THE WAR OF ART - STEVEN PRESSFIELD

As a writer, I like to think I come in peace.

I shy away from books or websites or teachers that talk about things like War or Battles or Bootcamp and especially Hard Work.

But I was persuaded recently to look at Steven Pressfield's The War of Art, and hey, I loved it.



Now Steven Pressfield is a bestselling author, but this book feel so authentic you can tell it hasn't been all easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy-let's-just-write-and-make-money for him. The chapters are small but hard hitting. And they do hit hard - right at the smelly dark secrets most of us think we are hiding in our writing process.

Here's a flavour:

Are you paralyzed with fear? That's a good sign.

Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.

Yes! Punch those fists in the air right now. Oh but then, he brings me back to earth with the following quote. How does he know what I am thinking, and why isn't he being nice any more?

We get ourselves in trouble because it's a cheap way to get attention. Trouble is a faux form of fame. It's easier to get busted in the bedroom with the faculty chairman's wife than it is to finish that dissertation on the metaphysics of motley in the novellas of Joseph Conrad.

Oooo... now, of course, I've never actually been busted in the bedroom with the faculty chairman's wife, but I do recognise that feeling of 'actually, I'm a bit bored, I might just start an argument with someone' or getting myself into a little bit of a panic that I can 'share' with friends, or God forbid, twitter.

The WAR in this book is against resistance, and he's right. Resistance isn't our friend. In writing or in anything else. And he pin points exactly - for me - the places where I might be giving into it, albeit unconsciously. I found it so useful, and know I'll go back to it again and again.

But if there's one thing about this book I could love Steven Pressfield forever for, it's this:

In the hierarchy, the artist faces outward. Meeting someone new he asks himself, What can this person do for me? How can this person advance my standing?

In the hierarchy, the artist looks up and looks down. The one place he can't look is the place he must: within.

March on!

ANOTHER POETRY BOOK TO TRY...

There were some great comments to help find new poetry, after my last post about it (here), and here's another book to try...



Bodywork by Dilys Rose.

Thanks to Catherine Smith for this recommendation, because although I came across Dilys Rose's work when I was living in Edinburgh (she's a fantastic short story writer too), I hadn't heard of this collection.

The poems here all focus on the human body, and many are fresh takes on particular, very particular, illnesses - Baker's Itch, Mat Hatter Syndrome, Beethoven's Ear, Grace Darling's Lungs, Weaver's Bottom, Clergyman's Throat, Sailmaker's Palm (all of which have notes at the end to explain more. Weaver's Bottom for example is a form of bursitis, often caused by long hours of sedentary work. Shouldn't that be Writer's Bottom?)

But through a series of persona poems, absolutely perfectly drawn, often with real humour but never cruel, a whole world is created, both real and imaginary. It's like reading a mix of Jane Austin and Neil Gaiman. Perfect!

Here are some of my favourite lines:

her name was whatever you fancied
her eyebrows a twin-peaked cliche
her mouth was a magnet
her tongue swung between sweet chariot and Uzi
her throat was a tool of the trade

(from Obituary)

and...

Hers isn't a bit like those she's seen
in grand old paintings of her namesake -
all pale and quivery on a plate
like junket or blancmange;
a sweet treat at the end of a feast.

(from Aggie's Boob)

And here's one of the poems from the Collection, and another here.

Enjoy!

A PROUD BOOK-GODMOTHER

This is obviously the time of the year to make lists of your favourite books. But allow me a little self-indulgence here because I want to tell you about the FOUR BOOKS I've been lucky enough to put my name to this year, each of them is a little gem and I couldn't be more proud and grateful to the authors and editors for asking me.

1. Black Boxes by Caroline Smailes. This is a real roller coaster of a book, and Caroline's second novel. What I loved most about it was the quality of the voices, she managed to get the young girl's so absolutely perfect that I really believed every word, and the raw pain Pip feels acts as a lovely contrast to the increasingly dreamy mother who slips away as the book continues. Not the lightest Christmas read but really worth adding to your bookshelf (and leaving space next to it for Caroline's next book which is due out in the Summer.)

2. I'm really interested in novellas. I love the intensity, the way they allow us to focus on one strand of the story and enjoy a breathless one night of true love with them. Elizabeth Baines's Too Many Magpies did all this for me. I'm thrilled she's been getting so many good reviews because it deserves every one. I'm interested that the word used most often is 'haunted', there's definitely a lasting quality to this book.

3. I had a guest story in the Birkbeck MA anthology last year, but this year I was pleased to give a quote for issue 6 of the Mechanics Institute Review. I've loved this collection, and read it again and again. It's exuberant and funny and there's more than one writer I'm sure will be hitting the big time soon. But most of all, it felt confident. Proof, if anyone needed it, that writing MA's no longer need to justify what they do. At last. At last. Please now can we lay to rest the very vexing (to some people) question whether writing can be taught or not?

4. And last but not least, A C Tillyer's An A-Z of Possible Worlds is just a drop dead brilliant idea. I'll admit that the minute I got the proof I was overcome with raging jealousy. WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THIS IDEA? Anyway, one saving grace is that it's done so very well here - a beautiful box containing 26 short stories for each letter of the journey - all taking the reader to a different place in the imagination. It's a treat.

I'm making no apology for bursting above with godmotherly pride. These are great books - one of the best things that's happened to me this year is that I've been allowed to have my name on them too because it allows me to shout even more about liking them so much. I love the fact too that these are from two of our more adventurous independent publishers - Salt and Roast Books.

I've put them on my amazon store for ease, and to keep them together, but please don't feel you have to buy them there. They're also available at The Book Depository, Salt Publishing, Roast Books, and Bookstore.co.uk. Plus, of course, all good bookshops.

Read more:

* Blurbing