Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers

Carolyn See is an author, a reviewer, a teacher at UCLA, a single mother of 2 (writers), a griever. In her book, Making A Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers, she provides a mix of practical advice, inspirational encouragement, tragic truth-telling and a useful prescription, accompanied by charts and graphs, for making one's own literary life. like my beloved Julia Cameron, See's daily requirements are both practical and hokey. Nonetheless, being one who thrives on hokey, all her recommendations i can heartily embrace. See says, having learned it from her study of Virginia Woolf's diaries, that 1000 literary words a day, five days a week, for the rest of your life. never able to get ahead or fall behind, See says the 1000 words are required for five days a week to give the appearance of "work" to those who might otherwise think you're just staring into space. She goes on to require one "charming note" sent to someone in the literary universe for no apparent reason than to offer praise and thanks. She says this daily practice will make the literary world a little more friendly, a little less intimidating, a little more navigable, and that sooner or later, you'll start to charm the writing community into looking forward to and accepting your work. See outlines the need for great stationery, the joy of picking great stamps, the perfect color and size of envelopes for the return of unwanted manuscripts. She says to immediately ricochet off a thank you note on your charming note stationery, and in that way, wear down the resistance of those "programmed" to say now. See advocates a seduction strategy, that entices those who might be practiced at rejection, to open their minds to the possibilities of your writing. She makes certain you know it's your job to remain the seducer, despite your likely consistent rejection. She warns you, you're the guy. You have to know what you want and find your ways to get it. See outlines income streams for writers and talks about truffle sniffing pigs. She eggs you on to make a list of the ten most important people in your life and the six people who've hurt you or dashed your dreams or been your sworn enemies. she says this grouping of sixteen is all your really know about, and will be the pool from which all the characters you ever invent into being springs from. she encourages you, as the writer, to get the hell out of the way, and let your characters talk. you are only a channel--a mechanism through which their being must travel in order to find a place on the page. See admits the hokey appearance of her white magic recipes: treasure maps of what you most want when you become the penultimate writer of your own imagination. she encourages you to contemplate some outline of whether you'll require a driver or a certain kind of fashion accessory or entourage when you appear in public. she invites you to not think too deeply about the mysteries of why this works, but rather, dive

I borrowed this book from my public library and just went online to order my own copy: I must have it! the Publisher's Weekly review said " ...not for the experienced writer." I wouldn't imagine many experienced writers would read in this genre, but I am one, and I got good information, and lots of laughs, from this gem of a book. And, for the inexperienced writer who See is writing for, it's full of goodies. The chapter on publicity and timelines in the "life" of a book is concrete and handy, for instance. This is a working writer's book, not a missive from the literary establishment, which is maybe why the PW review, and a few of the individuals listed here, are less than laudatory. Maybe because See was not privileged, has had to work for a living, she gives what is the straight story: writing is one way to make a living, and if you are willing to do the work, maybe you can too. She demythologizes, and that can only be helpful (unless you are invested in protecting the myth of the writer.)

Carolyn See is one funny, brave woman. Her experience as a writer and teacher, and even more importantly, her basic humanity shines through this crisp,easy to read slim volume that gives both practical advice (write 1000 words a day!) and a wise philosophical slant on what it really takes to be a writer. A unique combo from a woman who is as natural a teacher as she is a writer. I've been a pro in the writing biz for over twenty years, and still found amazing bits of stimulating advice - as if from an older, wiser sister, ahead of me on the road, and oh, so smart. This book works equally well for the novice looking for some tips on shaping a writing life, and for the more experienced writer who may long for a role model for facing some of life's toughest arrows. She delivers on all counts. Highly, highly recommended.

As with another of my favorite books, the late Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's "Italian Days," Carolyn See's "Making a Literary Life" is as much about the author as it is about the stated subject. See's subject, of course, is how to make your way as a writer--not only how to write, but how to get your writing published and make your name known in the literary world. Some of See's advice--such as writing a thousand words a day, five days a week--is eminently sensible; some of it--such as writing cheery thank-you notes to editors who reject your work or reviewers who trash it--is a little more difficult to swallow. But See's basic points are indisputable: the only way to be a writer is to write; the Biblical wisdom of "a soft answer turneth away wrath" holds just as true in the literary business as in any other; being a literary genius doesn't give you leave to abandon common courtesy. Of all guides to writing, "Making a Literary Life" has to be the most flat-out fun to read. You get See's observations on the art of writing ("The passive voice is really good for only one thing: the weaselly notes in committee meetings where nobody wants to get blamed for whatever happened"). You get her first-hand testimony on the damage wrought when the people around you don't support your writing ("My first husband, an elegant, brokenhearted artiste, knew for a fact that if you were smart enough to want to write, you were also smart enough to realize the extent of your own mediocrity"). You get the scoop on the eccentric behavior of all the authors See has met, from Amy Tan carrying two lapdogs in her purse to Harlan Ellison's confrontation with a bookseller at a literary conference ("He howled like a castrated bison; she responded with shrieks from `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'"). While See says at the outset that "Making a Literary Life" is intended for fledgling writers without connections to the literary world, I think the book is just as useful for journeyman writers (such as myself) who have published a book or two but have no idea how to break into the next level. Quirkily, entertainingly, Carolyn See gives us some ideas how to do so. She's the soft-hearted yet hard-headed friend all of us poor scriveners seek.

Do you want to learn how to `court' an editor? Want to learn how to get with the `IN' crowd within the literary world? Then this book is for you. Writers, take note. This is another weapon/treasure to keep in your writing world's arsenal. The upbeat note that it inflicts upon the reader/writer will not be soon forgotten. I'm still impressed with the way Carolyn See dishes out the information in this book. Not only does she give incredibly comedic, heroic and downright interesting information, but she follows most of these up with examples from her own life. You can get to know your target editors by getting to know your target editors. Sound simple and redundant? It ain't. Amazingly, most of the things you'll need to succeed aren't necessarily in your desk or a computer file. They're in your head and your heart. And Carolyn See shows us how to tap into both areas. Like `Bird By Bird' (by Anne Lamott), this book has earned a special place on my bookshelves. A+ rating in my book!