Craft & Current: A Manual for Magical Writing

by Janisse Ray

You need two things to write great stories. Craft. And magic--real magic, meaning access to the mysterium. Are you called to write? Do you have stories that need to be told? Do you feel the magic in great writing and desire to harness that same power and energy? Do you re-read what you've written and wish it were more shiny? Do you worry that you should have studied writing with better teachers? If this is what you feel, then we offer you "Craft and Current," everything you need in one neat package about the size of a bank bag--affordable, accessible, activating, altering.

Embark on a transformative journey into the secrets of writing with "Craft and Current." In this popular guide, acclaimed author Janisse Ray demystifies the essential two mastering craft and tapping into currents of magic. Drawing from years of experience, Ray expertly navigates the writing craft, offering practical advice and techniques.

From crafting compelling scenes to making writing come alive, each chapter is a treasure chest of wisdom and good advice. But true mastery requires a connection to the intangible, mystical currents that flow through the creative process. Ray delves into this elusive realm, exploring how to access the wellspring of inspiration, infusing your writing with that ineffable spark that transcends the ordinary.

Moreover, Ray passionately believes that writing is not merely an act of creation but a transformative force capable of reshaping both the writer's world and the world at large. Writers wield the ability to challenge norms, inspire change, and illuminate truths that resonate across time and space.

With "Craft and Current," you'll learn not only how to wield the tools of the trade but also how to harness the enchantment that lies at the heart of stories. No matter where you are on your writing journey, this amazing book will empower you to unlock your full potential, transforming both yourself and the world around you.

310 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2024

About the author

is an award-winning and beloved American writer. Her work encourages wild, place-centric, sustainable lives and often calls attention to heart-breaking degradations of the natural world.

She writes the popular Substack TRACKLESS WILD, tracklesswild.substack.com.

Her newsletter for writers, SPIRAL-BOUND, janisseray.substack.com.

She is a sought-after and highly praised teacher of writing. She leads both in-person and online writing workshops, including a summer memoir course online, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.

You can find more information about workshops and courses at her website.
https://janisseray.com/product-catego...

Check out her book CRAFT & CURRENT: A MANUAL FOR MAGICAL WRITING.

Janisse has won an American Book Award, Pushcart Prize, Southern Bookseller Award, Southern Environmental Law Center Writing Award, Nautilus Award, and Eisenberg Award, among many others.

Her collection of essays, WILD SPECTACLE, won the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence.

Her books have been translated into Turkish, French, and Italian.

Janisse's first book, ECOLOGY OF A CRACKER CHILDHOOD, recounts her experiences growing up in a junkyard, the daughter of a poor, white, fundamentalist Christian family. The book interweaves family history and memoir with natural history—specifically, descriptions of the ecology of the vanishing longleaf pine forests that once blanketed the Southern coastal plains.

ECOLOGY was followed by many other books, mostly creative nonfiction--often nature writing-- as well as poetry and fiction.

She earned an MFA from the University of Montana, has received two honorary doctorates, and was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. She has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Georgia Writer's Association.

She lives on an organic farm inland from Savannah, Georgia, where she enjoys wildflowers, dark chocolate, and the blues.