If You Can Talk You Can Write: Amazon.ca: Joel Saltzman: Books

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From Amazon

Any book on writing that cites poet Anne Sexton and excerpts Katherine Dunn's Geek Love is off to a good start, and Saltzman delivers in a breezy tome designed to help you quit taking yourself too seriously yet be utterly true to your own voice at the same time. And when he ends with Lillian Hellman's advice to never listen to writers about writing, you know he's got it exactly right.

From Library Journal

Saltzman's book is based on his successful writing seminars of the same name. His main point is that if people would remember that writing is a form of communication, much like talking, it would not be as intimidating and therefore easier to do. The first of the five sections covers the fear of writing and how to get past internal voices that say negative things. The second covers the concept of talking on paper. Parts 3 and 4 help answer the questions, What do I write about? and, What do I do now that I have a first draft? Finally, the last part is a compilation of ideas and tricks of the trade to help the writer continue to produce. Light, humorous, and fun, the book offers anecdotal examples and reminder quizzes at the end of each section that review the main points. Useful for public libraries serving a large population of would-be writers.
- Lisa J. Cochenet, Plainfield P.L., Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Penicillin for "writer's block", May 23 2004

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NJ Morrissey (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Can Talk You Can Write (Paperback)

Whether you're a fiction writer, or a non-fiction writer, this book is for you. Perfect for those who get stuck in the rut of perfectionism (a.k.a. writer's block). That awful state, oh my!

To often, we expect our writing to come out like smooth golden honey, dripping onto the page with every pen stroke. But often, this isn't the case. Instead of gold, we get blah. We get a lot of blah; in fact, we get so much blah that we question our writing ability. We want to give up. But, don't give up -- keep writing instead.

If you want to writer, you need to stick your nose into your notebook and write. Learn how to free-write, and you'll be on your way to success. "How I that?" you may ask. Get this book and find out. After you're finished, you can always go back and edit your drafts to your hearts content. But for now, learn to talk on paper first.

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4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT (if you write non-fiction), Sep 17 2003

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C. Stearns (Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Can Talk You Can Write (Paperback)

Joel is an engaging and entertaining instructor who can help you eliminate writer's block. This book is WELL worth the money and time, and is a good, laugh-out-loud read. As much as I love this book, I write fiction, and this book would be of the most value to a non-fiction writer.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Best writing book I've ever read, Aug 25 2003

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MG "serling307" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If You Can Talk You Can Write (Paperback)

This is the book that got me really started writing. The principle is simple enough: if you really want to write something, you have to go ahead and start writing it, and keep on writing even though it's nowhere close to perfect. What keeps most people from writing is thinking that it has to be perfect the first time around. Saltzman says "writer's block" is really "perfectionist's block". This may sound like a simple concept, but the way Saltzman presents it is really unique; it's a real kick in the rear. And if you have any doubts as to the effectiveness of his writing method, just read even one chapter of the book. It's _thoroughly_ entertaining all the way through - and very informative. I never thought a book on writing would strike me as a "page-turner", but . . . this one is.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
It was a very interesting book. This book really helps you to overcome fear of writing and helps you to understand that writing stories is not so difficult. Read more

Published on July 12 2003 by Eric P. Medlock

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to encourage you to start writing !!!
This book contains down to earth advice to encourage you to start writing (and not procrastinate). It is highly recommended to all those who, like me, hesitate to write because... Read more

Published on July 4 2003