Outwitting Writer's Block
Jenna Glatzer
(Reviewer - Carolyn Howard-Johnson)
2003 The Lyons Press
ISBN: 1592281249

And Other Problems of the Pen. Debunks Myths So You Can Write.

Associate Reviewer Carolyn Howard-Johnson writes:

Jenna Glatzer, editor of AbsoluteWrite..com, is every writer's friend. She has assembled into a single book all her own ideas (well, maybe not all, but a huge number of them!) as well as many she has gleaned from a cadre of writing associates. It is the kind of gift that could only be given from one writer to another. It is evident that, with her experience & this kind of research, she knows about Outwitting Writer's Block and Other Problems of the Pen.

Glatzer has a knack for images that will smack you in the face with their truth like: “Writers block is really more a case of opportunity knocking and you having your radio tuned up too loudly to hear it.” (p. 10). Her book sets an example because it is fresh, carefully crafted, & entertaining. There are, to be sure, other books that address writer's block but this one is far more fun & less dogmatic. These are the fraternal twins that make this book fill a much-needed niche in advice books for writers.

Outwitting Writer's Block offers exercises & darn near irresistible prompts: “What would your character die for? Prove it.” (p.9). You'll want to know about her ugly notebook & why it must be a clock-stopper, & how she rewards herself with toothpaste (sorry, you're going to have to read the book to find the answer to this one). She debunks myths like “You must write every day”, (p. 26) & replaces them with practical suggestions, not -- heaven forbid -- RULES.

Beginners will benefit from the section subtitled “Respect Your Language” & old-timers will find their own favorite defenses against writer's block. The one I recognized was her suggestion to write first thing in the morning while the mind is still unrestricted by duties of the day. When you run across yours, it may give you confidence in the workability of some of the others she lists.

Glatzer's rich book is a practical endowment to the writing world. May she sell a million copies.

More from Jenna Glatzer:
Words You Thought You Knew: 1001 Commonly Misused and Misunderstood Words and Phrases
Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments.
(03/07/04)

Carolyn
2004©Carolyn Howard-Johnson
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Associate Reviewer Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the award-winning author of This Is The Place, & her book of creative nonfiction, The Harkening: A Collection Of Stories Remembered, has won three awards.

She has signed a contract with Star Publish for the upcoming release of her new how-to book The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't. www.starpublish.com.

She writes about Utah's culture, tolerance & other subjects. Her fiction, nonfiction & poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies & review journals. She has appeared on TV & radio stations nationwide.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an instructor for UCLA's Writers' Program. She loves to travel & has studied writing at Cambridge University, United Kingdom; Herzen University, St. Petersburg, Russia, & Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, as well as UCLA & the University of Southern California.

Her editorial contributions include:
No One Book Pleases Everyone
Publisher Raises the Ire of its Authors
A Rant About Arrogance.

Her website is:www.carolynhowardjohnson.com