Thanks for finding this gem! True, this book takes a real effort because the writing style is so old-fashioned (it's scary how fast the language is changing...) Of course I don't mind the male pronouns, but many sentences are so long and use so many weird words ;) (Was puzzled by the expression "catholic taste", and then learned that "catholic" is not only a religious term but also means "comprehensive, universal, broad" - is it common knowledge for English-speaking people?) But you can't beat the price ;)
The morning writing exercise does sound remarkably similar to the Artist's Way "morning pages". I don't remember if Cameron ever referenced this book, or did she come up with the idea independently? Anyway, it's rather common-sense. But I had tried it (a lot) and I'm already disenchanted with it. "Freewriting" (and that's all I'm capable of when I just wake up) almost inevitably evolves into a mundane rant about my life. It's often therapeutic, I use it when I want to release some steam, but starting every day with a rant is bad for your emotional health, and all I practice is not fluent writing but fluent whining...
(I guess I can "fix it"... write just before going to sleep, when the mind is already almost as fuzzy as in the morning, and (or?) about anything but your daily life. Tarot, or any image prompts, can be incorporated into it. The writeup may end up as a rant anyway, but when it's clearly fictional, it's less destructive.)
As for the other exercises, some sound cool, e.g. a detailed analysis of every book you read (yay spreadsheets! but life is short, and who has time for that... ) and self-questionnaires. But there are many more that I'd hate: writing on schedule (which would work 90% of the time, but ANY external interruptions are more important than my writing hobby: my job, helping my son with his homework, my mother's computer emergencies etc) ; wordless recreation and meditation; paying extra attention to your surroundings (don't I hate them enough as they are? I'd rather try to get distracted so I won't notice anything around me! Pokemon Go makes going outside so much more bearable ;) , read books that you dislike in order to learn what your writing is missing...
Overall, I suspect that it's just like she says: writing is really not for me, and I should find myself a better hobby. "Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write, and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy as early as late."
no subject
The morning writing exercise does sound remarkably similar to the Artist's Way "morning pages". I don't remember if Cameron ever referenced this book, or did she come up with the idea independently? Anyway, it's rather common-sense. But I had tried it (a lot) and I'm already disenchanted with it. "Freewriting" (and that's all I'm capable of when I just wake up) almost inevitably evolves into a mundane rant about my life. It's often therapeutic, I use it when I want to release some steam, but starting every day with a rant is bad for your emotional health, and all I practice is not fluent writing but fluent whining...
(I guess I can "fix it"... write just before going to sleep, when the mind is already almost as fuzzy as in the morning, and (or?) about anything but your daily life. Tarot, or any image prompts, can be incorporated into it. The writeup may end up as a rant anyway, but when it's clearly fictional, it's less destructive.)
As for the other exercises, some sound cool, e.g. a detailed analysis of every book you read (yay spreadsheets! but life is short, and who has time for that... ) and self-questionnaires. But there are many more that I'd hate: writing on schedule (which would work 90% of the time, but ANY external interruptions are more important than my writing hobby: my job, helping my son with his homework, my mother's computer emergencies etc) ; wordless recreation and meditation; paying extra attention to your surroundings (don't I hate them enough as they are? I'd rather try to get distracted so I won't notice anything around me! Pokemon Go makes going outside so much more bearable ;) , read books that you dislike in order to learn what your writing is missing...
Overall, I suspect that it's just like she says: writing is really not for me, and I should find myself a better hobby. "Your resistance is actually greater than your desire to write, and you may as well find some other outlet for your energy as early as late."