The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club discussion

Did you post a review for Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear on Goodreads? Go ahead and copy your review and paste it here in a comment so we can all read it. :)

You can also share any thoughts you had about the book here or just tell us what star-rating you would give it.

This book was the December-January IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) book club, and it was a real winner. Or maybe I should say we're all winners for having read it.

Uplifting and inspirational, it offered this insecure writer the gift of self-acceptance and the assurance that creativity is a glorious gift to be cherished. All writers, no matter how talented or successful in the marketplace, harbor self-doubts. (Ergo, the IWSG.) But market success isn't necessarily a measure of talent or value. All creative urges have some merit, if only to the person following them.

Ms. Gilbert offers some fascinating anecdotes to support her notion that creativity is akin to spirituality. Even if one is reticent about swallowing all of them, they definitely provide some interesting food for thought. Some of her narrative is matter-of-fact and drips with wisdom, and some of it could be characterized as a little bit WOO-WOO "out there." But it's all well worth reading.

Are creative people "different?" A-yup. How about writers? Most definitely. But here's the important part: it's all OKAY. Embrace your inner weirdness and love that nerd residing within, because the ability to create is a thing of joy and beauty. Savor it. Just as I savored this book.

Susan wrote: "This book was the December-January IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) book club, and it was a real winner. Or maybe I should say we're all winners for having read it."

I certainly felt like a winner after I read it. And I had even read it a year before. :) Thanks for sharing your review, Susan!

I never wrote a review for Big Magic because there's just so much great things to say about it that I don't even know where to start. I loved it so much that I shared several of my favorite snippets from it on my Instagram.

I gave this book 5 stars the first time I read it, and 5 stars again the second time. :)

The book was not the perspective I expected. It made me think. It made me look at certain creative aspects that most of us get, differently. This is about the muse of inspiration rather than how to be creative or at least that is how it struck me. It is inspiring but not in the way I expected. It has a light lilting voice to the writing. The author also has a depth to the introspection because she is writing the book for herself. A very enjoyable read.

I gave it 5 stars for creative perspective.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I listened to the audio version of this book, at just the right time. As a writer, the pressure of comparison can be paralyzing. My largest takeaway was to do my work, on my stories, and appreciate the work for itself. This is my usual approach but all creative people need reminders to stay in their moments.
Have goals. Goals are wonderful and necessary. But make them your goals, your timeframes. And quit judging your career against the careers of others. Keep working and let the magic happen.
I couldn't find a credit for the narrator. She does a fantastic job. Don't hesitate to make this a commuter 'read.'

Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and put off by the tone and affirmations.

Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and put off by the ton..."

I will admit that there were a few moments here and there where the tone bothered me because, to me, it read a bit...hmm...what's the word...? Aggressive, perhaps. I can't really put my finger on it.

This may not be what you're talking about, but I did have a negative reaction to the tone in certain moments. The rest of the book I enjoyed, though, because I found it light and uplifting. Was it the 'light and uplifting' part that put you off?

C.V. wrote: "I listened to the audio version of this book, at just the right time."

The audiobook for Big Magic would be interesting to listen to. I bet Elizabeth Gilbert's voice comes alive even more in narration.

Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and put off by the ton..."

I read with a grain of salt, so yeah, some skepticism. It made me think, which is why I gave it a 5 star. There was depth in a few of her points at times, although not my cup of tea really. I thought her perspective interesting.

I do get what you mean by tone but the underlying wisdom in areas sometimes made up for that for me. I use affirmations for positive reinforcement, and meditation, so that part did not bother too much. There were parts that made me raise my eyebrows a little, lol.

I had to keep reminding myself that Gilbert stated she was writing the book for herself, especially when I'd get ruffled by something she said. I laughed at some of her stories and nodded at some of her ideas. Yet I almost put down the book at the part where she said she would tell people never to pursue a career in something creative, that it's a bad idea. Writing is my job, and too often people treat it like it's just my hobby. It's hard work. I'm lucky to be able to do it, and I love it, even eating the crap sandwiches that come with it.

Christine wrote: "I had to keep reminding myself that Gilbert stated she was writing the book for herself, especially when I'd get ruffled by something she said. I laughed at some of her stories and nodded at some o..."

The crap sandwich section was actually a place where there were quite a few things said that did bother me, where it read rather aggressive (still not sure if that's the right word.) If that tone/style had continued, I probably would've closed the book as well.

And continuing from what Jennifer mentioned...someone on Instagram ended up reading Big Magic after I shared a quote from it there. When she was done, she posted her reaction. She said she's more a "fan the grim and harsh 'Henry Rollins' type of advice/inspiration" and that this book was more lighthearted and it's not really her thing, though she'd still recommend it. I personally like lighthearted advice, but that just goes to show that every writer and reader is different, :)

Chrys wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and p..."

Oddly, yes. I found too much of it to be glib and sugary, focusing too much on genies and magic and happy talk, then shrugging and saying "so what if no one likes it!" I understand the basic sentiment, but writing for an audience is important to me. And then she offers very little in the way of *how* to shrug this off. "Just believe it and it's so" isn't realistic.

Juneta wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and p..."
Kinda wonder what you raised your eyebrows at.

Jennifer wrote: "Kinda wonder what you raised your eyebrows at."

Well, it is silly probably and more of personal angst more than something for all, I think. But, it was all the referring to the reader as dear ones and such.

I have an innate distrust now of people that speak in a glib and sugary way as you say. Been burnt more than once, so take them with a grain of salt. It made it harder for me to take the words serious if that is the right way to say it, not sure.

So it triggered that reaction right off the bat. The first time I read the book a couple of years ago I skipped chapters and skimmed it. This time I read it. I did find things this time that engendered deeper thought, which I like, and I enjoyed some of her stories about her journey.

Chrys mention an aggressive tone. It was sugar-coated but I know what she means. Something about that hit me off because creativity in some ways is an intangible thing, and different for everyone. It is light and airy. Or maybe it was the oxymoron of sugarcoated vs. aggressive push at moments. Hard to nail down.

So for me, I like parts of the book. I might should have given it a 4 star but it is well-written and worth a read. The fact it made me think rated the 5 stars.

Yes, I posted a review!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn't really know what this book was going to be about. It was the book club's choice for this month, so I decided to have a go. I liked it far more than I expected to. I would recommend it to anyone who regularly pursues a creative interest. In fact, when I got a copy and read it, I liked it so much that I bought a copy for a friend, who also enjoyed it so much that she too bought a copy for her friend.

I'm not sure I understand the cover, which just looks like splashing various paint to me. The title does make sense after reading the book, but based on just "big magic," I don't know that I would have picked it up if not for the club picking it. I do enjoy reading books about writing motivation though. The book was well edited. Interestingly, the book talks about editing something so that it's "good enough," and figuring out when to stop hunting for every possible error. (*cough* Not that I've ever done that. *cough*) One of the greatest lessons in the book though is the hard truth of living a creative life: That you should quit, unless you can't.

This book does have me interested in the other works by this author. It did inspire me to keep writing. Some of the observations of the book impressed me because I've never thought about them before. It's very informative and entertaining, and it's clear that Elizabeth is an authority on the subject. The lessons absolutely apply to my own life as a writer. I'm sure my fellow writers would also enjoy reading this. The entire book was clear and easy to follow. The author's passion for writing and staying creative absolutely came through. I feel that I benefited from reading this book.

In the "Courage" section, the list of fears, I nodded along several times. "Argue for your limitations and you get to keep them," was a powerful quote included in this book (also in the "Courage" section). I don't know how, exactly, it might apply with chronic illness or family matters, but there it is. The book mentions that projects that don't turn out well can be thought of as just creative experiments -- what a freeing idea that is! The story in the book about the novel that really wanted to be written, the one that Ann ends up doing, that's some serious motivation to write when the Muse comes to call. Very powerful.

Good enough and out there now is better than probably perfect but never out there... that's a lesson I should make my mantra and say daily or something. Pretty good books can sell and be read. Books that are never published aren't selling or giving themselves to the world.

The lesson about needing to love writing (or whatever) with your whole heart, the good and the bad parts, that's an important one. I think that's what weeds out most people. For example, during the #AtoZChallenge in April or NaNoWriMo in November, a lot of people start and make it for the first week. But, by the end of those months, it's only the people who loved doing it enough to keep at it despite the time consumption and dozens of things that inevitably go wrong for anyone who makes plans.

In a post-apocalyptic world, are writers useful? The book suggests that the fact that creativity exists is a gift, proof we are doing well. But I think the worse things are, the more people need the distraction of entertainment. (And if there's no more power or Internet, books and storytellers would go up in value.) That's the one part of the book I disagreed with. Perhaps my ego just wants to feel valuable so I have a fun reason to go on that isn't wholly reliant on another individual?

Being loved by nature and having a place in the world, mentioned in the "Trust" section, perhaps that's a more natural concept for me because of my Lenni-Lenape upbringing. It does seem to be one of the things that separated, or exiled, me from the more "civilized" children. Also in the "Trust" section was the bit about the Martyr and Trickster, which made me think of Batman and the Joker. As for the story of the Court Lobster, that's sort of why I decided to self-publish my first novel. (It was never going to wear the right costume, and I wasn't going to change the mythology just because others didn't know the legends I do. So I went "Court Lobster.")

On my phone, I can’t reply back to specific comments. Darn.

J. Dorner, I also didn’t quite understand the cover. I thought it looked like that dry paint that is blasted at runners in those marathons called Run or Dye. It is pretty, though.

I’m glad you picked up Big Magic because it was our reading selection and that you recommended it to others. I picked it up the first time a couple of years ago because someone recommended it to me. :)

I finished this back in December but just posted my review today. I'll come back to read others comments and elaborate on my own later. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was a fun read.

Jennifer wrote: "Chrys wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was s..."

I agree. There was just too much sparkly fairy dust coating everything in this for me. It's bright & cheerful and there's nothing wrong with that, but I was expecting more substance - more ideas, I guess, for how one can draw the creativity out of or into one's life. (beyond "believe" & it will happen) Something more concrete, I think. Anyway, I always enjoy getting different readers' viewpoints on the same piece of work. Interesting how we're all alike and yet so very different.

That’s a good point, Sandra. There weren’t any steps, tips, or concrete how-to advice. I would’ve liked more of that, too.

Let me say this first: the author sounds all bright and shiny while I’m currently all dark and twisty (Caitlin isn’t out of the woods, yet, so even my writing is a little darker than usual). So perhaps I took the whole “don’t let pain and suffering make you a better writer” thing in the wrong way… Some of my best writing comes from pain.

Okay, so the book is all about seizing the magical creative awesomeness around you and letting it guide you while not making too big a deal of it all, or it will all fall apart. And you shouldn’t let ideas linger, you have to immediately pounce upon them and complete the work or the idea will find someone else and become theirs.

Right.

These two quotes had me shake my head, though I do understand what she means:
“My creative expression must be the most important thing in the world to me (if I am to live artistically), and it also must not matter at all (if I am to live sanely).”
“You might be offered rewards on a silver platter, even as the rug is being simultaneously pulled out from under you.”

I don’t think I’ll be able to ever get to a point where my writing doesn’t matter at all – sanity is overrated and subjective, after all. And I don’t believe that awards are offered on silver platters: you work your arse off to earn them. But rugs? Oh, they get pulled out from under you no matter how hard you work or how carefully you’ve scanned the room for danger.

Sure, there’s a lot of great pieces in the book to inspire you to be amazing (I especially like how she had to cut 30% from a short story in order to get it into a specific edition of a magazine – there’s a lesson there), but talking about throwing out books that don’t work just doesn’t sit right with me (I like to know why something isn’t working – and usually I can fix it with enough hard work even if the result is something different from what it was before I began turning it into a true masterpiece.)

I enjoyed the anecdotes – especially the last one about Bali. I like the idea of being a trickster instead of a martyr, though I do think there should be balance. I do like the idea of stopping when something is “good enough” instead of “perfect”.

But… some of her personal writing stories (submitting to magazines) were familiar because it is something Stephen King had written about in “On Writing”: sometimes stories get rejected when you’re invisible just to get published when you are already “there”.

Did I find it inspiring? Meh. Did I find it entertaining – as in laughing, shaking my head or rolling my eyes? Yes. Do I think creatives should read it? Only if they’re still in the delusional state of thinking they need permission to be creative.

As far as self-help books go, it’s good.
[4 stars]

Susan wrote: "This book was the December-January IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) book club, and it was a real winner. Or maybe I should say we're all winners for having read it.

Uplifting and inspiration..."

What a lovely assessment. So glad you enjoyed the book.

Juneta wrote: "The book was not the perspective I expected. It made me think. It made me look at certain creative aspects that most of us get, differently. This is about the muse of inspiration rather than how to..."

Yes, this book itself was a creative take on this subject. I think she did an excellent job of empowering people to be creative, just because.

Jennifer wrote: "Did anyone else have a negative reaction to it? I loved her anecdotes, and she has some fantastic moments of insight that I wish I'd copied down. But overall, I was skeptical and put off by the ton..."

Not sure if I'm on the same page as you, but there were a few times when I did feel put-off by the tone. I think, in some parts, she gets carried away. While she clearly states that she wrote the book for herself, it's also clear that she had an audience in mind when writing it, and she was clearly "working the crowd" a few times.

J. wrote: "Yes, I posted a review!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I didn't really know what this book was going to be about. It was the book club's..."

I thoroughly enjoyed your assessment. I too went Court Lobster.

Ronel wrote: "Some of my best writing comes from pain."

Some of my best writing also come from my pain...for painful memories. I believe in using that pain in my stories.

Chrys wrote: "Ronel wrote: "Some of my best writing comes from pain."

Some of my best writing also come from my pain...for painful memories. I believe in using that pain in my stories."

Same here. I use my memories - both good & bad - anyway I can in writing. Sometimes, it works out. Other times, it doesn't.

Chrys
that dry paint that is blasted at runners in those marathon..."

Yeah, I've seen those. Could be that.

Toi
I too went Court Lobster.

Lobster claw fistbump. Ha ha.