- Paperback: 672 pages
- Publisher: Running Press (Mar 27 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0762409487
- ISBN-13: 978-0762409488
- Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 8.1 x 7.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 322 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#62,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #67 in Books > Reference > Publishing & Books > Authorship
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
OK, so it's a gimmick. A book in the shape of a 3-inch block. It'll take up too much space on your bookshelf. Its 672 pages are unnumbered, making it nearly impossible to find the same one twice. It is full of contradictory advice. And once you've used the book a few times, it'll more closely resemble a splayed slinky than a block.
So what? Author Jason Rekulak believes that inspiration "can be found anywhere--in dreams, highway billboards, newspaper personal ads, the Yellow Pages, restaurant menus, family photo albums, and bizarre morning TV talk shows." He has packed his stubby little book with kindling aplenty to ignite the fire of your writer's imagination. Open randomly to photographs and spark words ("traffic jam," "waiting," "hitchhiker," "prom"), writing challenges, and writing topics. "Chronicle the longest amount of time you've ever gone without sleeping," recommends one page. "Write about the biggest secret that you failed to keep," advises another. Describe "ten minutes that still make you cringe," urges a third. Write about one of the 300,000 Americans who consume at least 10 cups of coffee every day, or one of the 100 people who have registered with the Florida Department of Corrections to witness an execution, or one of the 3,500 members of the International Flat Earth Society. If none of that is enough to bump up your production rate, follow the lead of crime writer Charles Willeford. "Never allow yourself to take a leak in the morning until you've written a page," he says. "That way, you're guaranteed a page a day, and at the end of a year you have a novel." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
Anxious to write that Great American Novel but don't know where to begin? Help is on the way with our Writer's Block! This guide to beating writer's block comes packaged in the shape of an actual block: 3" x 3" x 3", with 672 pages and more than 200 photographs throughout. Next time you're stuck, just flip open The Writer's Block to any page to find an idea or exercise that will jump-start your imagination. Many of these assignments come straight from the creative writing classes of celebrated novelists like Ethan Canin, Richard Price, Toni Morrison, and Kurt Vonnegut: Joyce Carol Oates explains how she uses running to destroy writer's block. Elmore Leonard describes how he often finds ideas just by reading the newspaper. E. Annie Proulx discusses finding inspiration at garage sales. Isabel Allende tells why she always begins a new novel on January 8th. John Irving explains why he prefers to write the last sentence first. Fresh, fun, and irreverent, The Writer's Block also features advice from contemporary editors and literary agents, lessons from the awful novels of Joan Collins and Robert James Waller, a filmography of movies concerning writer's block (e.g., The Shining, Barton Fink), and countless other surprises. With this chunky little book at your side, you may never experience writer's block again!
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome and Compact,
By
This review is from: The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination (Paperback)
This was a Christmas gift for a friend who likes to write stories in his spare time. It tied into an inside joke about writer's block, but that's besides the point.. Before purchasing, I read some reviews on Amazon. One had stated that the book was too small to read it or if you had opened the book wide enough to read some pages, it would not close, but rather flair open when left. When I received the book, I thought it was fantastic. It went with the theme of the gift and was perfect for him. He loved the idea and where it would probably start to flair after a lot of use, just stick a paperweight on it and it would be fine. I had a flip through it myself and rather enjoyed some of the random topics and stories inside.. Definitely a good find.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every writer and writer-wanna-be NEEDS this book,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination (Paperback)
As an aspiring writer, I am constantly seeking ideas to inspire me. When writer's block hits (which is often) I open THE WRITER'S BLOCK and flip to practically any page and find numerous ideas on which to write. I have even gone through the book and flagged the ones that I like the most with post-it tags. The only unfortunate thing is -- I don't have enough time to write on all of these awesome suggestions! BUY THIS BOOK. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
2.0 out of 5 stars
Creative Indulgence,
By
This review is from: The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination (Paperback)
This would probably have been a pretty good book, had the writer chosen to present substance, rather than focusing on being cutesy. The 3" X 3" size, which makes it difficult to read, is a serious distraction.
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