Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande

Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande is a guide to the creative process of writing. The book focuses on how to confront fears and doubts, how to get your mind in a place to be productive, and how to balance your inner editor against your inner creative.

In other words, this is the book you need to read before you start writing. Unlike most how-to texts on writing that you’ll find, this book tackles psychological blocks which, Brande argues, are the issues that prevent most people from writing like they want to.

The main themes of the book are centered around improving one’s attitude towards the writing process, establishing a habit of good, steady, satisfying flow of work, and learning to work with your critical and emotional sides. The book explicitly discusses the fiction-writing process, but its advice is applicable to writers in all lines of work.

What I Liked

I liked the emphasis on process rather than tactics and tips.

What I Did Not Like

I could have been a blog post.