Pressfield, Steven: The War of Art
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Writer: Steven Pressfield
Genre: Self-Help/Writing Literature
Pages: 165
One of the reasons I chose writer's block/procrastination for my teaching module was because there's so much advice out there, and oftentimes, it's conflicting. Either one person's advice cancels out another person's advice, or the advice just doesn't sit well with your psyche for whatever reason. My goal, for my teaching module, is to present to students the fact that there IS a variety of advice out there, and that advice should often (not always) be tailored to the individual writer. In my experience, blanket advice can cause problems, not just for your work habits, but for your self-image as well.
The War of Art came highly recommended to me by a friend whose opinion I trust. Just a glance at the cover told me this book would give me exactly what I was looking for in terms of material for my module, and hey, maybe some advice for me personally too, since I also battle with writer's block/procrastination.
Now there's one thing I should make clear: when it comes to "how-to" books or any volume that focuses on writing and writing habits, I think there's a tendency among readers to find one to use as a bible of sorts. This book will be the one that speaks to your soul and you agree with nearly everything it says. It's the first book that comes to mind when you hear others discussing the same kinds of problems you have. You'd swear by it. You'd recommend it to everyone.
For my two-cents, this is NOT that book. Not for me, anyway. And to be fair, I suspect Bruce Holland Rogers snagged that honor in my library with his Word Work.
Of course, there's something to be said for timing. Sometimes, a book that would be perfect for you a year ago would be the the worst possible book of advice now. Or vise-versa. The point is, you never know how such a book will hit you.
It's not to say that Pressfield doesn't offer good advice. His fundamental message is sound: take your writing seriously, or you won't make it. Unfortunately, this message is mired with a lot of philosophical crap that often annoyed me, infuriated me, or in other cases, flat out contradicted the point he's trying to get across.
This is the kind of book that REALLY makes me want to rant. I won't--well, I'll try not to--because this book is not for mentalities such as mine. Pressfield might point a finger and say that's Resistance talking, but I'm telling you, if Resistance is really common sense, I'll take Resistance any day.
Pressfield's view of writing and work habits are essentially black and white. There is ONE RIGHT WAY in which to carry yourself as an artist, ONE RIGHT WAY in which to work, and ALL other ways are forms of Resistance. And I'll be honest, I've met this mentality before, and while it annoys the piss out of me, I can handle it. What was so difficult to swallow with Pressfield's terminology was the fact he decided to tackle not just writing and the writer's state of mind, but the ILLS OF THE WORLD and if ONLY we would ALL break through Resistance and do the ONE THING we were MEANT to do on this Earth, the world would be a perfect place.
No, I'm not kidding. And I'm sorry, but I'm too cynical to swallow that pill. I wouldn't have believed it even at the most spiritual stage in my life. There's something about the smell of BS you just can't ignore.
But hey, if this is a philosophy you embrace, don't let me insult you. But what Pressfield says in this book, mired with a lot of other opinions that pissed me off (and while there's a grain of truth behind these opinions, unfortunately he lumps everything into blacks and whites, good and bad, and there's no shades of grey in between. So when someone tells me that depression and anxiety doesn't really exist, that it's just a form of Resistance, I get a little pissed), I felt that Paulo Coelho said much better in The Alchemist. Sure, my cynical self snickered at that book too, but at least the message was pure and simple and without ego.
Ironic, since Pressfield calls Ego the source of Resistance. Oy. What kills me is that while I've always known self-help books to have a bad rep, I never really expected to find a book CLEARLY LABELED self-help that was so full of opinionated, philosophical crap. If I'd been TRULY needing help on writer's block when I read this book, it would have hurt me far more than helped me.
BUT, that's ME. And others like ME. For those of you who don't like ANYTHING sugar-coated in the slightest bit, who work with the blood and the sweat and the tears of your craft and refuse to believe that any method save for your own is the right way (and that right way is to shut up, write daily, no matter what), this book might be useful for you. And if it is, that's great. Really. Just don't sit there and tell me that your way is better than my way and I won't be a successful writer because my way is not your way.
Other writers need options. And again, while Pressfield does have some good bits of advice to offer, I hesitate recommending this book to anyone whose form of Resistance is more than sheer apathy and stubbornness. It could be potentially dangerous to one's well-being, but I don't have a psych degree, so what do I know?
Next up: Write. 10 Days to Overcome Writer's Block. Period. by Karen E. Peterson