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bparkinson31's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I really thought authors were out here writing near-perfect first drafts in the span of...a few months, maybe? In the complete zone, in writing caves, unavailable to the real world until their drafts were complete?
Turns out authors are toiling over paragraphs and completely revising entire works throughout years, decades. Maybe you're not a bad writer if you spend lots of time in the writing process. Louise DeSalvo would say that's where you should spend most of your deliberate, creative time...before returning to the rest of your life, cooking dinner and hugging your loved ones. The writing process is a balance, a messy journey that takes grit and slow, consistent determination. I love her for this lesson. What a gift.
Turns out authors are toiling over paragraphs and completely revising entire works throughout years, decades. Maybe you're not a bad writer if you spend lots of time in the writing process. Louise DeSalvo would say that's where you should spend most of your deliberate, creative time...before returning to the rest of your life, cooking dinner and hugging your loved ones. The writing process is a balance, a messy journey that takes grit and slow, consistent determination. I love her for this lesson. What a gift.
elempr's review against another edition
5.0
Such a helpful book! I loved hearing about other writers’ processes, I read a few of the books mentioned and really enjoyed them
janeofalltrades's review against another edition
4.0
A careful meditation on what it takes to be a writer and complete a large piece of work.
moka_b's review against another edition
Every point could be made with 90% less text. So boring.
dylanperry's review against another edition
5.0
Reread: May-June 2019
Reading this book is like ducking into a small, isolated space, and taking a deep breath while the world rushes on. This world I speak of is publishing, which is developing a culture that often equates speed with quality—number of words written matter almost more than the words themselves. Now, I’m a junkie for author and editor interviews and more and more the last few years I find this unspoken mindset hiding under the advice, be it for the traditional route or self-publishing. It says, If you don’t produce quickly, you won’t make it. And if fast drafting works for you, kudos. Get 2-3 books out a year? Fantastic. This review nor this book are a slight against writers who thrive under those conditions. The Art of Slow Writing is instead a welcome argument from the other side of the fence. Louise DeSalvo uses her experience as a creative writing professor, her process and the processes of numerous authors to showcase a simple yet powerful message: it’s okay if a project takes time. It goes in detail of how many of the classics (both older and modern) took years to craft and revise. It’s a breath of fresh air, a splash of much-needed wisdom for this aspiring writer who feels increasingly alienated because of an inclination toward patience over output. (Also, it’s is a treasure trove for readers. I found so many new books to check out from this, it’s unreal.)
The Art of Slow Writing stuck with me since 2016. It’s one of those books where you finish and immediately want to flip back to the beginning. It’s one of those books I always knew I’d return to, and now that I have, I can easily call it a favorite. 5/5
Reading this book is like ducking into a small, isolated space, and taking a deep breath while the world rushes on. This world I speak of is publishing, which is developing a culture that often equates speed with quality—number of words written matter almost more than the words themselves. Now, I’m a junkie for author and editor interviews and more and more the last few years I find this unspoken mindset hiding under the advice, be it for the traditional route or self-publishing. It says, If you don’t produce quickly, you won’t make it. And if fast drafting works for you, kudos. Get 2-3 books out a year? Fantastic. This review nor this book are a slight against writers who thrive under those conditions. The Art of Slow Writing is instead a welcome argument from the other side of the fence. Louise DeSalvo uses her experience as a creative writing professor, her process and the processes of numerous authors to showcase a simple yet powerful message: it’s okay if a project takes time. It goes in detail of how many of the classics (both older and modern) took years to craft and revise. It’s a breath of fresh air, a splash of much-needed wisdom for this aspiring writer who feels increasingly alienated because of an inclination toward patience over output. (Also, it’s is a treasure trove for readers. I found so many new books to check out from this, it’s unreal.)
The Art of Slow Writing stuck with me since 2016. It’s one of those books where you finish and immediately want to flip back to the beginning. It’s one of those books I always knew I’d return to, and now that I have, I can easily call it a favorite. 5/5
rebadee's review against another edition
3.0
DeSalvo's The Art of Slow Writing was one of the more helpful writing books that I read this year. DeSalvo breaks down the writing process in a way that demystifies how one moves through the creation of a project, without making this a one-size-fits-all instruction manual. I recommend this for anyone wanting to write or interested in the behind the scenes work of a variety of successful contemporary writers.
lizshine74's review against another edition
4.0
DeSalvo packs in loads of practical advice for creating a writing routine while providing inspiration. She puts our precious struggle in perspective. The struggle is a necessary part of the process, she argues. Best to embrace it! If you think you're alone, you're crazy. She uses stories and interviews from many other writers, as well as her own experience to break down the routine of writing, all the while reminding us that if we're willing to do the work, we can succeed.