Customer Reviews

The Writing Workshop Note Book: Notes on Creating and Workshopping

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One of the most useful books I have found, The Writing Workshop Note Book reaches out to a much broader audience than the title implies. Whether you are teaching in the classroom or mentoring writers in office environments the lessons shared here are easily understood and assimilated. Make the investment in time and money. This book is well worth the price of admission.

Alan Ziegler respects both the craft and the mystery of writing, which is a rare combination indeed. In The Writing Workshop Notebook he has done the nearly impossible - he has written an enormously useful book on writing and teaching that expands, rather than reduces, one's sense of wonder in the face of literature.
-- Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer Prize winning novelist)

Don't be taken in by the modesty of this title. Alan Ziegler's "notes" about writing are wise and far-reaching. Here is a rich trove of craft details; here is a map of civility for student and teacher alike. He understands what Yeats called "the fascination of what's difficult": also the intense pleasure. He offers us a generous and pragmatic vision of each.
-- Margo Jefferson (Cultural critic, winner of the Pulitzer Prize)

Alan Ziegler's The Writing Workshop Note Book is an invaluable compendium of ideas, information, memories and provocations on the subject of writing. Ziegler explores the process from every angle--approaching and re-approaching to dig deeper--offering even those of us who have been at it for a long time, provocations, insights and illuminations as experienced and remembered by the writers we revere. The book is designed to prompt us to work harder, more often, with a higher standard for ourselves. It is a wonderfully useful tool for anyone who writes, who aspires to write, or who wonders how the heck do they do it.
-- A.M. Homes (Author of This Book Will Save Your Life, The Mistress's Daughter, The Safety of Objects and others)

If every writer - and every writing teacher - had an "In case of emergency break glass," box next to their desk, and in their darkest moment of stress and confusion decided to break the glass, the first responders would arrive on the scene bearing this book.
-- Thomas Beller (Author of The Sleep-Over Artist and How To Be A Man; editor of Open City)

The Writing Workshop Note Book is enormously useful, funny, worthwhile, knowledgeable - the writing assignments are terrific (I can't wait to steal some of them), the quotes from other writers pointed and flavorsome, the whole teaching philosophy sound and humane.
-- Phillip Lopate (Editor of The Art of the Personal Essay and American Movie Critics; author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction;)

Yes, writing can be taught, and Alan Ziegler knows how to do it. As his former student, I know firsthand what readers of this book are about to discover - Alan is a born teacher. In this jaw-droppingly generous book, Alan shares his notes from the field: insights into the creative process, guidelines for getting the most out of a workshop, a "greatest hits" sampler of writing exercises, and hilarious anecdotes culled from a lifetime of teaching and writing. This isn't eat-your-vegetables advice, either --Alan's prose is pure joy to read. The minute I finished it, I wanted to pick up my own pen and start writing. This should be required reading for all workshop participants and professors.
-- Karen Russell (author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves: Stories)

The Writing Workshop Note Book is an essential guide for any writer, teacher or lover of words. It is unlike any workshop guide I've read, and what makes it so special is Ziegler's voice, which is full of the best kind of wisdom -- intimate, funny, whip smart -- the wisdom of a rich writing life.
-- Joanna Hershon (author of Swimming and The Outside of August)

On writing and the teaching of writing, no one offers more expert advice than Alan Ziegler. A smart, compassionate, and highly enjoyable read, The Writing Workshop Note Book is filled with priceless bits of wisdom on everything from handling writer's block, to running a successful workshop. But Mr. Ziegler has done more than just provide a superlative guide for writers and teachers alike; he has crafted a profoundly moving and inspiring meditation on what it ultimately means to be a writer. Whether you're a fledgling writer, a veteran writing teacher, or anywhere in between, this book is a revelation.
-- Scott Snyder (author of Voodoo Heart)

Alan Ziegler writes about the artistic process with humor and lucidity, and in so doing humanizes the great ones, whose daily struggles with the blank page were no less arduous than our own. A wonderful guide.
-- Daniel Alarcón (author of Lost City Radio and War by Candlelight)

An elegant, humorous, and truly inspiring treatise on the craft by one of our finest teachers. Clear a space on the corner of you desk for this wonderful little book -- you'll want to keep it handy.
--Owen King (author of We're All In This Together)

This book is an excellent resource for writers. You don't have to read it cover to cover, and can simply take up various sections at a time. That's only part of what makes it so great. Best of all it's like having a good friend at your side who always knows how to say perfectly encouraging things.

Alan Ziegler has produced a book that's universally inspirational, as well as practical, to writers, students and teachers. He relates anecdotes from the history of writing, finding, for instance, a thematic thread between 11th Century poet Wei T'ai, W.B. Yeats, W.C. Willians and Charles Reznikoff. Readers are thus provided not only the wisdom but the auspicious provenance of the wisdom. He clarifies what is possible and how to achieve it: "For an early draft, it may be best to settle for the roundest square peg at hand to go into the squarest round hole...." He tenders advice on how to make the most of workshops, including a taxonomy of feedback (reactive, descriptive, prescripitive, collaborative....) He supplies exercises, the best of which, to me, was to "set an emotional time bomb...." Mostly, though, he shares his high writerly spirits. He demonstrates by example not only how to think and speak as a writer, but how to be a writer: curious, courageous, open-minded, and reflective. While Ziegler gives readers permission to skip around this non-linear text, I read it straight through without coming up for air the first time. I'm on my second pass now. Maybe the third time I'll try the hopscotch approach.

Ziegler's perfectly concise, erudite, and sage volume on writing and writing workshops is an excellent--can I say required?--resource for writing students and faculty. There's a great deal of experience in this book, and the benefit--a huge savings of time, of mistakes not made--is inestimable.

This book received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. I'm not a professional writer but Ziegler's book makes me feel like I can write, and gives me lots of ideas of how to go about it. It's not that he makes it sound easy, but he helps you understand the frustrations and difficulties. I've been reading parts of it out loud to friends.

Are you interested in learning the art of writing in a format which is very easy to read? If so, The Writing Workshop Note Book by Alan Ziegler is the tool for you. Having read previous works by Alan, I'm so glad he has written a book which shares his wonderful ideas on the art of writing. It's truly a must have!