Product Description

Writing with Power is a guide for the student writing an essay, the professional writer working on a story, or the manager writing a memo for a tight deadline. As Elbow explains, "Writing with power doesn't just mean getting power over readers. It means getting power over yourself and over the writing process: knowing what you are doing as you write; figuring out what you really mean; being in charge, having control; not feeling stuck or helpless or intimidated. I am particularly interested in this second kind of power in writing, and I have found that without it you seldom achieve the first kind". For the second edition, Elbow has written a new introduction in which he discusses in detail the "mysterious" dimensions of "Writing with Power" - voice, quality and bad writing, wrongness and felt sense, and sharing written work with others.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #189004 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Customer Reviews

This book gave me my job
It is in fact very simple: This book - or rather, an older, former edition of it - was given to me as a birthday present ten years ago. Ever since I have been writing. Writingwritingwriting. Today I am a professionel prose writer. Writing is how I make my living. I write fiction, essays, feature-, science-, and literary journalism in Denmarks leading newspaper. But it all began with this book. With its fine "questions to help you write about ..." (e.g. Is your problem a type of insanity? Do you need to take a pill, or to be cared for and nursed while living trough the madness). With its fundamental division between being creative and being discriminating. With its very clear and - frankly - choking ways of presenting things in a way that can make you believe in yourself. I found the book here on the net, because I am going to buy it. My first copy was almost used up, when I lented it to someone who didn't return it. No wonder. But, Rebecca, when you are finished could you pass it on? Please. Someone else might need it.

Powerful book about writing
Excellent book. It takes you through many different forms of writing and makes you feel it's not just possible, but easy and enjoyable. Many 'how to' books do that, of course - but this guy knows his onions and by the time you've read the book, you too can tell a shallot from a scallion.
My favourite chapter - Poetry as no Big Deal.