Still Writing

July 8, 2013
In this hybrid guide, meditation, and memoir, novelist and memoirist Shapiro (Devotion) shares thoughts and strategies on the act of writing and the writing life. Focusing on the creative process itself, Shapiro divides her book into three parts—Beginnings, Middles, and Ends—and sprinkles thoughts in from all corners. For example, “Beginnings” contains ideas on how to begin a piece, as well as how to shore up self-confidence when young and just starting out. Unfortunately, the book suffers from a dearth of specifics in relation to craft. Concrete nuggets, such as an anecdote about unconsciously overusing the word “muffled”—a repetition Shapiro thinks indicates a lack of closeness to her characters—are the exception, not the rule. More prevalent are inspirational statements such as: “I reach for treasures in this underwater landscape. Ones that only I can see.... Courage is all about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” Many of the clichés do contain truth—“It is the job of the writer to say, look at that. To point. To shine a light”—but little in the book distinguishes it from a crowded field.

October 1, 2013
Novelist and memoirist Shapiro (Devotion, 2010) explores the qualities of a creative life while reflecting on the indelible relationship between her own experiences and her writing practice. An accomplished author, Shapiro provides insight into both craft and career, separating the text into three parts: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends. Each looks at certain literary efforts alongside everyday challenges faced at the different stages of the creative process, from such general pitfalls as procrastination to more unwieldy, internal struggles, such as uncertainty, restlessness, and self-doubt. Shapiro blends her personal thoughts with anecdotes from fellow writers, providing varying perspectives and strategies in navigating the demands of writing. Throughout the text, Shapiro weaves in reflections on the more difficult circumstances of her life, including an isolated childhood, her father's death, and the complicated relationship with her mother. In these moments, the narrative explores how such events shaped and informed Shapiro's writing then and now. Honest and conversational, Shapiro provides an introspective look into the creative process and the value of persistence, offering inspiration for writers at any level.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 15, 2013
A best-selling author's thoughtful examination of her life and the creative process that has defined it. Shapiro (Devotion, 2010, etc.) offers an intimate look at why, after the many ups and downs she has experienced in both her life and her career, she is "still writing." The acts of living and literary inscription are inextricably intertwined for Shapiro. To talk about one, she must necessarily talk about the other. With this in mind, she divides her book into three sections: beginnings, middles and ends. Shapiro credits a "lonely, isolated childhood," which made reading and writing "as necessary as breathing," as what set her on the path to authorship. At the same time, she lays out what she sees as the necessary conditions for the work of writing: for example, understanding where and how you create best and giving yourself permission to not know where the act of writing will take you. "Writing, after all, is an act of faith." The middles are trickier to negotiate. Shapiro was in midlife when she published her first memoir, which dealt with the "mess" of her 20s. Not long after that, her infant developed life-threatening seizures. Finding structure in the midst of chaos, being willing to start again and learning to live with uncertainty were the keys to her personal survival, just as they are key for writers lost in the morass of middledom. Endings are both a reward and a challenge. Shapiro is settled and happy, and she is successful enough to write full time. But she also knows her world is fragile. Despite the difficulties inherent in the writing life, it is still what she would choose not only because it has forced her to transcend herself, but also because it is something she must do. "The only reason to be a writer," she notes, is because you have to." Cleareyed, honest and grounded.

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