Elizabeth McCracken's A Long Game: The Liberating Truth About Writing a Novel
In an industry where the craft of writing is often dissected and distilled into neatly packaged advice, Elizabeth McCracken dares to buck the trend. This debut book is a refreshingly unapologetic take on the art of novel-writing, one that challenges the conventional wisdom of creative writing workshops and offers a provocative alternative.
McCracken's approach is unflinchingly honest and refreshingly unromanticized. She rejects the notion that writers can be coached into producing great work, instead embracing the messy, often painful nature of creativity. "Nobody knows how to write a book," she declares in her opening salvo, setting the tone for a book that eschews traditional wisdom in favor of a more personal and intuitive approach.
The author's own writing process is characterized by a sense of self-loathing, which serves as a counterpoint to the usual advice of harnessing creativity through discipline and routine. This willingness to confront her own demons is both cathartic and instructive, offering a glimpse into the mind of an artist who has found freedom in embracing the chaos of her own imagination.
McCracken's book is less about pedagogy and more about artistic expression. It's a celebration of the writing life as a form of sustained mischievous truancy – a refusal to play by the rules or be bound by conventions. This attitude will resonate with writers who have grown tired of being told what they should write, how they should write it, and when they should do it.
In A Long Game, McCracken offers an antidote to the stifling advice that can poison creativity: a reminder that writing is not about producing perfect prose, but about surrendering to the process and allowing oneself to be guided by intuition. This book will be a liberating read for writers who have grown weary of being told they're doing it wrong, and are instead hungry for a more authentic and unapologetic approach to their craft.
In an industry where the craft of writing is often dissected and distilled into neatly packaged advice, Elizabeth McCracken dares to buck the trend. This debut book is a refreshingly unapologetic take on the art of novel-writing, one that challenges the conventional wisdom of creative writing workshops and offers a provocative alternative.
McCracken's approach is unflinchingly honest and refreshingly unromanticized. She rejects the notion that writers can be coached into producing great work, instead embracing the messy, often painful nature of creativity. "Nobody knows how to write a book," she declares in her opening salvo, setting the tone for a book that eschews traditional wisdom in favor of a more personal and intuitive approach.
The author's own writing process is characterized by a sense of self-loathing, which serves as a counterpoint to the usual advice of harnessing creativity through discipline and routine. This willingness to confront her own demons is both cathartic and instructive, offering a glimpse into the mind of an artist who has found freedom in embracing the chaos of her own imagination.
McCracken's book is less about pedagogy and more about artistic expression. It's a celebration of the writing life as a form of sustained mischievous truancy – a refusal to play by the rules or be bound by conventions. This attitude will resonate with writers who have grown tired of being told what they should write, how they should write it, and when they should do it.
In A Long Game, McCracken offers an antidote to the stifling advice that can poison creativity: a reminder that writing is not about producing perfect prose, but about surrendering to the process and allowing oneself to be guided by intuition. This book will be a liberating read for writers who have grown weary of being told they're doing it wrong, and are instead hungry for a more authentic and unapologetic approach to their craft.
McCracken's approach is so refreshing, like she's speaking straight to me when I've been feeling stuck in the writing world. Her honesty about not knowing how to write a book? totally relatable. I mean who needs all that 'discipline and routine' stuff? I'm more of a 'just let it happen' kinda writer myself 
. And I love how she's embracing her own 'demons' instead of trying to silence them with all that self-criticism. This book is all about freedom, not perfection 
. Can't wait to dive in and see what kind of wild, creative ride McCracken takes us on! 
. elizabeth mccracken's approach is so liberating - no more self-doubt or fear of failure! 
let's write like we're not trying to please anyone else but ourselves 
- like, how many times have we been told to 'show up' to our writing sessions or 'write 500 words a day'? that's just not real life, you know? i mean, elizabeth mccracken is speaking straight to my soul here 
. let's get rid of all the bs about being a 'good writer' and focus on just being present in the moment and letting the words flow... it's liberating just thinking about it 
It's like, yeah, we're not supposed to play by the rules, and that's totally okay. We should be writing for ourselves, not some external pressure or expectation.
finally someone who gets it about writing... or at least, how hard the hell it is 
. Elizabeth McCracken's book sounds like just what we need - a dose of reality and no fluffy motivational speeches 
. No more "just write every day" nonsense, let's be real we all know our schedules are way too full to worry about that 
. All those writing books and workshops telling you to write every day and follow some formula are just so... basic 
. I mean, who hasn't felt like they're just going through the motions? It's refreshing to read someone who says "yeah, no, I don't have it all figured out" 
