Beyond the Words: The Three Untapped Sources of Creative Fulfillment for Writers [Hardcover]

Bonni Goldberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2002

Much attention has been paid by experts to the raw creative process. But, says Bonni Goldberg, to be fulfilled as a writer, you have to do more than write. How do you get ideas? How do you shape those ideas as creatively as possible? And how can you share your work with others once you've created it? The answers to these questions can be found in three key aspects of writing that often get short shrift:

* Percolation: what takes place before a first draft is written;

* Revision: the writer's role after the initial draft; and

* Going Public: the writer's mission once the writing is done.

In Beyond the Words, Goldberg presents anecdotes, essays, examples, and exercises to help writers realize and maintain balance, flow, and health in their work by being mindful of the whole writing process. Supplying tools for invoking maximum creativity through and beyond a first draft, she offers motives, options, and encouragement to help writers become more passionate and grounded in their writing lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Goldberg (Room To Write: Daily Invitation to a Writer's Life) takes a holistic approach to writing. More than just an income-generating venture, the writing process, according to Goldberg, should be an enjoyable fulfillment of the creative spirit; the act of creation not the accolades and monetary remuneration that might follow successful publication is what should satisfy the writer. According to Goldberg, three elements are essential to creativity: "percolation," the mostly internal process that precedes any written draft; "revision," a different process from rewriting; and "going public," which involves a broader sense of publishing to include establishing relationships with other writers, as well as with readers. Goldberg has taught creative writing at Johns Hopkins and the University of Baltimore and currently leads writing workshops across the country. Her nurturing and artistic focus differs from the writing-as-a-business philosophy exemplified by Marc McCutcheon's Damn, Why Didn't I Write That? and will find appeal in workshop and support-group settings. Public libraries should consider. Denise Sticha, Murrysville Community Lib., PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Bonni Goldberg is an award-winning poet and writer. She has taught creative writing at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Baltimore, and leads creative writing workshops across the country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (May 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585421553
• ISBN-13: 978-1585421558
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,845,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, August 5, 2002

By 

Pasadena Books - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Beyond the Words: The Three Untapped Sources of Creative Fulfillment for Writers (Hardcover)

I received an advance copy of this book and devoured it in one sitting. Now I've put the book on a syllabus for a course I teach in creative writing and am ordering it for all my writer friends. Bonni Goldberg's practical, inspirational and fundamental approach to writing will get you started and keep you going. Her take on such critical topics such as writer's block, revising and going public are so practical I wanted to cry. Before I read this book, I'd been in a writerly slump for several months. No more. If I get stuck, I pick it up and read it all over again. One of the best books on writing I've read ever (and I've read quite a few!)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars read this, then write, November 22, 2002

By 

James E. Van Buskirk "jevb" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond the Words: The Three Untapped Sources of Creative Fulfillment for Writers (Hardcover)

I borrowed this book from a friend, and then bought a copy to send to another friend. It's one of the most helpful books I've read, suggesting that the key to successful writing is looking at how writing is incorporated into one's life. It's not just percolation, writing, revising, and publishing, but the balance between these elements. Buy this book and begin to enjoy your writing life in new and unexpected ways!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that's like a good, wise friend, August 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond the Words: The Three Untapped Sources of Creative Fulfillment for Writers (Hardcover)

This book is like an "I'm OK, you're OK" for writers--it discusses all sorts of topics, like getting input or not getting input, writing every day or not writing every day, going public or not going public--and makes you feel okay about whatever it is you're doing: for every thing there is a season. It's just what you need if you're having any doubts or experiencing rejection (or, for that matter, selling everything right and left!. It helps you get in touch with a lot of wisdom about why we write and how to nurture your writing self, whether you are having "success" getting published or not. I read it right after a big agent turned down my manuscript after reading it twice, and it really helped me put the whole thing in perspective. A wise, engrossing, touching book, like having a good friend at your side. Along with If YOu Want To Write and Bird By Bird, it offers a lot of inspiration about writing, creating and life. Go to books like Self Editing for Fiction Writers for the craft.