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How to Embrace Percolation, Revision & Going Public
Bonni Goldberg’s The Write Balance introduces you to alternative perspectives and motivation for lasting creative fulfillment. This companion book to the beloved bestseller, Room toWrite is filled with encouragement, tools, examples and exercises.
Through years of teaching writing in workshops and in classrooms, Bonni has seen that the writers who are most passionate and grounded in their Writing Self embrace three aspects of the writing process: nurturing ideas, revising to best communicate those ideas, and completing the writing cycle by going public.
In this powerful guide, Bonni invites you to explore these creative stages which are essential to satisfying your Writing Self.
Use The Write Balance to:
- Find Fulfillment as a Writer
- Explore Creative Writing
- Add to Your Writer’s Toolbox for Perspective
- Overcome Writer’s Block
- Teach Creative Writing
- Inspire Your Writing Group
- Give as Gifts to the Writers in Your Life
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Q&A
– When and where do you prefer to write?
I’m glad you asked because the time of day I prefer to write has changed. I used to write at night. For the past few years (even before Covid) my best writing time is in the morning. This is a good example of how things can and do change for writers over time. This is why writing advice books like The Write Balance are important. As we evolve as writers, we need support as much as we do when starting out. As for location, I have and will write anywhere. These days I have a dedicated writing space and desk. But I write on my bed with my laptop when that is what’s available.
– Do you have a certain ritual?
Right now, I don’t. I only use rituals when I feel blocked. Last year, I started every writing session for 30 days by giving myself 5 minutes and a 150-word limit to write a piece of flash fiction. It helped me get riskier writing jumpstarted.
– Is there a drink or some food that keeps you company while you write?
Irish Breakfast Tea with milk in the morning and PJ Tips Extra Strong with milk and a spoonful of Potion in the afternoon. Potion is a mixture of all natural, no sugar ingredients an artist friend invented and shared the recipe with me. I named it Potion. He calls it by another name.
– What is your favourite book?
This is an impossible question for me to answer. I don’t have one fave. I don’t even have one fave in each genre. The first book I fell in love with as a child was The Endless Steppe (Esther Hertzog). I was inspired to write by Greek myths from the first moment I heard them, so Ovid’s Metamorphoses. And I was given permission to write in my own voice by reading the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, June Jordan and Ntozake Shange and stories by Grace Paley.
– Do you consider writing a different genre in the future?
I’m always open to different vessels for telling stories and for offering my perspective on subjects. I’ve written poems, essays, fiction, performance pieces, visual art pieces, lyrics and mashups of some of these forms. For me, what I’m writing dictates the form it takes.
– Do you sometimes base your characters on people you know?
I use the people I know as examples, without identifying them by name, in the Advice books I write. In other types of writing, I lean towards historical figures and events. So, I think it’s more accurate to say that those I write about embody aspects of myself or others I know that resonate with me.
– Do you take a notebook everywhere in order to write down ideas that pop up?
Nope. I use my cell phone.
– Which genre do you not like at all?
I’m not a fan of war stories.
– If you had the chance to co-write a book. Whom would it be with?
It would depend on what the book was about. If I was writing about death in our society, I would want co-author with Caitlin Doughty. If I was writing about American philanthropy I would love to co-write with Edgar Villanueva.
– If you should travel to a foreign country to do research, which one would you chose and why?
If I had to choose based on what I’m currently working on it would have to be Israel. I would want to both to see if I could interview key figures in the story and to absorb more sensory and energetic aspects of the landscape. But Israel isn’t first place I’d travel if I could go anywhere, because I’ve already been. I’m intrigued by the idea of going to another country I’ve wanted to visit with the intention of finding a story or subject there to research… Thank you for having me in your virtual community.
Thank you
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About the Author
Bonni Goldberg is the author of The Write Balance: How to Embrace Percolation, Revision & Going Public, the companion book to the best-seller Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer’s Life. Bonni is an award-winning poet and writer. She is the creator of the 2 Minute Journals™ series. Both traditionally and indie published, her books include non-fiction for adults and fiction and non-fiction for young readers. Her essays and blog posts can be found in numerous print and online publications.
Bonni teaches creative writing at colleges and leads writing workshops internationally for all ages. She knows everyone is creative, and she supports people to discover and share their authentic, meaningful and imaginative experiences through words. Whether through her writings or through teaching, her methods and perspectives continue to empower thousands of adults, families, and children.
Bonni is also a Jewish educator. She speaks, writes, and leads workshops on Jewish topics such as Jewish identity, rituals and antisemitism at Jewish women’s events, JCCs, and conferences.
Bonni Goldberg lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner in life, and some creative projects, artist Geo Kendall.
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Author Links
www.bonnigoldberg.com
www.facebook.com/bonnigoldbergbooks
www.twitter.com/bonnigoldberg
www.instagram.com/goldbergbonni
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Book Link
https://books2read.com/u/3n2XQ9
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Giveaway
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30-minute coaching call (video or phone if US)
Q&A Zoom with their group (video)
Feedback on 3 double spaced pages of their work (via email)
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