The I Ching for Writers: Finding the Page Inside You

To cast the I Ching, you throw three pennies six times to arrive at one of 64 hexagrams. For each hexagram, Sloane offers an essay with writing advice, suggested writing exercises, and a prediction of how your writing will proceed. You need to read the instructions for finding the right hexagram carefully; if you don't, you might become confused as a previous reviewer was. This is a fun way to introduce serendipity into your writing. Sloane's advice is both practical and inspiring. I particularly enjoyed her essays "Overseeing the True Way" and "Acknowledge a Great Vision That You Already Possess." Of course sometimes the hexagrams you cast may not be what you want to read about. You might find the selected essay either inapplicable or downright unpleasant. But part of the charm of the I Ching experience is in considering how the hexagram might apply, and seeing how you can learn from taking a new perspective. I checked this out from the library but I'll be buying a copy as it's a fun resource for those times when my writing needs an injection of insight. A friend of mind also recommends The Observation Deck: A Tool Kit for Writers (Past & Present), as a way of introducing randomness into the writing process.

Sarah Sloane's *I Ching for Writers* is a real treat! The advice Sloane offers is informed by proven writing pedagogy (theory on the teaching of writing), and the discussion is clear, practical and accessible. Maybe most important, the author has a terrific sense of humor! I loved the writing exercises so much that I assigned the text in a college course for advanced writers. My students had great fun throwing the pennies and with the wonderfully creative writing prompts. Highly recommended!

Plenty of spiritual guides have been written on the subject of the I Ching; but none with the specialized focus of Sarah Jane Sloane's The I Ching For Writers: Finding The Page Inside You, which tells how to apply I Ching concepts to writer's block and inspirational paths. Each of the I Ching's sixty-four hexagrams is interpreted by Sloane from years of study of over fifty translations, and synthesized into comments pertaining to writer's struggles with words. The I Ching For Writers: Finding The Page Inside You evolves into a delightful, inspirational cure for writer's block under Sloane's careful applications and analysis.