Customer Reviews

Let the Crazy Child Write!: Finding Your Creative Writing Voice

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If you're like me, the idea of reading another "how-to-write" book is about as appealing as a stalk of celery for dinner. Clive Matson, however, seems determined the break down the walls of the mundane, beginning with his title and its intrinsic concept: that learning how to work with the "crazy child" that we also call "the muse," "the creative self" and other names is the secret to invigorating writing.

He continues the wall-breaking by doing what so many others do not: providing lively images to fix his concepts in our heads. His early rebuttal to the old saw, "You can't imagine a three-legged dog running" provides an essential understanding about the way the reader's mind applies immediate images to our details. "But as soon as you read that sentence, your nervous system contradicts it," he writes. "You do see that three-legged dog. And it's running. The dog is ridiculous, clumsy, endearing, inspiring, or even oddly graceful."

Another intriguing image comes from the side of the writer, this of how words pour like liquid through a person's body during the process of creating:

"One writer gets taken over by a peculiar sensation of color, and then she finds the words in her belly. Another feels the words slide up his spine, and he thinks it's as ordinary as bread and apples. These are unusual, but your way might be unusual too. Words probably have as many ways of creating themselves in the body as there are people in the world."

This provision of imagery is what sets Matson's book apart from so many others. Rather than simply providing instructions, he applies the poetic side of his talent to provide hundreds of tunnelways into the "crazy child" we are all pursuing. It's a fine read, and one which can't fail but enrich your writing life.

In reading "Let The Crazy Child Write", I discovered permission. Permission to write my words down. Permission to give myself permission and to he-double-hockey-sticks with anyone who disagreed with those words I chose to write. Clive Matson has taken many years of writing seminars and "simmered" everything down to this book. Besides the written word, he touches base on plays, essays and poetry, giving you the basic architecture that you can take to the bank (or the typewriter) if you so choose. And I believe you will choose to pick up that pen after reading this book. He explains about the negatives that get in your way, giving them names, identities that you can recognize when the "nasties" hit, he uses words like "gay" and "Goddess" putting you at ease that he isn't one of "them" that says the written word can only appear one way or it doesn't count. He uses humor and an innate intelligence combined with a great love for writing to get his point across. He uses insights that I learned in Philosophy readings. Clive assures you that you and what you write DO count. And then shows you how to write it. Don't let the quarrels between your Crazy Child and your Editor stop your pen. Learn about them and how to work with them at the appropriate times. To quote Ellen, "Buy The Book!" You won't be sorry. And then e-mail him and thank him. He is worth it.

This wonderful book gave me techniques and permission to directly tap into my creative source. I was able to feel the difference between my normal struggle to write, with the inner critic stomping on every phrase, and the experience of the FLOW, where I've tapped into the source, the muse. The crazy child wasn't crazy after all! This book helped me open into a vision of my writing as a constant flowing well. I've read and worked with a lot of the great writing books; Goldberg, Dillard, Lamott, Gardner, and "Let the Crazy Child Write" takes it one step deeper. Write now, edit later!

Writers working to master their craft can find no better sourcebook than _Let the Crazy Child Write_. In this book Clive Mattson condensed years of direct experience learning about the writing process through teaching writers from all walks of life.

His lucid exposition and easy-to-understand examples help writers everywhere secure the door of their judging mind to make opening their deeper minds safe. Then, "pen" writes fluidly and from a place of authentic feeling not marred by second guessing. This approach reduces the energy spent on resistence, freeing up a vast storehouse to draw on for truer, bolder work.

When I moved to Lake County, I began studying writing with Clive Matson and it changed my life. Not just my writing life, but my life. This year I achieved my dream of publishing my first book, "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary." In my acknowledgements, I say thank you to "Clive Matson, who said I could." This is the heart of "Let the Crazy Child Write: Finding Your Creative Writing Voice". . . letting writers and human beings know that what is beating within the heart of them is needed and needs to come out to be heard. I continue to stand by my original review, posted in 2000. "Let the Crazy Child Write" is a touchstone writing book.

Janet Grace Riehl, author, "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary"

This book simply helped me access the part of my mind that does not edit out all the good stuff that comes naturally to mind. It is a positive approach to writing and encouraged me to stick at it and write, write, write. I recommed it to anyone who wants to tell a story using words.

I signed up for Clive's class hoping to distract myself from everyday life. I bought his book the weekend before the class started. Minutes after starting to read, I was screaming, "YES YES YES...THIS IS IT!" One year later, I am almost finished with my first book. When I compare my work from last year to what I am writing now, I can't believe how much I've learned. Am I joyfully distracted? Well, look at it this way: I can sit down on a Sunday morning for a few minutes of writing. Next thing I know, it's 4:00 in the afternoon and I'm still in my pajamas, starving, and completely happy. "Let the Crazy Child Write" is not a book; it's a giant green light for creativity.

Clive Matson has a wonderful way of playing and encouraging you to write at the same time. I love his metaphor of how a writer must first begin, as if pulling and tugging at a rat's tail in your mouth, until PLOP! the entire rat finally emerges. Clive's exercises are great for tugging at that rat's tail!

I write every day, and I've read all the books about writing-- Lamont, Glen Frey, Syd Feild, Linda Seger, John Gardner, etc.-- and this book is by far the best. In fact, if you get this book, you don't need any other, because this one says what all the other say, and better, and then says a lot more. It's changed the way I write, it's made me comfortable with my creativity, and there's so much wisdom and humor it makes learning fun. I keep it by my computer as I write and reference it daily. If the muse isn't speaking, I read a page of Clive Matson's book and get an idea. Guaranteed to incinerate your writer's block.

Clive's exercises set you free. You're not bogged down by what style, form or content you thought you were good in. Here, you just try a little of everything. I wrote a whole novel based on one exercise.