifying it.

Fritz is first and foremost and artist. He is a musician and composer and his work deals with his analysis of structures, which are often hidden from plain view. Why do you do the things you do? It is often because you are moving along the easiest path, one which you or others may have constructed for yourself, but not necessarily one you would have thought about.

You can think of it this way. If you are like most people, it takes 20 – 30 days to form a new habit. At first it is easier for you to stay where you are, and it will take effort to overcome the resistance. However if your goal, desire, etc. is to achieve the result, then you will shift your internal structure to where it is easier to do the steps to achieve the goal.

Like a recipe however, if you are not clear on the steps or the results, you may wander off track. You really need to focus on the outcome you are trying to create.

This is the essence of the artistic process, the one that professional creators use to achieve their results. This process can be learned and put in place to achieve whatever outcomes you desire.

The catch is, more often than not once you start achieving, you may slack off and fall back into your old structural pattern.

A worthwhile read. I re-read my copy at least once a year and each time I find new insights as I have grown since my last reading.

Highly recommended for you.

Cheers!