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    The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
    The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
    The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
    Ebook300 pages4 hours

    The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear

    By Ralph Keyes

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The Courage to Write is an invaluable book and essential reading for anyone who wishes to learn how to write well.

    Katherine Anne Porter called courage "the first essential" for a writer. "I have to talk myself into bravery with every sentence," agreed Cynthia Ozick, "sometimes every syllable." E. B. White said he admired anyone who "has the guts to write anything at all."An author who has taught writing for more than thirty years,

    In The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes, an author who has taught writing for more than thirty years, assures us that anxiety is felt by writers at every level, especially when they dare to do their best. He describes the sequence of "courage points" through which all writers must pass, from the challenge of identifying a worthwhile project to the mixture of pride and panic they feel when examining a newly published book or article.

    Keyes also offers specifics on how to root out dread of public "performance" and of the judgment of family and friends, make the best use of writers' workshops and conferences, and handle criticism of works in progress. Throughout, he includes the comments of many accomplished writers -- Pat Conroy, Amy Tan, Rita Dove, Isabel Allende, and others -- on how they transcended their own fears to produce great works.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateOct 1, 2003
    ISBN9781466828094
    The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
    Author

    Ralph Keyes

    Ralph Keyes is the author of The Quote Verifier, The Writer’s Book of Hope, and The Courage to Write. He lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he lectures and is a Trustee of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop.

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    Reviews for The Courage to Write

    4.5/5

    12 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A game of two halves: I find the first section a little woolly, while the second is practical, helpful and inspiring. Interestingly, Keyes acknowledges this dualty by referencing in the second half the feedback he'd received on the first, and re-written.
    • 5/5
      A motivational read. It gives examples of fears that many great authors have experieinced. The first half of the book explain why an author can be so apprehensive. The second half gives words of encouragement.I will keep it to read again.
    • 3/5
      Another good instruction book.
    • 3/5
      lots of quotes from authors, interesting look at the craft; the concept of courage can easily transcend to other goals
    • 5/5
      I thought I'd read this in college, but if I did, I retained none of it. Maybe I just needed to wait for the right time to read it. I read this book right after I read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, and the combination was just what I needed to get me to start writing again (other than reviews on Goodreads, comments on Facebook, and nightly journal entries). I found it so encouraging to read about the writing habits and motivations of other writers. When I took up my notebook to start writing last night after the baby was asleep, I was able to recognize the jitters for what they were and not let them stop me from putting pen to paper.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The best book I've ever read on writing. It ignores the unimportant stuff and cuts to the heart of what blocks writers: fear, anxiety, and apprehension. A must read for writers looking for encouragement.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Really gets to the heart of the matter as to why writing can be so terrifying ... and ways this fear can be overcome.

    Book preview

    The Courage to Write - Ralph Keyes

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