The Right to Write

Writing, for Julia Cameron, is neither solely vocational nor avocational: it is a way of life. It comes first thing in the morning, while the horses are waiting to be fed; it happens at the kitchen counter, while the onions are sautéing; it takes place on "dates" at café tables shared with like-minded friends; it unfurls in the mind as the 65 pickup "bucks over the rutted dirt roads like a stiff-legged bronco." The more than 40 brief personal essays that make up The Right to Write are an unyielding affirmation of the writing life and a denigration of all that gets in the way: busy schedules, procrastination, insecurity, lack of writing space, a day job--you get the point. Cameron's common-sense advice is liberating to anyone who has felt hampered by making a big deal out of writing (this "tends to make writing difficult. Keeping writing casual tends to keep it possible"), by not having the time to write ("Get aggressive. Steal time"), or the like. If you can relate to a spirit that compares writing to revelation, prayer and Zen pursuits, that might just attribute misguided communication to Mercury retrograde simpatico, then you will find much to embrace here. And you will never, never again dream of waiting for that commitment-free sabbatical in the south of France to get your writing project under way. --Jane Steinberg

View other editions of The Right to Write.
View books by Julia Cameron.

Brilliant book - Got me writing and enjoying the process - Rated
I have always wanted to write and have always thought that writing was not for me. This book changed all that. I am now writing and writing and writing some more. I am not worried if I ever get published but just writing for writings sake and for the fun I have as I write.
It just feels (w)rite :-)

Go ahead and read it and then begin your own personal journey through writing.

INSPIRING - Rated
Julia Cameron's increasing love affair with words becomes more and more evident as this book progresses. Unlike writing books that give you 'fool-proof' instructions on how to catapult your writing career to dizzying heights, this book gives you a thorough insight into how best you can utilise your own creativity and word-smithery. Inspiring - almost spiritual - this book left me with a warm glowing feeling with each and every turn of a page. Ms Cameron does not lecture, talk down to or patronise fellow writers. Instead, she takes them by the hand and leads them on an exciting and completely realistic journey, the end of which is all the more satisfying because it is achievable by everyone.

As a writer myself and former Creative Writing tutor, mentor and work-shop speaker, I recommend this book to all writers old and new. I have read many, many writing books in my lifetime, but this is by far the greatest ever.

I highly recommend it.

J P Henderson-Long

saccharine, self-help seminar style - Rated
It is quite difficult to write a fair review within the guidelines set out here, but I just want to say that I find the style and central tenet of this book unbearable. I also disagree with the central tenet of this book, that anyone can write and that writing is not a tortuous activity.

Inspirational and important creativity manual - Rated
The Right to Write has had a dramatic effect on me as a person and a writer. To call it inspirational, as I have done above, is really an understatement. It reaffirms writing as a totally natural human endeavour which is something we forget when we allow ourselves to be bogged down with thoughts about what we 'should' be writing, or the purpose of writing, or what other people think we should be writing, or the outcome of writing (ie publication).
Julia Cameron reminds us that the process is as important as the product. Writing thus becomes a joyful experience rather than a painful or tortured one. For the author, writing is an intrinsic way of of exploring life and what we think and believe. It is a way of digesting our world and of releasing ourselves, of thinking more widely and freely. By the end of the book you will most definitely feel liberated from all your preconceptions and writers block.
For Cameron, letting go of the inner critic and getting into the habit of writing daily, without constantly checking and editing, is a goal we should aim for. It is ingrained in us to censor ourselves, to either find excuses for not starting in the first place, or for over-editing. This manual teaches you how to overcome your fears about facing the blank page. The book is a great self-esteem builder and is like a friend giving you some honest but feelgood advice. In my opinion writing is not simply therapy - it is much more than that. I am afraid that I am incorrigably atheistic, but even I feel that writing can have a deep spiritual dimension.
This is a book about creativity. It is not for those who want to learn the techniques of characterisation, plot, setting, theme etc. It is not in any way like the 'How to Write....' series that abound. It can be used by writers, artists, musicians, almost anybody who has an interest in creativity.
Curiously at the same time as being philosophical it is also of immense practical use. It is organised into short 'essays' on themes and is full of illuminating personal anecdotes and moral stories, without being in any way didactic. Following each essay is an exercise, called an 'initiation tool'. These get you started in a gentle way. For example
- writing a letter from the point of view of your older self to your younger self, giving advice
- making up your own outrageous tabloid story and writing it up
- starting the habit of 3 'Morning Pages' every day
- writing for an hour about your Ideal Life
- writing a list of 100 things that make you happy
It is surprising how these sort of exercises prompt you to enjoy writing for its own sake.
I finish by assuring you that this book with expand you, delight you and teach you. Make sure you buy it.

A turning point - Rated
I can't thank the author enough for writing this book. One by one in my desire to write I have hit most of the obstacles she talks about. This book has helped me overcome all of them: so called 'block', procrastination, self-doubt, other's criticisms, fear of failure, fear of success - you name it, she deals with it. At the end of each section are genuinely effective and inspiring exercises. Her point is: anyone can write, just relax, dig deep into your own well of experiences and emotions and get that pen moving every day even if for only twenty minutes - everything else will follow.