Write Your Heart Out explores how to turn personal experiences, ideas and emotions into stories, essays, poems and memoirs. In a clear, insightful voice, Rebecca McClanahan teaches readers how to mine and shape personal material, urging them to write deeply, honestly and imaginatively about the most important people, events and emotions in their lives. She emphasizes the importance of personal writing as both catharsis and discovery, addressing such topics as: * Writing about the past * Writing about, and from, strong emotions * Writing to communicate with family and friends * Writing about work, goals and interests Moving from the private to the public, the book's structure is formulated to guide readers in writing personal, heartfelt works that can, if so desired, culminate in publication. Write Your Heart Out , in the words of author Rebecca McClanahan, "is a mixture of direct instruction, writing exercises and prompts, examples from published and unpublished texts, and personal reflections on the writing process." Though a final chapter of the book does touch upon preparing your "private I" writing for the "public eye," the book emphasizes process, not product. McClanahan is interested in writing as a way of life, not in writing as a career. Her gentle, mellifluous words encourage the would-be writer to explore journal writing, memoir, writing about joy and sorrow, letter writing, and collaborative writing. The book's lovely, anecdotal prose is geared toward the person who has always wanted to write, but who, for whatever reason, just hasn't gotten around to it. Don't waste years waiting for life to become less busy, McClanahan says. "No one actually has time to write; each writer must make the time." --Jane Steinberg What makes a how-to writing manual effective often depends on what the reader brings to the book. This book is for those wanting inspiration and new ways of looking at their own world rather than aloof advice on how to improve their technique. McClanahan, the author of six books, including Word Painting, focuses here on the less tangible aspects of writing, with advice on writing from the perspective of joy rather than sorrow and writing letters of love and sympathy. She emphasizes the therapeutic character of personal writing and discusses such topics as writing about the past, work, one's goals, interests, and fears. Her warm and friendly tone is sure to inspire many. Well written and browsable, this book is highly recommended for public libraries. Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., Monroe, WI Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Write Your Heart Out grew out of a personal need not only to articulate what I already knew I knew about writing but also to discover what I didn't yet know I knew. (That's a whopper of a sentence, I realize, but it says exactly what it's supposed to say.) Writing the book was a process that felt, at times, like excavation: Word by word, paragraph by paragraph, what I needed to say was slowly revealed.   Writing the book was also an act of rediscovery--a renewing of vows, so to speak. In the process of writing about my life's work, old truths were made new again, and I was reminded of why I began writing my heart out in the first place, all those years ago. We write, in part, the words we need to read. I needed to read this book, but first I needed to write it.   Write Your Heart Out is organized like a spiral, a shape that reflects the book's evolution. The spiral begins at the axis of personal need, the "private I," and spins out, chapter by chapter, into what I call the "public eye."  The early sections of the book are concerned with uncovering your heart's truths, discovering authentic subjects, writing with honesty and authority, and developing the habits of a writer. As the book moves on, I discuss writing as a method for navigating challenging life passages, recording memories, expressing emotion, building community, and transforming personal experiences through the imagination. Finally, we look at ways to revise and reshape your writing for an outside audience, preparing your private I to meet the public eye. Write Your Heart Out is a mixture of direct instruction, writing exercises and prompts, examples from published and unpublished texts, and personal reflections on the writing process.   Many books about writing focus on particular literary forms--poetry, plays, novels, short stories, or essays. Others deal solely with issues of craft--how to build stronger plots, write clearer sentences, create believable characters. Although I occasionally address issues of craft and suggest techniques which apply to particular genres, my primary emphasis within these pages is writing as process rather than as product.  I emphasize writing as a form of exploration, a way not merely to communicate what you already know but also to uncover new thoughts, feelings, ideas, subjects, and imaginative connections.   "Writing your heart out" suggests se