Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True
By Elizabeth Berg
I LOVE all things Elizabeth Berg! As an emerging writer, honestly, Elizabeth Berg has greatly encouraged my heart! Her work is profound and has lasting effect. As a writer learning how to do it all, well this book took the cake! I was laughing out loud several times during the read, icing on the cake!
Her books are about the “joys and challenges of the writing life.” And there are many! And I have only just begun!
Just a few of the “takeaways” for me I wanted to share with you:
“I used to think that books about writing were bogus. I thought they attempted to deconstruct a fragile and dreamy process that by its very nature defied such a thing. I thought that creativity held up under intense scrutiny about as well as love does, and that to try to “capture” whatever makes writing work was the came as capturing a butterfly, which, when it is captured, is no longer a butterfly at all, not really.”
“But as the great Joni Mitchell says, life is for learning. Writing Escaping into the Opentaught me that process can be demystified. Technique can be taught. Paying attention,noticing, that vital tool that every writer needs to use can be taught. The need for restraint can be taught, as can the need for expansion with details. And trust can be taught. And retaught, as it seems it must be. When you’re a writer you are a fragile person doing a fragile thing; what must sustain you is your own idea of the worth of your work, even if no one else believes in it—yet.” (pg. xv)
What Elizabeth Berg wants to say to anyone who wants to write: “You feel the call. That’s the most important thing. Now answer it as fully as you can. Take the risk to let all that is in you, out. Escape into the open.”
As a writer who took over a decade to fully embrace the calling on my life as a WRITER….I especially appreciated these words:
“Plan: If you are going to do more than dream about writing, you need to have a specific plan. You have to decide where, when, and how you are going to get started. The more concrete the details of this plan, the more likely you are to execute it. Deadlines can be a very good thing to impose upon yourself, by the way, when you’re setting up such a plan. Take yourself seriously; let yourself be a very high priority. Be willing to invest in yourself financially, emotionally, and spiritually.”
A writer needs to play and to have patience. Follow your instincts and follow where you feel passion and excitement. There is no “formula.”
The book has excellent writing exercise. This is a great book for writing teachers and for aspiring writers.
Guess what? This book also has RECIPES! I know! It’s the in thing for books today…and I know why too, because we the readers love to learn what other people are cooking up and are loving to eat! I do believe what people eat does portray and reveal a lot about that person! I am wondering what Chilean Sea Bass says about me?! Oh, and chocolate?! Risotto?!
Elizabeth shares a Molasses-Glazed Salmon on Mixed Greens with Black Mustard recipe! I love salmon…molasses? Interesting! The recipe is one to try! “Oh hubby…..(the primary chef in our family) you have to check this out!”
I love her website…so much fun to visit every single time; http://www.elizabeth-berg.net/
HAPPY READING and HAPPY WRITING!
Georgette