Dancing on the Head of a Pen
The Practice of a Writing Life
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- 45,00 kr
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- 45,00 kr
Utgivarens beskrivning
A compelling combination of advice and inspiration, Dancing on the Head of a Pen will challenge and encourage writers, artists, musicians, painters—anyone drawn to a life of artistic expression.
Digging deeply into his own writing habits, failures, and successes, Robert Benson helps you choose the ideal audience for your work, commit to it, and overcome the hurdles that inevitably confront both aspiring artists and accomplished professionals. Extending beyond the craft of writing, this gentle book moves into a rich discussion on the relationship between spirituality and art. Including wisdom from revered writers past and present, Dancing on the Head of a Pen is a beautiful mosaic of inspiration, practical help, and a glimpse into the disciplines that shape one writer’s life.
“Dancing on the Head of a Pen is a pure delight to read. Encouraging, honest, practical, and important. I needed this book.”
—Melody Carlson, author of more 200 books including Finding Alice
“With deceptive simplicity and an almost seductive easiness in his voice, Benson lays open before us the filigreed mystique of the writing life in all its beauty, its unmitigated angst, and its inescapable vocation.”
—Phyllis Tickle, author of numerous books including The Divine Hours
“Robert Benson’s Dancing on the Head of a Pen is a gem. It is wise, witty, and inspiring—a trifecta seldom achieved by a book on the writing life.”
—James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Plot & Structure
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Baseball, road trips, and hats feature in Benson's well-crafted exploration of the writing process. The prolific author (Moving Miss Peggy), who has written on prayer and faith as well as other topics, conveys to a general audience that persistence, sound habits, and good information can help aspiring writers transform an idea into a book. Everyday details about Benson's life in Nashville abound as he challenges those who advise "quick and dirty" first drafts; shares insights picked up from his wide reading; and confesses his failures ("I once spent a whole year pretending to write a book"). His creative flair, gentle humor, and extended metaphors enliven conventional topics (choosing what to write, developing self-discipline, determining when to share one's work). He describes his idiosyncratic, sometimes low-tech writing habits to encourage others to find what works for them. Benson emphasizes that writing is a job to which one must show up every day. Throughout, he demonstrates that a determined writers must makes successful choices to finish books. Benson's sound advice, humility, and steadfast encouragement will appeal to his fans and others looking for a inspirational testimony about the writing life.
