This isn’t really a book to teach you how to write, although there are gems amongst the quotes which go deeper than Carroll’s tongue-in-cheek quip. Instead, it’s a book that you can dip into, at leisure, for inspiration or to help replace the negative talk with positive talk. Instead of saying that you aren’t writing because you have writer’s block or because you have nothing to say, why not try telling yourself “I have a terrific imagination,” or “I write today and every day” without getting too caught up in the quality of it. Because quality is something that can’t always be easily identified. Don’t believe it? Try scrolling to the end of the book and reading what writers have written about each other. Keats called Byron’s work a “bedlam vision produced by raw port and opium.” Capote called Updike (and just about every other writer) a bore. There are even famous last words ("I Die" was one of my favourites).
The Write Advice is an interesting collection of affirmations and sayings that you can enjoy whenever you need a little inspiration, to get yourself going, or just for a laugh. This is a neatly presented, well chosen group of sayings that can prove valuable for both changing your mindset, and finding camaraderie and support from the most lofty sources.
The book can be purchased directly from Michael Meanwell's website.
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