Customer Reviews

The Soul of Creative Writing

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Richard Goodman has crafted a beautiful and inspiring book that reads like a love letter to the written word. There are 9 essays that examine different aspects of writing. My two personal favorites are The Music of Prose and In Search of The Exact Word. The first answered for me why there are some writers I love to read and some whose writing I just can't slog through. It's the melody that words make on a page which he brings to life with examples from authors I love and a few who are now on my "MustRead" list. But it's le mot juste that really stayed with me. Citing Hemingway, Salinger, Wilde, Twain...I not only have a fuller appreciation of the impact that a single, perfectly placed word can have on one's mind and one's heart...I'm also a lot more selective of each and every word I choose. Which, by the way, made writing this review just a tad intimidating.
And while on the surface The Soul of Creative Writing might seem to be, and indeed is, a scholarly book, Mr. Goodman's style is so conversational and inclusive and his love of writing so apparent...each essay seemed like a great piece of chocolate. To quote one of the author's own maxims..."If you find a book you love, don't hoard the discovery. Reading is not a contest". And so I share.

Richard Goodman's new book "The Soul of Creative Writing" is probably one of the best books I've ever
read on the process of writing. Mr. Goodman's love of language and in depth examination of subjects
such as "In Search of the Exact" word will not only inspire you to be a better writer - IT WILL - make you
a better writer just by absorbing the incredible wisdom that is being so generously shared.
I honestly can't recommend this book enough - thank you Richard!

Deborah Attoinese
Filmmaker/Photographer

As the title suggests, SOUL is the heart of the matter of this kazillionth book on creative writing. And the soul of its writer is evident in every beautiful line. Richard Goodman is a writer's writer -- his prose makes you stop and savor, and on each re-reading you hope that your own writing begins to resemble his. Put this volume alongside New York Writers Workshop's THE PORTABLE MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING, and you'll have all the craft-and-guidebooks you'll ever need.

Richard Goodman is one of the most generous and astute literary guides I've read. This book is a gift to writers--if you're stuck, you'll be moved, if you're organizationally confused, you'll find structural clarity. And if you don't truly know what you're writing about and why, Richard will help you figure it out. This book is an essential addition for any writer or reader. Its wisdom is helpful at the computer, and in real life, too.

"The Soul of Creative Writing" is for lovers. Those who adore reading, those who are passionate about writing, and those who are committed to teaching will find Richard Goodman's book irresistable.
Richard Goodman has a love affair with words. They woo him in a powerful, seductive way. If words are elusive or difficult, Mr. Goodman searches until he finds le mot juste - the right word. He is captivated by the music, the poetry, and even the punctuation of a great paragraph. Even titles hold his fancy. Mr. Goodman's passion is contagious. He invites the reader into a mystical arena where pen and paper create characters, scenes, dilemmas, drama, and humor. Mr. Goodman teaches us how the word is made flesh. He encourages writers to follow their passion even if it leads them to write books about, let's say, the disappearance of card catalogues ("Double Fold: Libraries and the Assualt on Paper"). He encourages authors of non-fiction to turn to fiction as an example for character development, setting, and drama. Mr. Goodman suggests that fiction and non-fiction writers look to poetry for inspiration.
Mr. Goodman is not just a terrific teacher, he is also a writer who has opened his soul and shared his great love of words.

As a published author I am often asked to recommend books on writing. I would put this at the top of my list. If someone isn't swept away by Richard Goodman's love of language, they probably should rethink being a writer. However, it's also a great read if you're just an avid reader. It will give you a new appreciation for the art and soul of writing. My only regret is that I didn't read it with a notepad and pen handy. The book was too beautiful to dog-ear and there were many passages I wanted to return to. It will give me the opportunity to revisit it. I also highly recommend Mr. Goodman's other book, FRENCH DIRT, which led me to reading this one.

Regardless of whether you think of yourself more as a reader or a writer, you will find Richard Goodman's The Soul of Creative Writing compelling. Like David Denby in Great Books, Goodman celebrates the works he loves, but he goes far beyond the concept of "great books" by demonstrating himself to be a champion of fine writing wherever he finds it--literary essays, fiction, and poetry, to be sure, but also detective stories, speeches, and even advertising. Unlike so many of those who write about writing, Goodman is neither elitist nor prescriptive. Instead, with charming sincerity, he invites readers to articulate for themselves why they prefer one writer over another, why a particular passage moves them. Without proclaiming the supremacy of any particular word-music, Goodman helps readers think about how the music they respond to has been made. Without ever setting a toe across the dull boundaries of grammar regulations, he draws his readers into a delightful consideration of the flexibility of punctuation. General readers who may shy from textbooks have no reason to lay this book aside, but because Goodman encourages readers to think about how their favorite writers manipulate language, the book will be useful to writing teachers in all genres as a springboard to conversation about the choices writers make.

Language is one concept that unites the entire human species as a whole - and working with it can be one of its greatest art forms. "The Soul of Creative Writing" is an in-depth guide to better understanding language as a whole, created to help aspiring writers use the knowledge they gain to create great and marvelous writing of their own. A first rate handbook for aspiring authors of any type of creative writing, be it short stories, novels, or poetry, "The Soul of Creative Writing" is a must for any community library collections gathering books on writing.

My first thought reading through this book was that it is extremely touching. Richard Goodman shows you exactly how beautiful writing can be and calls out time and time again great writing and cites many examples of it. Many examples which will completely touch you. Things I never realized... that never approached my faculties of reason as a novice writer(despite the hours I spend doing so) became clear. The reason I mention that the earlier you read it the better was because after you read it you learn to appreciate the nuances that really flow in all sorts of writing. He writes of love and instills it in you and that love will further your writing abilities.

This book is a lot of fun to read and learn a new appreciation of learning the right word to use. As a new writer and a life time reader, I am striving to learn how to express myself, how to let my feelings show. This book showed me how important each word is in order to obtain that goal. The right word that reaches the point rather than many that circle it and confuse the reader is the key to good writing and ultimately good reading.