Rating: 
Summary: This one is about YOUR writing life.....
Review: Carolyn See writes "Making a Literary Life" directly from her heart. Naturally, then, it is angled from her particular point of view and has suggestions some of the other reviewers might find a bit unattractive - and what I read in her words was this: Create your life as a writer who is fully herself. If that "fully herself" means writing personal notes - so be it. (I think this is something which sets a writer apart. I know as a publisher and editor who occasionally receives hand written notes.... They stand out from the onslaught of form letters, hastily scribed emails, etc.) What is YOUR "fully yourself" action or practice which makes YOU are writer and forms YOUR literary life? See glides through her examples with heartfulness, with truth, with integrity and with a wry sense of humor which helps you to say "Thank goodness she is human, and just like me... and survived being obsessed with the written word." My favorite words in this entire book are these: "We live in a beautiful, sentient universe that yearns for you to tell the truth about it. If you love this world and this craft, they will lift you to a place you can't begin to imagine." The writers who "get" those words will enjoy this work. Those writers who don't understand those words might be disappointed upon reading this book. My heart-hope is you will both believe those words and live those words as you create your literary life.
Rating:
Summary: This one is about YOUR writing life.....
Review: Carolyn See writes "Making a Literary Life" directly from her heart. Naturally, then, it is angled from her particular point of view and has suggestions some of the other reviewers might find a bit unattractive - and what I read in her words was this: Create your life as a writer who is fully herself. If that "fully herself" means writing personal notes - so be it. (I think this is something which sets a writer apart. I know as a publisher and editor who occasionally receives hand written notes.... They stand out from the onslaught of form letters, hastily scribed emails, etc.) What is YOUR "fully yourself" action or practice which makes YOU are writer and forms YOUR literary life? See glides through her examples with heartfulness, with truth, with integrity and with a wry sense of humor which helps you to say "Thank goodness she is human, and just like me... and survived being obsessed with the written word." My favorite words in this entire book are these: "We live in a beautiful, sentient universe that yearns for you to tell the truth about it. If you love this world and this craft, they will lift you to a place you can't begin to imagine." The writers who "get" those words will enjoy this work. Those writers who don't understand those words might be disappointed upon reading this book. My heart-hope is you will both believe those words and live those words as you create your literary life.
Rating: 
Summary: See is Overly Negative and Perpetually Whiny
Review: Carolyn See's "Making a Literary Life" is just that. You will learn how to live like a writer, but her advice is putting the cart before the horse. The bulk of her discussion is hardly relevant unless you are regularly writing at this moment and have enough talent so that you have a decent chance at being published. A mere 60 pages out of about 250 in her paperback edition are devoted to writing advice. (If you are just beginning, see Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" which is significantly better and contains solid writing advice.) To her credit, See writes in a casual tone that is easy to read. Her prose "flows," but she gets too comfortable at times. She cusses like a sailor, and while she can be humorous, she often falls into a deep abyss of negativity about what it means to be a writer. Toward the end, I found myself wondering "Why bother be a writer at all?" If we wanted to know the catalogue of bad things that can happen to a writer, would we really pay See money to hear about them? Probably not. Some of the chapters here are valuable, and See occasionally gives decent advice, but it could all be condensed into 50 pages. The final third of the book is most redundant. She devotes a chapter to "The First Trip to New York" and how a publisher would rather not throw you a party upon publication. Huh? Most people who read this book have not been published yet! Yet another chapter is devoted to how a published book has a mere 3 months to sit on bookstore shelves and how even the best writers on the planet can sell a mere 10 books a week. Instead of inspiring, Carolyn See does the opposite.
Rating:
Summary: Unique Voice & Style Make This Book a Joy to Read
Review: Carolyn See, novelist, memoirist, teacher, and book reviewer for the Washington Post, has written a wonderful volume about writing well while striving to live a literary life. Starting with a person's first glimmer of an idea about wanting to write, and then carrying on through the whole process of writing, revising, and publishing, See shares her advice and often laugh-out-loud observations. For instance, writing about revising, she says: "Revision is when you first get to recognize the distance between what you wanted to write, what you thought were were writing, and what you actually did write. That recognition often makes you want to throw up" (p. 177). I loved this book! Carolyn See does a marvelous job describing the pitfalls and peaks of making a literary life while at the same time telling the reader about her own process and experiences-sometimes as guides to follow and other times as cautionary tales. Her sage take on things coupled with a unique voice and style make this book a joy to read. Whether you are already a writer or merely contemplating a literary life, this lively, touching, and entertaining book will speak to you. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review
Rating: 
Summary: An Inpiring Guide for Aspiring Writers.
Review: Carolyn See-author of nine books, book reviewer, and UCLA English teacher-has written a practical and entertaining book for the aspiring writer. Direct advice such as "one thousand words a day five days a week for the rest of your life" jumpstart the book. She also offers advice that may seem offbeat (e.g., write thank-you notes for every rejection received). "In that first hour of rejection, when your liver is exploding and your spleen is on fire, you grope your way through the house to where you keep your `charming note' stationery . . .write him or her a charming note."
"Making A Literary Life" delivers the facts of becoming a writer in a lucid manner, but also honestly and with quick wit. Any romantic notions you may have about writing are stripped away. See says, "Literary life is a marriage, not a romance." There are no shortcuts mentioned here; one must work diligently and persist. This book lays the groundwork, but the author reminds that to build powerful words, sentences, and paragraphs is work-at times excruciating and joyless.
Besides meticulously covering the foundations of good writing-character, plot, point of view and so on-she also discusses the often-neglected time just before and after publication. "After you write a book, you must sell it. The three months before and after publication are just as important as the years you spend writing."
"Making A Literary Life" is an inspiration for writers and anyone shy about following their passion. "I was thirty-two, had two kids and my Ph.D., was coming up on my second divorce, and had already written my first unpublished novel before I got the beginning of a clue." See is a personal mentor proffering clues to facilitate a literary life; most importantly she empowers the writer to believe publication is plausible
Rating:
Summary: See the Writing Life Through Expert Eyes
Review: In Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See tells us about the reality of living a writer's life. As she says, "How I wish this were a made-up story. But it's not." Distilled from years of teaching at UCLA, her writing instruction is practical and yields proven results. Her information on rewriting is priceless. The inside view of the publishing industry is something I've looked for in writing books and couldn't find until now. I consider this a highly readable manual for success, and her work is proof that See effectively uses what she teaches. Whine though some will, she's right on target about charming notes, too. It's wrapped in positive attitude along with encouragement to have fun and enjoy the journey. Buy it and improve your writing and your life.
Rating:
Summary: Sit at the feet of a great teacher
Review: Making a Literary Life makes you feel as though you're sitting in, incognito, on one of See's classes at UCLA, where she does, in fact, teach English. While mostly a collection of anecdotes, peppered throughout is advice on how to actually apply butt to chair, the first and most important step to becoming a writer. There are also sections on character, plot, and point of view, but this is not a formulaic approach to the craft of writing. She uses wit, hilarity, wisdom, experience, and compassion to provide writing insights to writers, wannabes, and ordinary readers who appreciate a well written book by a master of her craft.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging and very useful
Review: Most "how to become a writer" books leave me cold, and I admit to never having read one of Carolyn See's novels (someone once gave me a copy of "Golden Days," and I lost interest on about p. 10). But a friend recommended this book to me, and to my surprise I was hooked from the first paragraph. Ms. See must be a terrific writing teacher: she knows how to get and keep your attention with humor, pithy bits of wisdom, and the occasional juicy anecdote about a Famous Writer; but along with this, she conveys an amazing amount of practical, useful information about the literary life and how to make it yours. Her remarks on the "postpartum depression" that follows completion of a book, and on how to handle rejection, were reassuring: writers' guides usually don't go into the emotional ups and downs of the writing/publishing process, but she's been through it all more than once, and is willing to share what she's learned. Her brief chapters on creating characters, time and space, point of view, etc. are likewise full of helpful suggestions (although I disagree with her generalization that male writers are plot-oriented and female writers are character-oriented: consider, for example, Agatha Christie!). While I strongly agree that the best way to become a writer is to WRITE, I find See's "1000 words, 5 days a week" formula to be no more or less useful than Julia Cameron's "morning pages" -- it's a good way to get started if you don't already write; but if (like me) you're a closet novelist and an inveterate journal-keeper, you'll have figured out your own writing rhythm by now (first thing in the morning, I can't even hold a pen, let alone form a sentence!). Her remarks about associating with people who support your writing are valuable, too: if you aren't getting encouragement from your family and friends, find it elsewhere; don't waste your effort trying to convert them. On the other hand, I think that See's "polite notes" suggestion may create a monster. Years ago, Richard Bolles opined that a job-seeker should set up "informational interviews" with companies he/she is interested in working for; I had a corporate job at the time, and found myself pestered with an endless procession of bright-eyed aspirants seeking "just an informational interview" (yeah, right). Then there was the "networking" mania a few years later, which left me, after every business gathering, with a pocketful of business cards from people who had otherwise made no impression on me ... I think it's a great idea to let a writer know that his/her book has made a difference in your life by sending a note (and/or writing a good review on Amazon.com!), and, if you're focusing on a particular magazine or press, it's good to cultivate a relationship with an editor. But I have a horrified vision of publishers being bombarded with millions of polite little notes in 3"x5" cream-colored envelopes, and I'm sure that most of them will go straight into the trash. As for the personal details: in the valuable book "This Time I Dance," Tama Kieves recounts how she aspired to write, but thought that published writers were exalted beings whom she could never hope to emulate. Then she signed up for a workshop with a real, live Published Writer, only to discover that she was an ordinary-looking woman with thick glasses and a sagging hemline. I think that See's personal story makes the book even more convincing: here's someone who has had a successful and productive literary life, but she's subject to the same emotional and domestic crises as the rest of us. If she can, we can! All in all, this is a great book, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to an aspiring writer.
Rating:
Summary: The most REALISTIC writing handbook
Review: There are a lot of writing guides and publishing handbooks out there, and the majority of them make unrealistic promises and prophecies for a happy writing life.... As if all you need is a copy of Writer's Market (yep, it helps) and an extra hour of free time and a small dose of courage. We all know the formula doesn't always work -- and See is careful to remind us of the facts. The writing life ain't easy!
Furthermore, as See reminds us, getting published isn't always the answer to our dreams. Even if publishing does bring fleeting fame and a little extra cash, our friends and family are often the last to be pleased or impressed. I love the chapter on how to deal with so-called friends who are not supportive of your work as well as people who have trouble figuring out what to say (duh) about your published stuff. See's take on this is pure gold.
See shows us how to deal with personal and professional jealousy, sagging book sales, disinterested editors, and uninspiring days. Her book is funny, wise, useful, and very, very real.
Rating: 
Summary: Advice Yes......But Nothing New
Review: This book offers sensible advice for practicing writers and other so-called dreamers. It is well written but holds no surprises.
Carolyn See has offered her words of wisdom for anyone embarking on a literary life. Her approach is no nonsense and hands on but it seems to lack creativity. For any writer who has approached writing as a business rather than a creative project there is nothing new to be learned here. See suggests writing 1,000 words a day, pretending to be a writer, learning to write "charming notes" to other writer's and editor's, figuring out how to handle criticism and hanging out with others subjecting themselves to the same torture for the sake of their craft. At times See writes with great vision and offers practical support but at other times she drifts towards a personal memoir that is scattered and irrelevant. But for beginning writer's searching for advice on the business and some of the processes involved in paving that golden road towards publication this book is well worth delving into.
The process of writing is given great attention in this book by Carolyn See however it is geared towards the beginning writer trying to learn the ABC's of the business. See has been successful as a writer using her exercises and theories but she seems to lack creative vision in this book preferring instead to stay on the practical side. But overall this is a wonderful book to keep on your shelf for reference when all else fails and you are suffering from a bout of writer's block. With methodical precision See will have you back in the game.
|
