Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True (Paperback)

by Elizabeth Berg (Author) "The air was warm against my skin, as comfortable as my many-times-washed flannel nightgown..." (more)
Key Phrases: Elizabeth Crow, New Jersey, Random House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Elizabeth Berg (Talk Before Sleep) is a can-do kid. Forget the common wisdom--that writing is difficult and getting published nearly impossible without contacts or an agent. "What you need most," she says, "is a fierce desire to put things down on paper." And if a gentle nudge will help you on your way, well, Berg wishes to provide just that, cheerfully, with Escaping into the Open. For Berg, writing--and success--comes easily. In fact, she says, "What I like doing best is writing.... I feel like a drug addict with an exceptionally wise drug of choice."

It is refreshing to come across a book so positive and friendly--even if a there is a little too much emphasis on the author's own experience (did she really have to include a five-page essay by an envious friend and three pages of topics about which she herself has successfully written?). Still, how could one not appreciate a writing guide that espouses napping, eating chocolate-covered cherries, and standing by your "man(uscript)," and that likens passionate, risky writing--the only kind that's worth anything--to great sex? Berg encourages her reader to look (and listen and feel) deeply, to learn from children, and not to let life interfere with writing any more than it has to. She addresses--sometimes with help from her friends--writing classes, writing groups, and the writing life. In a chapter called "If you're a man, be a woman," she offers up 30 pages of writing exercises. Berg is personable, whimsical, amazed by her good fortune, and direct. "There's only one person who can stop you," she says gravely at book's end, "and we both know who that is." --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
-A gem of a handbook about creative writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Berg begins with her own story; after writing articles for her small town's newspaper, she got her first big break when she won an essay contest sponsored by Parents magazine. She describes her craft with frankness and humor and gives aspiring authors practical advice based on her own experiences and those of others. Most chapters conclude with writing exercises she calls "homework," designed to provide concrete applications of the points made in the chapter. The chapter titles provide clues to her teaching methods: "If You're a Man, Be a Woman: Exercises to Unleash Your Creativity," "The Good Liar: Making the Move from Nonfiction to Fiction," and "Writing Classes: Take Them or Leave Them." She ends her discussion of "Who's in a Writing Group?" by declaring, "Perhaps most important, a good group member is that most old-fashioned and wonderful of things: kind. That means she has an ability and willingness to be careful not only with another writer's words, but with that person's heart." The clarity and directness of Berg's own writing shine throughout.
Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060929294
• ISBN-13: 978-0060929299
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,561 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging Advice!, June 28, 2000

By	Marion "[e-mail]" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This book is as chatty and inspiring as all of Berg's books. Reading her books is like having a conversation with a good friend over a hot cup of coffee. I love the fact that she did not start out in a career as a writer, but as a nurse with an interest in writing. I particularly enjoyed the writing exercises which were simple and direct. This one now has its place on my shelf next to "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott and "Wild Mind" by Natalie Goldberg. I'm looking forward to Ms. Berg's next book due out in July. I highly recommend this book and all of her fiction.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only writers' guide you need. Really., July 31, 2000

By	Cade Foster (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This is a true "writing workshop." It doesn't talk down to the audience; it makes it clear that publication is not the only measure of success; it explodes many "writing myths." I graduated from an MFA program (in Boston, no less) and can honestly say that this book would have been a fine substitute.

Ms. Berg is a self-taught writer who doesn't revel in her own neuroses or go too far overboard with the New Age schtick. (I admit I haven't tried any of her recipes yet...) She's a writer's dream mom: nurturing and sensible, smart and savvy. Far superior to Anne Lamott. buy this book!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writing Exercizes Bear Fruit, July 13, 2002

By	Mark D Burgh "Music, Writing, Art, Film, Hist... (Fort Smith, AR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Elizbeth Berg's book is worthwhile for many reasons: her comfortable prose, her reassurances, her authority, but most of all for her writing excerizes.

Not that these sorts of exercizes aren't in other books, but Berg's (no relation) way of explaining them is clear and helpful. I used them, and they were, for me, effective. To wit:
two stories I wrote beginning with these exercizes have been published. No higher praise than that is due.

Some men might be put off by this book which is excessively sprouty, true, but Elizabeth Berg's writing is worth looking into, and so is this book.