Writing from the Body: For Writers, Artists and Dreamers Who Long to Free Their Voice

by John H. Lee, Ceci Miller-Kritsberg

A book about spirit, creativity, and the inner life of the writer

Certain writing books go beyond questions of craft and art to explore the deepest sources of the creative impulse. Writing from the Body is not a "head book"; it is a heart book, a shoulder book, a hand book, a back book, and a soul book that liberates writers from the shackles of self-consciousness and doubt.

Developed from John Lee's popular workshops that have helped thousands of writers, this book offers meditative techniques, physical exercises, and candid counseling--all designed to combat the fears, self-imposed standards, and suppressed feelings that block creative potential. Inspirational qutoes from poems and prose develop John Lee's central message: in order to write from the truth of our total experience, we most return to our bodies.

As Lee notes, "The call to write is a call that's received in the body first. If we are to answer this call, we have to feel every part of our lives. In this book you'll learn the grammar of the gut, the syntax of the sinews, the launage of the legs. For everyone who is tired of living life in the little closet between the ears, get ready."

Any writer, artist, teacher, or psychologist interested in the creative process will find this book invaluable, a lasting source of hope and power.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1994

About the author

John Lee is a pioneer in the fields of self-help, anger management, co-dependency, emotional regression, recovery, emotional intelligence, relationships, and men’s issues. His highly innovative work in these fields has made him an in-demand consultant, teacher, trainer, life coach, and speaker. His contributions in these fields have put him in the national spotlight for over 35 years.

Reviews

[Patricia Kambitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book until I found out that the author was a friend of Oprah. I'm such a snob.

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate this book as I have conflicting feelings and thoughts about it. It is easy to read, but comes up lacking in some respects. There are some real motivating gems, and the author makes some good points. I picked up this book at a book sale in a small town library and only paid 25 cents for it. I ate it up and gleaned some ideas from it, so got more than my money's worth from it. Could not put it down and finished in the car while riding down the highway. There's some good stuff in those pages so I recommend it, and not just for writers.

[Tom Britz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you stuck in your writing? Sometimes it is a problem of trying to think too much. This book shows you techniques to get in touch with your own body. How you truly feel may not be the same as what you are trying to write and this dichotomy may be what is holding you back. Full of interesting pointers and exercises designed to allow your body to release the tensions that get in your own way.

[Millanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taustaa ja harjoituksia kirjoittamisen avaamiseen mm. hengityksen, liikkeen ja rentoutumisen kautta. Sopii ainakin äänen avaamiseen ja kirjoittajalle, joka haluaa hidastaa ja nauttia kirjoittamisesta enemmän.

[Ceci]

This book, published together with John Lee in 1994, has enjoyed a healthy following among writers, educators, and university writing programs ever since. Both John and I enjoyed the collaboration, which brought together my own writing exercises centered around reacquainting writers with their innate, original joy and John's more cathartic exercises aimed at getting writers to throw off old, unhelpful mental patterns that often form the basis of writer's block. Both John and I believe strongly that by embracing our physicality as writers, we come into direct contact with the Jungian shadow self (or selves) which Lorca called "the duende" and thereby make friends with those parts of ourselves which normally remain hidden from view and which -- if they remain hidden -- prevent us from realizing our best, most authentic work.

The book is full of wonderful examples of great literature, along with ways of engaging with these texts to further one's creative process.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

suzanne mcconell, my first fiction writing teacher had us read this book. i loved it. suzanne turned me on to writing. got to get back to writing fiction . . .

[Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing a person doesn't already know, but sometimes it's nice to see things in black and white when you're dealing with the dreaded scourge of writer's block :s

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this long ago as part of a writing group. Lee provides useful approaches to tapping into the creative flow.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be really insightful. It's extremely well written and the ideas stick with you. It really helped me focus on my personal feelings and passions when I write.

[Mike Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything one could hope for and more.

[Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to the ideas, though many 101-level writer tips folded in. Not necessarily a go-to writer's guide, but good and interesting concepts outlined.