Anyone Can Write

In To the Mystery

By Ken Steele

The process of committing our thoughts and feelings to paper is something that, at one time or another, has had great appeal to a significant number of people. Writer's block, in its many forms, seems to deter many. Two books that are excellent antidotes to writer's block are: "If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit" by Brenda Ueland and "The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life." by Julia Cameron. Brenda Ueland's book is available from Amazon for about $10, while Julie Cameron's paperback is available from the Greater Victoria Public Library. These are my favourites despite Natalie Goldberg's "Wild Mind" and "Writing Down the Bones," also occupying space on my bookshelf.

Brenda Ueland begins by asserting: "This book should be a great help in the freeing of your thoughts and the genius that is in all of us."  She then goes on to write: "Everybody is talented because everybody... has something to express... (If you don't believe this) Try not expressing yourself for twenty-four hours and see what happens...Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his true self and not from the self he thinks he should be."

Julia Cameron believes: "We should write because it is human nature to write. Writing claims our world...We should write because writing brings clarity and passion to the act of living... This book ... will be an 'into the water' book as we look at common blocks and some simple ways around them, common problems and some simple ways to solve them, common sticking points and some simple ways through them... This book will be a cheerleader for those trying the writing life... It is my hope that this book will help to heal writers who are broken, initiate writers who are afraid, and entice writers who are standing at river's edge, wanting to put a toe in."

Write about what you see. Write about what you know. But, primarily, write about what you feel.