Demons of the Blank Page

Demons of the Blank Page

From the Author's Preface:Â Â

During the ten years I taught in college, and the numerous writing conferences and workshops I have been a part of since then, I've heard volumes of advice about the technical aspects of writing. Plot, character, pace, description, dialogue, theme, metaphor, symbolism, and so on.Â Â In the conferences especially, there has been a lot of good practical information about finding an agent, attracting a publisher, self-publishing, e-publishing, and marketing a book once it is in print. All this is very good, helpful, and necessary. For high school and college writers, the technical material is useful; for those writing a book or hoping to make a career in the world of words, the practical material can provide a clear understanding of the publishing landscape. But again and again in those classrooms and workshops, I was struck by the fact that very little was being said about what might be called the emotional or psychological aspects of the writing process.Â Â

Over the course of thirty years in the profession, thirteen book publications, and several hundred articles, reviews, Op-Ed pieces, travel essays, food essays, personal essays, political analysis, profiles, and thanks to countless conversations with writers - some famous, some widely published and admired, some struggling to finish a first book or find an agent, and some simply hoping to earn a good grade on a college assignment - I know how critical that interior dimension of the writing life is.Â Â

In this book I hope to shed some light on that dimension of the work, not as a psychiatrist or counselor, but as an author, because I am sure that writing success - however that term is defined for the individual writer - always has its roots in the soil of the psychological/emotional world.Â Â

From chapters entitled "Writer's Block" to "Finding A Mentor" to "Impatience and Rejection", Merullo covers these topics with the insight, empathy and encouragement of an author who has "been there." Demons of the Blank Page is a no-nonsense handbook and guide for aspiring and established writers alike.

One author who received an advanced copy of Demons of the Blank Page recently wrote: "...I will assign it to every student I teach now. It's wonderful!"Â
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Â And another said: "I'm enjoying Merullo's book.Â It's direct, thoughtful, and covers a lot of important questions that the manuals on technique leave out... I'll use it in both my writing classes... I especially loved his chapter on Envy..." Â

Merullo's work has been hailed "happily inventive, precise and musical" by The Boston Globe and "emotionally complex, politically intelligent, [and] beautifully written" by Kirkus Reviews.

Country	USA
Author	Roland Merullo
Binding	Paperback
Brand	Brand: AJAR Contemporaries
EAN	9780983677406
Feature	Used Book in Good Condition
ISBN	0983677409
Label	AJAR Contemporaries
Manufacturer	AJAR Contemporaries
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	136
PublicationDate	2011-05-24
Publisher	AJAR Contemporaries
Studio	AJAR Contemporaries
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Demons of the Blank Page

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