General Press

Brenda Ueland

Brenda Ueland was a journalist, editor, freelance writer, and teacher of writing. In If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit she shares her philosophies on writing and life in general. Ueland firmly believed that anyone can write, that everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say. In this book she explains how find that spark that will make you a great writer. Carl Sandburg called this book the best book ever written about how to write. Join the millions of others who've found inspiration and unlocked their own talent.

A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit

If You Want to Write

If you want to write

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"Your motto: be Bold, be Free, be Truthful. The truthfulness will save it from flamboyance, from pretentiousness."

"So remember these two things: you are talented, and you are original. Be sure of that. I say this because self-trust is one of the very most important things in writing-"

"But I must go back to my subject—writing.
If you write, good ideas must come welling up into you so that you have something to write. If good ideas do not come at once, or for a long time, do not be troubled at all. Wait for them. Put down the little ideas however insignificant they are. But do not feel, anymore, guilty about idleness and solitude."

"Sometimes when I walk I learn a poem, a Shakespeare sonnet, say, as I go along. I have discovered this: if you say a line over and over again, as children do in memorizing, half mechanically, after a long time the nerves and muscles in your brain and jaws will know how to do it automatically."

"And this is the point: if they kept writing new things freely and generously and with careless truth, then they would know how to fix up the pearl and make it good, in two seconds, with no work at all."

"Saint-Beuve said: “There exists in most men a poet who died young, whom the man survived.” And de Musset said: “Know that there is often hidden in us a dormant poet, always young and alive.”

"Therefore when you write, speak with complete self-trust and do not timidly qualify and feel the ice of well-authenticated literary usage and critical soundness—so afraid when you have finished writing that they will riddle you full of holes.
Let them. Later if you find what you wrote isn’t true, accept the new truth. Consistency is the horror of the world."

Michael Springer

I read this one when I was 21 or 22, and I found it very empowering. I wonder what I'd think of it now...

Erica Heinz

The best book on creativity I've ever read. Written in 1937, still completely fresh and inspiring.

Andrea Badgley

I owned this book once and got rid of it during a book purge. I recently got a hankering to read it again, and while it did encourage me to keep writing, it was mostly feel-goodery and wasn't substantial enough to stick to the ribs. I'd read a chapter, and I would feel inspired while I read it, but as soon as I put it down I couldn't remember a single thing that had inspired me. I can say, though, that I began journaling again while reading this book, and feel freed in my writing by doing so. I'm pretty sure I can credit Ueland for inspiring me to pick that habit up again.

A’ishah Kamaludin

It has shown me that writing is talking, thinking, on paper. And the more impulsive and immediate the writing the closer it is to the thinking, which it should be.

There are many things that I learn from this book other than being truly inspired to (really) write. I think this book is suitable for new and aspiring writers.

It makes me feel and understand clearly how easy and possible it is to get into writing - by putting onto paper what comes into us sincerely as it is without trying to sound as some other people, and more importantly by being consistent. 

I appreciate the writing samples by the author's students. They are good and fascinating to read though I didn't finish some of them. I wonder if I were to take a writing class and have the same teacher, will I be able to produce similarly.

If you're a new writer and/or currently having writer's block, and perhaps self-doubt (which all writers have btw), this is my recommendation!

If You Want to Write A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit

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