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Zen in the Art of Writing is a collection of essays which provides autobiographical information on Ray Bradbury's life and some advice on the writing life. Honestly, when I picked up this book I was expecting more. Although there was some interesting details on Mr. Bradbury's background, and a few snippets of writing advice here and there; the book in general did not live up to my expectations. A few ideas that he seemed to emphasize throughout his essays included utilizing word association as a creative tool, writing a lot (at least 1000 words a day), relaxing while writing, letting the writing flow through you - the writer, allowing the subconscious to come out and play through the writing process, letting your individual story flow through the stories that you write, and to write with feeling. I liked 3 of his essays, `The Secret Mind,' `How to keep and Feed a Muse,' and `Zen in the Art of Writing.' I also found a couple of the included poems inspiring. Furthermore, I learned new facts about Ray Bradbury's life. However, as a textbook on creativity, I don't see what the rave is about. Sure, understanding an author's life and how they became a writer may provide inspiration to wannabe writers, but everyone is different. What may work for one writer may not for another. Therefore, if you are a Ray Bradbury fan; if you want to understand how writing became his passion, then yes, read this book. However, if you are seeking general advice on writing methods, I would recommend looking someplace else.
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What a wonderful book for a writer to have! I am already using one of Bradbury's creative techniques and it has helped me tap into veins of creativity I didn't know I had. Having this book is like having Ray Bradbury as my very own personal Obi-Wan Kenobi. I have highlighted lots of things, and I know I will refer to it quite often for a long time. I honestly can't say enough good things about this book.
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I have been a writer (and been writing) for most of my life. My library of writing books is extensive but the one I turn to when I need inspiration, a break and even a few laughs is Zen In The Art of Writing. Bradbury doesn't give you rules or tell you how to create plots or build characters. He tells you how to use what you see, hear and live in/through every day as fodder for your writing. Sounds small but, as a writer, it is HUGE. I first realized that characters and plot lines could be drawn from the writer's own life when reading a biography of Mark Twain who incorporated most of his relatives and friends into his books. That was an aha moment for me. Bradbury's book was an aha experience - taking that sliver of information and exploding it into 11 essays that show writers why putting words to paper is such a joy. I wish I could find a first edition, hardback. I would give it to my grandson who is studying writing at Pitt. As it is, I gave him a paperback when he left for college and hope it helps him find his joy as quickly as it helped me retreive mine.
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If you know Bradbury then you won't be surprised his memoir-style writing advice is every bit as compelling, funny and addictive as his stories. If you don't know Bradbury you should. I highly recommend this book for any wannabe writer, Ray Bradbury fan or working writer struggling with blocks or lack of flow. You can just pick a chapter and read it alone for inspiration. For us lifelong fans there are many fascinating tales of how he came to write some of his great works, and hilarious stories of serendipity that resulted in successful books. This is a very easy read.
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This item: Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity
