As a writing-book junkie, I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Christi Krug’s
Burn Wild. Books like Steven King’s
On Writing and Anne Lamott’s
Bird by Bird are full of amazing insight and advice, but none of that will do a writer a lick of good until she actually sits down and writes.
If you want to write but are daunted by getting started, you will find help here. This is a book that reminds you writing is creative and should be fun. It encourages you to make mud pies and gives you tools for overcoming your fear of getting your hands dirty.
If you, like me, enjoy a dry, academic style, this book may strike you as a bit sparkly-rainbow.It is unapologetically a “feel-good” book, as cheerfully acknowledged by the author in the introduction. When I took Christi Krug’s Wildfire Writing class, it felt hokey and uncomfortable at first, but no matter–I was inspired anyway. Classroom exercises (which have become “sparks” in the book) inspired short pieces which I later grew brave enough to submit and see published.
Many of the tiny forty-three chapters in the book are focused on circumventing one’s inner critic in order to let the creative self loose. Throughout the book are “sparks,” (writing prompts or other activities) which will help reinforce the ideas. Some may grab you, some may seem less useful. But give them a try. This is a well-written book, but you won’t know how effective it is until you put it into practice. In addition to the suggested exercises, the chapters contain gleanings from many classic writing books and are enriched by personal anecdotes from the writer’s life and the writing lives of her friends and students.
This is a wide-ranging book. The chapter “Fired Up for the Journey” is particularly helpful for new writers. It explains the different stages of the creative process and what we should focus on in each stage. It’s very simple, but reduces confusion and frustration for the writer who’s never taken a project from start to finish before.
Other chapters will stand out to you (or not) according to your personality and writing experience. While a few chapters seemed vague to me, or addressed topics I didn’t connect with, I found most of the book to be useful and thought-provoking. I especially liked the warning to beware the creeper of ambition (guilty), the admonition that “You have no idea how good you are until you give the work your best strength,” and the practical steps for dealing with my personal writing nemesis, procrastination. Burn Wild is the cheerleader I need when I’m cynical or stuck or uninspired.
Best of all, Burn Wild is grounded in the big picture, and reminds us that the important thing is who we are, not what we produce. “Instead of being famous, as I once thought I needed to be,” Krug writes, “I have found a sphere of influence where I can help and encourage.” That’s the kind of writer, and person, I want to be.
–by Gypsy Martin
Brave on the Page is a delightful Portland-centric collection of essays and interviews about the writing process. I’m proud to be a part of this award-winning book available from Forest Avenue Press.