Book Review: If You Want to Write

Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write is an encouraging pep talk, and one I needed. I loved many things about this book. Primarily, I loved her explanation that criticism kills creativity. When a writer presents a work to another for feedback, that individual can spur the writer on or defeat their soul. Heavy-handed criticism, voiced to "help improve the writing," shrinks the heart of the writer, causing them to second-guess their abilities instead of freeing those abilities to flow. 

Ueland, as a writing instructor, points out the noteworthy sentences and fragments and draws the writer out into the open instead of shutting them down. It reminded me of wise words I heard when I worked with an outstanding 3rd grade teacher, Ms. McKee. She explained that when faced with a student beset by negative behaviors, the best course of action is to highlight and praise positive ones. Catch them doing something good. Encouragement often works better than correction.

I also loved the idea that art is infection. When something is well written, the reader catches the writer's vision. He or she sees what the writer sees, feels what the writer feels. If you are writing on a subject you feel passionate about, that passion will pour from the pen. It will ignite passion in someone else.

At the end of this book, Ueland reiterates a dozen principles for creating art that further inspire the writer to think positively about their goals. She asserts everyone has talent, is original, and has something important to say. She reminds us that writing is a privilege rather than something too hard to approach. Her encouragement? "Write freely, recklessly, and in first drafts." This supports what I learned in almost ten years of participating in Nanowrimo (National Novel-Writing Month): writing flows when you silence the inner critic and push to create a rough draft. Spit it out! You can spit-shine later! 

Fear is often what holds a writer back. Will it be good enough? Ueland urges the writer not to fear writing terrible stories. She recommends writing two more and then returning to the first story. Good writing taps the true, honest, and untheoretical self. I loved her phrase, "Think of yourself as an incandescent power, illuminated by God." 

Moreover, she warns against the comparison trap. "You are like no other being ever created." Thus, I must remember that nobody else bears or can weave the story God has given me to weave. Makes me want to fire up my laptop and write!