The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life (Paperback)

by Julia Cameron (Author) "I AM SITTING AT a small pine table, facing east toward the Sangre de Cristo foothills..." (more)
Key Phrases: writers procrastinate, inner writer, writing stations, Morning Pages, New York, New Mexico (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Writing, for Julia Cameron, is neither solely vocation nor avocation: it is a way of life. It comes first thing in the morning, while the horses are waiting to be fed; it happens at the kitchen counter, while the onions are sautéing; it takes place on "dates" at café tables shared with likeminded friends; it unfurls in the mind as the '65 pickup "bucks over the rutted dirt roads like a stiff-legged bronco." The more than 40 brief personal essays that make up The Right to Write are an unyielding affirmation of the writing life and a denigration of all that gets in the way: busy schedules, procrastination, insecurity, lack of writing space, a day job--you get the point. Cameron's commonsense advice is liberating to anyone who has felt hampered by making a big deal out of writing (this "tends to make writing difficult. Keeping writing casual tends to keep it possible"), by not having the time to write ("Get aggressive. Steal time"), or the like. If you find a spirit that compares writing to revelation, prayer, and Zen pursuits, that might just attribute misguided communication to Mercury retrograde simpatico, then you will find much to embrace here. And you will never, never again dream of waiting for that commitment-free sabbatical in the south of France to get your writing project under way. --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
In a flowing sequence of personal essays and exercises (many of them reprises from her bestselling The Artist's Way), Cameron seeks to help readers enjoy writing as a natural, joyful process. "All of us have a sex drive. All of us have a drive to write." She offers advice on how to get over the stiffness or outright paralysis that creeps in when people make writing a "Big Deal." Wholeheartedly believing in writing as a process that connects us to the divine, whether we experience that finer source as internal or external, Cameron is refreshingly real. She invites readers to make use of the interruptions and torments as well as the sensual pleasures of their lives (for example, through the creation of a real or imaginary "Wall of Infamy," using memories of people who have hurt them) as a source of energy that can be focused to write their way "clear of rage, frustration, and negativity." Acknowledging that she is "a sort of creative nurse practitioner," Cameron, telling the stories behind some of her own stories and poems, shows how writing can lead us down into the most vibrant parts of ourselves, to the very source of health. Although she covers much of the same territory she explored in The Artist's Way, Cameron's prose and anecdotes sparkle with fresh, lived experience, demonstrating that when the subject is creativity, a writer really can't enter the same stream twice.
Copyright 1998 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: 236 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; Reprint edition (December 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585420093
• ISBN-13: 978-1585420094
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rx For Writers, November 23, 2005

By	L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (fountain valley, ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

"The Right To Write" by Julia Cameron, took me a while to get through it. Not because it was boring or a slow read, but it is not the type of book you might want to read straight through. It is a book, any writer should pick up and read whenever a little motivation or inspiration is in order. Julia Cameron seems to find just the right words to get you going in the right, or should I say 'write' direction.

The book, subtitled, 'An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life' is just that. Cameron covers over 40 topics that the writer may need help working on or through. Each topic begins with an "invitation", where she discusses either her own personal experiences with the subject, or others in her life. What she writes, seems like she was reading your mind. Covering topics from finding the right time, or just finding time to write, to place of writing, your fears("I'm not good enough", etc), Honesty, Moods, Valuing our Experiences,Procrastination and many more. The reader(writer), will be able to identify with many of the concerns being voiced.

The second part of each topic is an "initiation" into writing. Ms. Cameron gives great tools to help your creative juices flow, and to get past the problems in your head. Sometimes it may be making lists pertaining to the topic, it may be setting aside a certain amount of time to write, or to do something out of the ordinary, or it could be writing yourself a letter. All excellent exercises for the writing mind. She really gets you to put pen to paper(or fingers to the keyboard), and get the words flowing.

Julia Cameron imparts her wisdom and experience, and her love of writing to all writers,The wisdom and experience are gifts to you, and the love is absolutely contagious. Whether you write in hopes of getting published, to preserve your thoughts, or just because it seems the natural thing to do, you will find this book, a wonderful "go to" tool, whenever a little help getting going is needed.

A nice addition to ANY writer's library. A Prescription for what ever ails the writer in you!
Enjoy....Laurie

also recommended:
On Writing

The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life (New Consciousness Reader)

Senior Citizens Writing: A Workshop and Anthology, with an Introduction and Guide for Workshop Leaders

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good place to start, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Right to Write (Hardcover)

I began my career teaching Composition at a state university campus. One day I was chatting with a colleague, a crusty old veteran who was the embodiment of everyone's Least Favorite English Teacher. She declared, "I don't care if they write only one paper all semester -- I make them rewrite it until it's PERFECT." I countered, "I don't care if they don't write one perfect paper all semester -- I make them keep WRITING."
This explains what I like about Julia Cameron: she's taken a whole generation who were intimidated by teachers like my ex-colleague into thinking "I'm not a writer," and made them into fluent, passionate, comfortable writers. Even for the experienced writer, her suggestions are great for jump-starting you at times when the inner censor is remorseless or you "just don't feel like writing." And she's an expert at puncturing your "I can't write because" excuses; those sections alone are worth the price of the book. I found it much easier going than "The Artist's Way": she's kept it concise, and downplayed the religion and the Twelve-Step-isms that some readers (myself included) found off-putting; but at the same time she's provided more of the practical and powerful exercises that were, I feel, the great strength of that book.
That said, I still found this book somewhat unsatisfying for two reasons. First, although the scenes from her daily life are excellent examples of vivid description, I could have done with a little less of her idyllic existence in the mountains and more practical suggestions for those of us who don't have total freedom to structure our writing time! And second, although her method provides a wonderful way for anyone to get started as a writer, she doesn't answer the next pressing question: "Now that I know I CAN write, where do I go from here?"

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars W-R-I-T-E!, May 3, 2000

By	S. K. Yamada (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found Julia Cameron's voice to be strong and true. She has an excellent solution for every problem a writer could possibly have. In beautiful prose interspersed with personal snapshots from her life, she insists that writing is natural and easy.

Can't find a publisher? Cameron suggests self-publishing. Lost confidence because of remarks made by your "friends"? Surround youself with friendly readers. Nothing to write about? Go on Artist Dates to fill that empty well. Can't spell? Use spell check.

Cameron reinforces everything that is positive about writing and strips away any excuses you may have for not writing. By the end of the book, you will be sitting at one of the writing stations you've created following Cameron's advice with plenty of Morning Pages and lists of your proudest achievements and completed writing exercises to draw from, and there will be nothing left to do but write. With Julia Cameron in your corner, you cannot fail.