A Commotion in Your Heart: Notes on Writing and Life

by Barbara Shoup

"A book that should be on every writer's bookshelf, next to Bird by Bird, Writing Down the Bones, and Welty's One Writer's Beginnings." -SJ Rozan, best-selling author of Paper SonFor writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, autobiography and memoir, and from amateurs to professionals, this book about the creative process is a book for writers everywhere interested in learning more about the craft of writing. A perfect gift for writers of all ages and levels of experience, A Commotion in Your Notes on Writing and Life takes the reader from the author's childhood dream of being a writer through the ups and downs of publishing. She tells her story with highly relatable vignettes that focus on her own personal moments of clarity about what writing is (and what writing isn't), sharing the pleasures and lessons of more than 40 years of experience teaching writing.Part memoir and part writing workshop, A Commotion in Your Notes on Writing and Life offers writing inspiration and practical advice for authors at every stage of their writing journey. This collection of 37 essays Chasing the Muse But That's How It Happened What We Talk About When We Talk About Writing Working (a Jigsaw) The Voices in My Head (Maybe) Don't Quite Your Day Job The Revision Toolkit and much more!With short, easy to read chapters, A Commotion in Your Notes on Writing and Life will inspire veteran authors as well as beginning writers just getting started. And when writing is especially difficult, or when writer's block sets in, award-winning author Barbara Shoup is full of encouraging wisdom.A Commotion in Your Notes on Writing and Life is for anyone who understands that writing isn't just a hobby... It's a necessary part of living fully.

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2020

About the author

Barbara Shoup is the author of eight novels for adults and young adults, most recently An American Tune and Looking for Jack Kerouac, as well as a memoir, A Commotion in Your Heart: Notes about Writing and Life. She is the co-author of Novel Ideas: Contemporary Authors Share the Creative Process and Story Matters., as well as in The Writer and the New York Times travel section. Her young adult novels, Wish You Were Here and Stranded in Harmony were selected as American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults. The recipient of the PEN Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Fellowship and grants from the Indiana Arts Commission, she is the Writer-in-Residence at the Indiana Writers Center and a faculty member at Art Workshop International.

Reviews

[Leeann · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a lot of “guides to writing” out there, but few capture the abstraction and fluidity of writing like Shoup’s. Her honesty and genuine love of the craft flow through this book of all she’s learned and the stories that shaped who she is as a writer - so that you, too, can be a better writer. Writing isn’t easy, but this book reminds you that you can do it if you’re willing to put in the work and can’t live another day without capturing the story inside you.

[Rita Dragonette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full confession: I know that Barb Shoup is both an incredible author AND teacher of writing. Many writers do both, she is in a class by herself. There is a strong impulse, once you’ve put many years into a career, to capture all the knowledge you’ve gained and share it. Prolific novelist Barb Shoup, has been doing this all along, as equally fascinated by the process of writing and creativity as by the stories themselves. A Commotion in Your Heart is her third book about writing and it should be considered an instant classic and essential reading for any writer at any stage.
Part memoir, part lively how-to book, Shoup dissects the elements of story at a level both strategic and mysterious, or as she calls it, right brain and left brain. In doing so she gets at the heart of what each element must accomplish and shows you how it’s really all very “doable.” Have a pen handy. You’ll underline and make margin notes and refer to it before, during and even after each writing project. It will keep your on track, eliminate the mystery where there is none, and show you how to call it up when it needs to be there. As a worth-it’s-weight-in-gold bonus, she also goes step-by-step through her famous, no-fail revision process. Try it before you say you don’t need it. And then write her a thank you note

[Robert Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed with practical advice any writer can put to use immediately. Learn from the mistakes and successes of one writer, which Shoup shares candidly. She talks openly about her author’s journey, her struggles with depression, her many writing epiphanies, and so much more. And she’s honest from the start, so you know you can trust what she’s saying: “Nothing we observe, feel, or know about our own human experience or the experience of others comes to us by way of words. And yet, words are all we have to make a story in which living, breathing characters move through worlds that seem as real to readers as their own back yard. No writer has ever had or will ever have all the words needed to re-create the world that was alive in their mind.” She shares the brutal rejections she received along the way: “I loved this one. Let me say that again. I loved this one! It was one of those special novels that I hoped against hope I would be able to buy. However, I did not get the same reaction in readings from the powers that be, and so, I am forced to send this lovely gem back to you.”The conclusions Shoup draws before the end will speak to the heart of every writer and inspire them to keep going for the joy of writing. Don’t miss this amazing book!

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barb Shoup offers practical, hard-won wisdom on the craft of writing in this delightful book. For those of us with heads full of noisy thoughts, hearts swollen with feelings, and fingers itching to release them all onto a blank page, this is an excellent resource.

Writing is often a solitary pursuit. By connecting with and learning from other writers like Barb, we can widen our perspective, sharpen our skills, and find inspiration to keep trying. Perhaps the idea that most spurred me on from this book is her advice to "mind the gap." This gap is the one that exists between the story in my head and the story I've managed to transfer to the page. By paying attention to the space between the two, I am able to revise until it's as small as possible.

I've had the privilege of meeting Barb in person and learning from her in a writing workshop setting. Let me assure those who haven't been so lucky that her personality and wisdom translate well and shine through these pages. After reading, you'll be encouraged and inspired to pick up a pen and get back to work.