If You're Writing, Let's Talk: A Road Map Past Writers' Blocks from Page One to The End

by Joel Saltzman

Join author Joel Saltzman and six of his writing students as they journey through a ten-week writing workshop. Discover how they find solutions to their writing difficulties, and get beyond self-doubts and creative dilemmas. The author serves as guide, guru, and writing coach, providing the wisdom, courage, and occasional one-liners that will get you writing your best work ever. You'll learn how


• tell a story
• use your faults to maximum advantage
• trust your instincts
• turn chaos into order
• finish what you start!

This refreshing book is sprinkled with numerous quotes from famous writers who share their own insecurities and pearls of wisdom, such as "It's constitutional with me to be anxious as all hell about all of my work. I'll never get over that and I never hope to; I just have to live with it." —Tennessee Williams

About the Author
Joel Saltzman is also the author of If You Can Talk, You Can Write. He has taught at the UCLA Writers' Program, is a former comedian, and currently conducts writing workshops in Los Angeles.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has interesting format--different from any other writing book I've read. It's written first person from the perspective of the teacher of a ten week writer's workshop. He has six students, and each one is writing a short story. Each chapter is one week's meeting and he makes the points about writing by using bits and pieces of the stories the students are writing. There's nothing really ground breaking--conflict, hooks, re-writes, writing more than half an hour a week. But it's fun to read because of the students, each one is an interesting character, and the teacher tells how he feels when people don't show up or don't want to cut, different things happen. Then at the end, he includes each of the completed stories--not all six were completed.
I enjoyed this quick read, and it was a little bit inspiring and it reminded me of a few things.
He has quotes all through the book by writers. I like that part, too.