Writing as a Way of Life: A Book About Art, Craft, and Devotion

by Brian Morton

In Writing as a Way of A Book About Art, Craft, and Devotion, novelist and memoirist Brian Morton (Starting Out in the Evening) provides writers with a guidebook for finding the psychic equipment they'll need to remain committed to their craft over the long haul. Drawing on a rich and varied career as a writer and teacher, Morton gives writers at every level of experience a masterclass in how to deepen their tenacity and resilience. Weaving together stories from the lives of literary masters like Virginia Woolf, Henry James, and Anton Chekhov and lessons gleaned from a surprising array of artists and thinkers including Joni Mitchell, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Miss Manners, Morton reveals writing to be a calling akin to meditation or prayer. Filled with practical, actionable tips for developing and sustaining a habit of writing that will last a lifetime, Morton has written a generous, funny, humane, and friendly guide for anyone who writes and anyone who wants to write.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


BRIAN MORTON is the author of four previous novels, including Starting Out in the Evening, which was a Salon favorite book of the year and was made into an acclaimed feature film, and A Window Across the River, which was a Book Club selection on the Today show. He is the director of the MFA program at Sarah Lawrence and teaches at New York University and the Bennington Writing Seminars.

Reviews

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Every page is filled with wisdom, I now have lots of screenshots on my phone or else everything would have been highlighted... and I'm sad I have to return it to the library because I want to refer back to it when I need a kick in the butt...
A writer is someone who writes! Get to it! :)

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever with admiration.

[Colleen Alles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful meditation on what it takes to keep going as a writer! Thank you for this lovely book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust your stuff.

[Sidik Fofana · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX WORD REVIEW: Will have you recommitted to persevering.