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Title: Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers by Carolyn See ISBN: 0-679-46316-X Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: 13 August, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.97 (36 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: Sit at the feet of a sterling teacher
Comment: Making a Literary Life makes you feel as though you're sitting in, incognito, on one of See's classes at UCLA, where she does, in fact, teach English. While mostly a collection of anecdotes, peppered throughout is advice on how to actually apply butt to chair, the first and most important step to becoming a writer. There are also sections on character, plot, and point of view, but this is not a formulaic approach to the craft of writing. She uses wit, hilarity, wisdom, experience, and compassion to provide writing insights to writers, wannabes, and ordinary readers who appreciate a well written book by a master of her craft.

Rating: 4
Summary: A good book, but may not apply to you.
Comment: This book is fun to read, but it's usefulness depends on how much you are like Carolyn See. Regardless of your style, Carolyn's sense of quirky fun, her humor, excitement, depression, and energy to live is a good pill. It's opposite to Rita Mae Brown's writers handbook, "Starting from Scratch", which has the following advice. First, get a PhD in English. Second, become a homosexual so you'll have more to write about. This book recommends that first, write a thousand words a day (excluding weekends) and don't miss a day. Two, get connected with the literary world by sending out "Charming Notes" (and implicitly three, enjoy yourself.) While I detest Brown's book, this has some good advice.

But how seriously you take it depends on you. Whatever your reason for writing, doing those thousand words daily is non negotiable. But sending Charming Notes, and throwing book parties may not be your shtik. She defends doing them, but in her writing I also hear the strong desire to be a recognized writer, and live the "writers life" (throwing cheese parties is the writers life?). But, if you simply enjoy writing, or have a different idea, my advice is don't worry about trying to charm people in the industry.

Ultimately, don't listen to writers - figure it out yourself. But do read this book, you'll like it.

Rating: 5
Summary: Sit at the feet of a great teacher
Comment: Making a Literary Life makes you feel as though you're sitting in, incognito, on one of See's classes at UCLA, where she does, in fact, teach English. While mostly a collection of anecdotes, peppered throughout is advice on how to actually apply butt to chair, the first and most important step to becoming a writer. There are also sections on character, plot, and point of view, but this is not a formulaic approach to the craft of writing. She uses wit, hilarity, wisdom, experience, and compassion to provide writing insights to writers, wannabes, and ordinary readers who appreciate a well written book by a master of her craft.

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