On Being a Writer – Kroeker and Craig [Review]

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A review of

On Being a Writer
Ann Kroeker and
Charity Singleton Craig

Paperback: TS Poetry Press, 2014
 
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Reviewed by Sarah Lyons
 
 
My writing desk at the moment is, unfortunately, nowhere to be found. Well, that might be slightly misleading since the desk itself hasn’t moved. But every possible surface is covered with something—piles of paper, photographs in frames, and pieces of clothing pushed to the side or draped over the chair.
 
I feel embarrassed because my room is actually in pretty good condition, organized in that constantly-unsettled young adult way. It’s just the desk that’s impossible to navigate. I don’t even know what’s on it anymore. And I’m embarrassed because that says my writing life is slowly getting choked out.

In hopes of giving myself a kick-start, I picked up On Being a Writer to read and review. Maybe it’s not the most revolutionary of books—I’ve skimmed through multiple other writing guidebooks with varying degrees of success. But unlike the others, this one doesn’t threaten you with a bullet-point list of “write like that author or stay unsuccessful.” Instead it coaxes you into forming habits, into making writing a priority.
 
Personally, I was surprised at how far-reaching the twelve habits are. The chapter “Surround,” for example, suggests that you fill your life with things that will both inspire you to write and will fill your soul. The writer’s lifestyle is one of self-care and self-discovery; you do not form habits to write out of obligation, but to satisfy a deep need in your person.
 
If you’re willing to do the work, this book will deliver on its promises. It’s extremely well structured and equally versatile. The authors suggest in the introduction that there are “a few ways you might consider engaging with this book,” such as deciding to “read it with your writing group” or read only “a chapter a week” (15). Each chapter consists of six main parts: a section of the authors’s stories, how to interact with your own writing life, journal and writing prompts, discussion questions, and an extra “bonus” activity.
 
Because of this, On Being a Writer is one of the most interactive guidebooks I’ve had the pleasure to read. Not only do I feel as though it can apply to me in any stage of life, whether I’m by myself or in a group setting, but I know that I will interact differently with the book each time I go through it. I can confidently say it’s a wise buy for the bookshelf because the value of re-reading it is so high.
 
I don’t have many complaints to add. Occasionally I felt as though the activities were more suited toward nonfiction, poetry, or blogging rather than fiction—yet this will not be a disadvantage for everyone (and I suspect that it will simply stretch the imagination of fiction writers a little more).
 
Overall the book is not about doing things in one particular way. Instead it will shape how you think over time, helping you discover what a writer’s life looks like for you. And for me, whether my desk remains messy or clean, it began rebuilding the habit to write.