How to Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play

For any aspiring writers that are trying to get into writing or veterans looking for a refresher, this is an excellent book for you. It goes over everything you need to be a successful writer by Barbara Baig’s 30+ years of experience as an accomplished writer and teacher. You’ll be able to have a very useful resource whenever you need to brush up on writing.I especially enjoyed how it speaks of developing creativity in the writing process, practicing until you get things down pat, and how it sums everything up to build that writing muscle through patience. Yeah, it’ll take time to master the art of writing but this is a great book to start honing your craft and build upon it as time goes on.This is 5/5 stars in my book and then some, it's that good and something I highly recommend for all my fellow writers. This is a must-have for beginners as you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did many years ago. At the time, I really wanted to gain more confidence in my writing and do things the right way through a veteran in the industry. This book undoubtedly helped me in my own personal development as a writer and it’s something I’ll always remember with a smile since I learned so much.

When you read a truthful book, you will know that it is in conjunction with your experience; nevertheless, when you want to buy a book, not only do you want truth presented in an understandable and a useful as well as approachable way, you also want some practical theory to try out for yourself to experience the joy of writing superbly with empowerment! This book delivers it because being a researcher in a field such as mathematics, I think that Barbara Baig has laid the foundation for my academic as well as popular writing in its most generality foundational and fundamentally so. It is without hesitation that I give this FIVE STARS. You get to hear her kind voice in the writing, if I met her on the street in passing and hear a conversation by her and I don't know this person's name per say, then I can with the nature of her enthusiasm an diction recognize that it is Barbara Baig distinctively. She comes across with energy contagious to joyful exploration of the writing process. I feel VERY safe with this book, for those who have been traumatized by bad teachers and professors, this book and her style makes it up for all of it, and more so over is and will become a favorite to return reading over and over upon self reflection to learn something new, thus is the nature of a Classic tool to have to learn how to write. Ideas come and go in the mind's screen and how to jot it down before I forget, some times the frankness and candidness is exemplary here. She hides nothing. In this book, you shall be getting some healing from a bruised ego in writing, venture with intelligence and a sense of life long adventure in being a writer. It is thus all an encompassing life skill to learn. She gives you the tools to use and a way that are fundamentally basic to becoming a professional too. Wow! Relax and enjoy this book, because it is realistically fun to read! Believe me or not, you have got to try this book for yourself to love it!

I got this book for my sister because she's been after me off and on over the years to try my hand at writing. Each time she does I think for a few moments how hard could it be? Maybe I could become somebody famous and make a lot of money. But then I wake myself up out this pipe dream, I know, deep down, I'm not a writer, I'm a reader. When I found the Longmire series on Netflix the first thing I thought are there any books? So soon I had read them all and only thing to do now is wait for another season of the of the tv series to appear. But then I discovered the author, Craig Johnson had a book of 12 short stories titled "Wait For Signs". If I had any misgivings before about short story collections they are gone now. This writer is a true craftsman. Yep, I'm a reader. So I'll just send the Barbra Baig book along to my sister, let her be a writer. Hmm... probably should have sent the short story book instead.

I had the great fortune to take writing classes a number of years ago with Ms. Baig at Harvard Divinity School. I've been wishing for a book written by her since then, perhaps as many as 10-15 years ago. Every so often I've surfed the internet to see if she's written a book. I was thrilled to find that finally she had, and pre-ordered in April. Today I received the actual book!I've just flipped through the book, and am happy to say that it's got all of the great techniques I remember from Ms. Baig's classes, as well as many we didn't get to. I cannot wait to use them for creative writing instead of for writing non-fiction.One thing I'm certain of. Ms. Baig's classes got my writing flowing so easily that I could often write a first draft of a sermon as fast as I could type it into the computer. It doesn't get better than this. Enjoy, everyone!BTW, I haven't seen Ms. Baig since taking the classes years ago, so this is not just a glowing review by a friend. <g>

If you are almost afraid even to admit you might like to try writing, Baig's book is for you. She holds your hand, comforting the timid would-be writer with essential re-assurance. Baig identifies ways in which our educational system causes writing intimidation in the first place and then presents convincing arguments that allow novices to find creative writing inviting and approachable .Her guidance and initial practice examples are magical in that at first you won't notice you are writing and have started on the writer's path. Her gentle persuasion continues throughout the book and provides multiple ways to facilitate your own creative powers. Not for those who need a kick-in-the-pants method to get pen on paper, but the more reticent writers out there can't go wrong with this book.

Still reading it. There are some very interesting concepts which I'm sure I will find very useful.

I would highly recommend this book, it gives some very good tips for anybody wanting to start writing either fiction or non-fiction.

Wow! This book is and was such a big help. Even now, I find myself opening it and reading it again and again. It is a big help for everybody interested in writing and for me personally it keeps reminding me what to look out for and keep in mind. *thumbs up*

good book