[.ca] Writing from the Inside Out: Transforming Your ... (ISBN 0471382663)

Some great suggestions, but could be better:
Eric Maisel's "Living the Writer's Life" is one of the best books I've found on the writer's life, right up there with Rachel Simon's "The Writer's Survival Guide". Palumbo's, unfortunately, is not so spectacular, although it definitely has its merits. One of Palumbo's best-conceived ideas is that in order to be happy with our writing, we must learn to enjoy the process for its own sake, not simply for external rewards such as sales and good reviews. I particularly like his view of writing as meditation, "a hushed, private space"--a calling more than a career. Palumbo talks about the problems all writers face, and it might help you to realize that you aren't so alone after all. As much as I loved the good parts of Palumbo's book, however, there were definitely some parts I didn't like. For example, I took real issue with some of his claims regarding bipolar disorder, particularly his claim that bipolar is nothing more than an unhelpful label. As someone who HAS bipolar disorder (a genetically-inherited, biologically-based *illness*), and whose life was very much aided by the proper medication, I can say that such "labels" can be very helpful indeed! If you're worried about somehow losing your creativity if you medicate and calm your manic phases, I can personally testify to the fact that in many cases medication makes it much easier to actually sit down and take advantage of your creativity, rather than taking it away. It is clear that Palumbo has some very strong feelings on certain matters, and every few chapters these feelings detract from the usefulness of the book. He bashes would-be writers who haven't yet written anything, comparing them to someone who says that they've always wanted to give heart surgery a try one of these weeks (the analogy holds merit in that writing requires skill, but falls apart in that writing requires more learning-by-doing, and can at least be attempted, explored, and practiced by the unskilled!). If there's one thing I took away from Maisel's book, it's that every writer was once a would-be writer. And the line between "wanna-be" and "would-be" isn't something we can assume just by looking at someone. I don't recommend this book to the novice or "would-be" writer. Unlike Maisel's book, it's likely to give you a few skewed ideas about creativity and your own role in writing. On the other hand, it has a lot of very useful suggestions for writers who have some experience and are looking for help with the ups and downs of their craft. Palumbo has written lots of scripts and screenplays, so he has plenty of advice that is of particular use to those writers dealing with Hollywood.

Not just for fiction writers:
I am an assistant professor and this book helped me get over writer's block on my academic research. The fear, self-doubt, and all of the other psychological things discussed in this book are true for all writers. This is a must read for ANY WRITER, I assign it to my graduate students.

If you want to write, DON'T read this book!:
Despite the title of this post, this is actually a very good book. But instead of inspiring me to write, Dennis Palumbo actually had the opposite effect. He actually convinced me to quit working on my novel. Why? Because all the negative things about writing--envy, loneliness, uncertainty--are all that he focuses on, even though his clients (or amalgamations thereof) are wildly successful. I mean, why should I spend all that time on something that may never get sold? If I'm going to put that much time into writing, I'm going to get something out of it. I've spent more than enough time on the job, and it still isn't done. So I'll focus on the writing I'm best at--opinion, quiz games, and business procedures. The best thing anyone can do is keep this book out of the hands who's serious about making writing a career, because if they read it, they'll surely wind up doing something else.

Hope for all writers:
An awesome book for those who are "stuck" in their writing lives. Palumbo uses real-life examples to demonstrate that all writers, from the beginner to the most successful, at one time or another struggle with the writing process. The examples he uses reassures us that "we are not alone" in our creative frustrations and there is hope, even if we (as writers) don't see it.

HOW I SAVED $11,000:
I've read this book three times, some sections four times. Most of the chapters were originally a series of monthly columns "The Writer's Life" by Dennis Palumbo that ran in the Writer's Guild of America magazine. Like most members of the WGA it was the first thing to which I turned, because it was indeed about my life, about writing my first novel, the occasional screenplay, and now that I am currently writing my sixth novel, this book is on my bed stand-which explains the third and fourth readings. But "Writing from the Inside Out" is not a collection of old columns. Palumbo enhanced and rewrote the original material as an inspired book about the psyche of the writer and the creative process itself and how to nurture and sustain it when not only the outside world but your own mind appears to be thwarting you. For such a wise and insightful work it is often entertaining and a delight to read, no doubt because Palumbo was a successful TV sitcom and screenwriter who co-wrote "My Favorite Year" (not incidentally about a meshuggeneh TV writer) before answering the calling to be a psychotherapist specializing in creative issues. In his new profession he now enjoys an international rep. The comic and comedy writer Gary Shandling comments in a blurb, "Every writer should have a shrink or this book. The book is cheaper." Shandling is not joking. At Palumbo's current fees I estimate I have saved $11,000 each time I read this book thoughtfully chapter by chapter. There are a few who criticize that "Writing from the Inside Out" makes the struggle to write seem too difficult. For them there is a bridge in lower Manhattan that runs from the Soho garrets of struggling writers to the trendy Brooklyn Heights residences of several acclaimed authors on which I can make them a very good deal. For a low comfortable down payment and easy monthly installments, this historic bridge can be yours. For those with more realistic ambitions to be a writer, I commend this wise empowering book without reservation. Richard Setlowe