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Deep Writing
Discusses the principles that break through writer's block and allows authors the freedom to effectively write with meaning and purpose.
158 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 1999
8 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Eric Maisel
136 books163 followersEric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of more than 40 books in the areas of creativity, coaching, mental health, and cultural trends. He is a psychotherapist and creativity coach, and writes for Psychology Today and Professional Artist Magazine and presents workshops internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 7, 2019
Rating in June 2017 - 2 stars
Rating in June 2019 - 5 stars
And this is why it's good to give books another chance, sometimes. I was ready for this book now. I needed this book now.
Rating in June 2019 - 5 stars
And this is why it's good to give books another chance, sometimes. I was ready for this book now. I needed this book now.
February 8, 2018
This must be the KonMari approach to writer's block. Suggested exercises include putting slips of paper with chapter titles in the refrigerator, and saying good morning and good night to the chapters you're working on. Still, who knows what might get you over the hump? Good thoughts on finding the courage to commit to whatever you're working on (or not working on). Some adult content.
March 16, 2012
I read this book while still in school writing short stories for the first time. This is a review I wrote then, eight years ago.
Maisel’s book supports the notion that writers can take control of the process of writing through a series of practical exercises, which allows one to write “...passionately and well about those things that really matter to you.”
One facet of the writing process that perplexed me is how one develops an idea. The second of Maisel’s principles deals with intention. I hadn’t realize how bereft of intention I was till I worked through laying out an action plan that includes Maisel’s TIPS exercise, “Themes, Intention, Plan, Steps.”
Throughout the book he uses examples of five fictional writers to illustrate the different ways one might utilize the exercises. Since I have no writers in my life, I found it helpful to experience these exercise through these imagined writers and how they may be utilized.
I was surprised to find such a practical and sensible chapter on choice. Primarily, the choice of writing for yourself or for the marketplace. He explains the reality of a writers life and points out choices you can make that may be of more benefit to you commercially. And more importantly,that writing with the intention of keeping the marketplace in mind doesn’t make you a sell out or creatively inferior. He points out the perils and pitfalls of writing for both yourself and the marketplace, leaving the choice of importance up to you.
The other principles, Honoring the Process, Befriending the Work, Evaluating the Work, and Doing What’s Required, brings you more fully into the process. I enjoyed working through this book, and developed a deeper understanding of the writing routine.
I’d recommend this book to any writer struggling with taking their work more seriously.
Maisel’s book supports the notion that writers can take control of the process of writing through a series of practical exercises, which allows one to write “...passionately and well about those things that really matter to you.”
One facet of the writing process that perplexed me is how one develops an idea. The second of Maisel’s principles deals with intention. I hadn’t realize how bereft of intention I was till I worked through laying out an action plan that includes Maisel’s TIPS exercise, “Themes, Intention, Plan, Steps.”
Throughout the book he uses examples of five fictional writers to illustrate the different ways one might utilize the exercises. Since I have no writers in my life, I found it helpful to experience these exercise through these imagined writers and how they may be utilized.
I was surprised to find such a practical and sensible chapter on choice. Primarily, the choice of writing for yourself or for the marketplace. He explains the reality of a writers life and points out choices you can make that may be of more benefit to you commercially. And more importantly,that writing with the intention of keeping the marketplace in mind doesn’t make you a sell out or creatively inferior. He points out the perils and pitfalls of writing for both yourself and the marketplace, leaving the choice of importance up to you.
The other principles, Honoring the Process, Befriending the Work, Evaluating the Work, and Doing What’s Required, brings you more fully into the process. I enjoyed working through this book, and developed a deeper understanding of the writing routine.
I’d recommend this book to any writer struggling with taking their work more seriously.
June 3, 2018
Just OK. Longer than it needed to be, and if any writer tried to do everything Maisel says you should do, you'll spend all your time doing exercises and talking to yourself rather than actually writing. A few helpful things, but for me, The War of Art is a better choice.
March 26, 2011
I enjoyed some parts of the book very much. It's practical and offers some excellent tips for moving past block and getting focused on your writing. Unfortunately, I felt Maisel spent too much time trying to work in the characters he used to illustrate the different methods. This book could be 1/3 the length and be more impactful. I will keep it as a resource.
November 8, 2018
This book was a fine set of introspective techniques for beating writers block, but it wasn't what I was looking for. I originally picked this book up because of a quote from the summary on the back:
I was hoping that this book might have more technical advice for improving the quality of writing and especially for writing prose that is emotionally charged and resonant. Unfortunately there is no technical discussion of writing at all. The author seems to be addressing an audience that is trying to overcome writers block or other fears that prevent one from writing in the first place. The principles laid out here are all about preparing your mind to write openly and accessing your own emotions. It doesn't say a whole lot about how that translates to the page.
We can all write serviceably, but truly good writing - deep writing - comes from accessing that place of powerful emotions where we are most vulnerable to feelings of fear and anxiety.
I was hoping that this book might have more technical advice for improving the quality of writing and especially for writing prose that is emotionally charged and resonant. Unfortunately there is no technical discussion of writing at all. The author seems to be addressing an audience that is trying to overcome writers block or other fears that prevent one from writing in the first place. The principles laid out here are all about preparing your mind to write openly and accessing your own emotions. It doesn't say a whole lot about how that translates to the page.
May 30, 2024
Some good freewriting exercises within. My practice is to write for an hour daily, habitually, no matter how it feels to be doing it. This is a good way to make sure I make progress, but getting into ruts can feel like insanity, failing the same thing day-after-day, hour-after-hour. The ideas of the book may or may not resonate with where you are in your writing practice or journey, but there are many exercises to offer fresh perspectives to unstick you. And there are plenty-- for every two that may not work, there's probably one that will. And it's a short read.
February 25, 2023
I feel so much pressure in writing a review of a book about how to be a writer. But here it goes: this book is amazingly helpful to understand how to work through the issues that prevent writers from finishing their work. It’s compact, well written, and far ahead of its time in advocating for mindfulness and compassion during the writing process.
December 10, 2019
There are some good ideas in the book but it felt like it was 90% filler. It wasn't clear what point was trying to be made with most of the anecdotes. This information could be presented in the same depth in a short list based article.
December 1, 2020
It's fast and full of examples and exercises like a PBS special. Maisel drives the point of each thought-exercize home by inventing 5 authors with different wants and needs.
It's 158 pages, one of those books you pop open when you hate writing.
It's 158 pages, one of those books you pop open when you hate writing.
February 13, 2017
Another great and useful book by Maisel.
July 8, 2018
Solid practices for any creative written with lyricism, compassion, and wisdom.
April 16, 2018
when I sit and write and encounter the creative problems. I think there must be some process or pre-process for developing or capture ideas.
I have my own process but this book gives more dimension to that process and give confidence that I am on the right track.
This book is for all those budding writers who want to learn the pain and the joy of writing and also to live the writing process while doing everyday work.
Not just write but write deeply!!!
I have my own process but this book gives more dimension to that process and give confidence that I am on the right track.
This book is for all those budding writers who want to learn the pain and the joy of writing and also to live the writing process while doing everyday work.
Not just write but write deeply!!!
September 16, 2020
Instagram Review - http://www.instagram.com/p/CFL1fJZA9jd/
Eric Maisel, the man who wrote Deep Writing and a slew of other books, is a mental health professional, and a really, really nice man. I open the review with this because I read Deep Writing during one of my many writers blocks, back when I struggled with that. One part of his book broke me wide open. When I look at that passage from one angle, it becomes obvious that it's a power psychological exercise and it adapts perfectly into a creative exercise.
Also, the nice man part -- I emailed Dr. Maisel to say thanks for the plumb job, and he emailed back to say, "You're welcome." I thought that was pretty swell.
This book has value, I'm sure of it. But also, I have to tell you about the six writers. Throughout this book, Maisel tells you about six writers. I think they're meant to be examples of his theories at work in differing situations and their content takes up a huge portion of the book. In the form it was all presented, I found the stories difficult to follow, and I really found the whole concept irrelevant to the book.
In general, for writers who are struggling with a particular project, with discovering their voice, or who are struggling with block as I was, this book is useful. You may find yourself skipping over sections or around the text, so if that kind of reading bothers you, this may not be a good selection for you.
Be safe out there, fellow writers. Remember your masks and your hands! Stay bookish, stay resilient!
Eric Maisel, the man who wrote Deep Writing and a slew of other books, is a mental health professional, and a really, really nice man. I open the review with this because I read Deep Writing during one of my many writers blocks, back when I struggled with that. One part of his book broke me wide open. When I look at that passage from one angle, it becomes obvious that it's a power psychological exercise and it adapts perfectly into a creative exercise.
Also, the nice man part -- I emailed Dr. Maisel to say thanks for the plumb job, and he emailed back to say, "You're welcome." I thought that was pretty swell.
This book has value, I'm sure of it. But also, I have to tell you about the six writers. Throughout this book, Maisel tells you about six writers. I think they're meant to be examples of his theories at work in differing situations and their content takes up a huge portion of the book. In the form it was all presented, I found the stories difficult to follow, and I really found the whole concept irrelevant to the book.
In general, for writers who are struggling with a particular project, with discovering their voice, or who are struggling with block as I was, this book is useful. You may find yourself skipping over sections or around the text, so if that kind of reading bothers you, this may not be a good selection for you.
Be safe out there, fellow writers. Remember your masks and your hands! Stay bookish, stay resilient!
March 3, 2022
The essays by the author about creating a writing life are wonderful...the vignettes about how his students applied these practices felt useless for me. The practices are
learning to quiet the mind
holding writing intentions for writing
choices
honoring the process
befriending the work
evaluating the work
doing what's required
read again and add passages:
learning to quiet the mind
holding writing intentions for writing
choices
honoring the process
befriending the work
evaluating the work
doing what's required
read again and add passages:
December 23, 2010
Eric Maisel, Deep Writing: 7 Principles that Bring Ideas to Life (Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1999)
There's not a great deal of the new to be found in Deep Writing, Eric Maisel's little how-to-get-off-your-ass-and-finally-write-your-book guide. But Maisel, who combines the actual “get off your ass and write” advice with pop psychology, a touch of New Age mysticism, and some fictional (one wonders just how fictional they are) case studies of five writers with basic, common blocking problems, writes his book in an accessible, engaging enough fashion that the average reader of how-to-write tomes should have no problems reading it again. Maisel has a passion for his subject, which is always a help when writing a how-to guide, and he comes at some of his topics so as to really get that point across; it's most easily seen in the case-study bits (though I did find myself snorting at some of the more improbable one-eighties made by at least one of those characters).
Those with a distaste for new-age spiritualism might want to avoid this, but the rest of you will at least find it enjoyable, if not overly instructive. *** ½
There's not a great deal of the new to be found in Deep Writing, Eric Maisel's little how-to-get-off-your-ass-and-finally-write-your-book guide. But Maisel, who combines the actual “get off your ass and write” advice with pop psychology, a touch of New Age mysticism, and some fictional (one wonders just how fictional they are) case studies of five writers with basic, common blocking problems, writes his book in an accessible, engaging enough fashion that the average reader of how-to-write tomes should have no problems reading it again. Maisel has a passion for his subject, which is always a help when writing a how-to guide, and he comes at some of his topics so as to really get that point across; it's most easily seen in the case-study bits (though I did find myself snorting at some of the more improbable one-eighties made by at least one of those characters).
Those with a distaste for new-age spiritualism might want to avoid this, but the rest of you will at least find it enjoyable, if not overly instructive. *** ½
July 11, 2013
Really 2.5 stars, which for me is still worth reading. The first half is the best part where he talks about "Hushing the Mind" and "Holding the Intention." Some of his writing exercises are too New Agey for me, but his thoughts about dealing with all the things we do to subvert our own process really hit the mark with me. To paraphrase, he says even the most sane person's mind is a kind of Bedlam, and that you don't have to necessarily investigate the demons that you've carried with you from childhood (unless you want to for other reasons). To write you simply have to tell them to be quiet for a while. To hush them. I like that! Shhhh, I'm writing.
August 29, 2010
Maisel does a great job of highlighting the issues that his examples go through without discouraging the reader. I found this book to be very helpful, and did not feel like it was a typical book about writing. I think it is true that if anyone is to want to learn how to focus on their writing and write deeply, they must learn to have confidence in themselves, and do whatever they must do to build that confidence even if it means going through some pain in order to get it. I loved this book.
May 3, 2012
This relatively small book, written by a therapist who specializes in counseling artists, is different from most writing books in that it focuses primarily on slaying the psychological demons that can "block" a writer. For me, the best part of the book was the author's advise on how to "hush" the mind in order to focus on writing and go emotionally deeper. The case studies presented are helpful, but lengthier and more in depth than I needed them to be. Definitely worth a look!
April 11, 2016
I've had this book for years but never read it. It seems it is now the perfect time to read Maisel's advice on 'going deep' into my writing. I got a number of really good ideas and insights as I read. My favorite book of his is still Coaching the Artist Within, but this is an excellent book on the writing/editing/revision process and how to effectively tackle it.
December 27, 2009
Good, practical advice on how to focus and function as a writer. Not all of this material will apply equally to all writers, but there's enough good material here that something useful can be found by just about any of us.
June 10, 2008
Chock full of good advice for dealing with all the anxiety, worry, fretting, etc. that this writing life comes with. Wish I'd read it in grad school!
April 2, 2010
A bunch of BS mumbo jumbo, if you ask me.
September 29, 2011
I checked this out from the library hoping it might get me motivated enough to write. It didn't. It actually made me NOT want to write at all. In my opinion, it was far from being helpful.
September 3, 2013
Once in a while I hit a low spot writing; books like this one help to give perspective while I pull myself out.
May 14, 2016
I couldn't finish this book. It lost its appeal midway through but I think it served its purpose.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews