[.uk] The Writer's Book of Hope: Getting from Frustration to ... (ISBN 0805072357)

Encouraging and Informative:
Keyes does a great job presenting the case for finding hope in the writing process. This book specifically discusses: dealing with anxiety, frustration and despair, overcoming the discouragers in your life, exorcising excuses for not writing and pursuing a career in writing, the rites of rejection, the nature of publishers and editors, and how to keep hope alive. Years ago I had a basketball coach who taught "if you're not getting at least four fouls in a game, you're not playing defense." He didn't like fouls, but his point was, in the process of playing the game aggressively, fouls are going to happen. Fouls are not necessarily indicators of defeat, they are indicators of effort. Likewise, Keyes' approach to rejection is that all successful writers deal with rejection. In his book he provides numerous examples, including Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners, of authors who face rejection even after winning critical acclaim. Rejection is a fact of life, Keyes say, learn to deal with it. Easily stated, but it still hurts. According to Keyes, writers who have not experienced rejection are not sending out enough material; and, writers who don't learn to accept rejection as part of the writing process, are doomed to quit writing altogether. Keyes is the author of another book titled "The Courage to Write," which I highly recommend. Similar books by other authors which I would also recommend for the aspiring writer include: "On Becoming a Novelist," by John Gardner, and "The Forest for the Trees," by Betsy Lerner. Ron Atkins is the author of two children's books, Abby and the Bicycle Caper, and his upcoming (January 2005) Abby and the Bike Race Mystery.

Pick Up Your Pen and Step Away From the Ledge:
The Writer's Book of Hope, released in 2003, continues to be a beacon of hope to those on the long and tumultuous path to publication. Keyes gives anecdote after anecdote on writer's rejected who went on to become best-sellers. Excerpt: "Ursula Le Guin sent out her first story when she was eleven. She got her first acceptance at thirty-three. James Dickey endured years of form rejections before he finally saw hand-writing on one that said, "Not bad." According to James Lee Burke's agent, 100 editors turned down Lost Get-Back Boogie (including multipe editors at the same house) before Louisiana State University Press bought Burke's first novel for a pittance. It's a rare writer who doesn't have to hack through a jumble of rejection slips before (and after) getting published. Some of history's best-known books were rejected many times before finally being accepted. The Ginger Man, by J.P. Donleavy--now considered one of the best 100 novels ever published--was turned down by thirty-six publishers before it found a home..." Besides happy endings to rejected beginnings, Keyes takes us inside the world of publishing. Some of the Chapter titles: ~AFD Syndrome~ (before drinking hemlock) ~Dealing with Discouragers ~Rites of Rejection ~The Publishing Tribe (Why publishing Resembles High School) and more... This book is one of the few writing books I can't bring myself to give up. Every so often, I find myself discouraged beyond reason, and this book takes me back from the ledge of despair. It's a must read for any pre-pubbed writer needing an injection of optimism. REVIEWED ON: www.firstnoveljourney.blogpsot.com (author interviews, book reviews, and fiction related discussion)

Keyes is the go-to guy when you're ready to throw in the towel:
I've been a tremendous fan of Keyes since I read his earlier, awesome book "The Courage to Write". Reading his work is like having an intimate conversation with an old friend. Keyes notes, "When publisher's say,'There's no market for such-and-such a book' they're usually right with regard to existing markets. On the other hand, new markets, big ones, are out there waiting to be tapped. There are readers not being served because publishers don't know how to reach (i.e. how to go beyond existing categories and create new ones." Keyes warns the fledgling author of the dangers of discouragers, those who "fear you'll succeed and no longer be their friend." They may be worried that you might write about them, or worse yet- that you won't." On the other hand, he advises "Finding the right encouragers at the right time, is one of the developing writer's most important tasks." The book is interspersed with fascinating tidbits of famous authors own struggles and triumphs.The quotes alone are worth the price of the book. Keep this gem near your keyboard, or on your nightstand. You'll be glad for the support and quidance from one of our best inspirational writer's.

No hope for the weary:
I had high expectations and hopes for this book. Did I hate it? No. Did I love it? No again. Keyes' brand of hope is a mixture of encouragement and schadenfreude. The bulk of the book is comprised of anecdotes of the rejection, discouragement and personal insults visited upon some of literature's brightest stars. Do the stories help? Yes, in a way. When you've received another form rejection slip, it's nice to know that someone hated Kipling's work too. On the other hand, Keyes tends to generalize and make a lot of assumptions. For example, he goes on about how working alone is torture for writers (he must not know many introverts...for many of us, a silent house and a lack of coworkers is paradise, not hell!). He's also quite disparaging toward writers who have enjoyed early success and awards, so if you're in any of these categories, you might finish the book feeling more discouraged than you did when you started. The final chapters of Keyes' book consist of generic publication advice you've heard and read before: be professional, be persistent, do things your way but don't annoy your editors, actually sit down and write instead of watching that episode of your favorite TV show, etc. It's a good book, yes, but in my opinion, it doesn't live up to its title. For encouragement I think I'm going to stick with SARK; for no-nonsense advice and insight on writing, nothing beats Stephen King's On Writing.

Keep Hope Alive, Then Write and Publish:
I am quickly becoming a big Ralph Keyes fan. His writing is crisp, tight, and flows smoothly. His metaphors are apt and his references bolster the narrative. I recently read and reviewed Keyes The Post-Truth Era : Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life, gave that five stars, and was equally impressed with this book. In this work, Keyes mentions that he over-researches his books, which is a value to his readers because of the wide variety and very appropriate references and anecdotes that he can draw from to support his text. In many ways, you can learn how to write by reading his works. The Writer's Book of Hope is not about how to write; rather, its about what writers need to know about the craft and the business to maintain hope that they can both write and be published. Keyes covers three fundamental problems encountered by writers that tend to discourage them: Anxiety, Frustration and Despair, or AFD, as he calls it. He deals with each and shows how writers have dealt with them, by accepting them and overcoming them, to both write and to publish. He gives specific examples of authors and their thoughts and responses to these. He demonstrates that as a writer you are always alone (when actually at your desk composing) and never alone, both because so many others have gone through what you are going through, and because the current writing commuity shares the same pains (and joys). Keyes also includes a section on the publishing industry, and demystifies not so much the process as the people, or pub people, as they are known in the trade. Understanding how pub people think, operate and make decisions is also a source of hope. If you have any of the AFD symptoms, this book will most definitely give you hope.