Guest Author - Melissa weise

“You can (and fairly quickly) create a writing life where the writing process itself is so enchanting and delicious, you want to write. You go to the desk willingly, stresslessly. You don’t have to make yourself write. It’s not work. It’s not tedious or punishing. It’s what you do. A happy, productive writing life is like a simple, perfect dinner or prayer and medication. It’s soul food.” Heather Sellers from the Introduction.

Heather Sellers writes an inspirational step by step guide on discovering who you are as a writer and tapping into your potential in her book, “Page After Page”. She uses a mixture of experience, practicality and psychology in her premise and writes a jaunty and approachable manner.

At a brief 225 pages, the book is broken into three parts and thirty chapters, each reading like a lesson plan. Each covers a discrete topic and each ends with specific homework that complements and puts into practice what you have covered. She starts at the beginning, talking about what it means to be a writer and the different styles of writing. She talks about writing as being with a “lover” and urges you to discover whether or not you have your lover “on the side” or “in the center”, whether you are a writer or just a “want-to-be”. Interspersed with her own journey to becoming a writer, she never makes you feel less than, rather lifting you and universalizing every writer’s struggle to become a “Writer”.

She urges that the only way to be a writer is to, simply, write. Not talk about writing or learn about writing but place you “butt in chair” and write. She talks about writing as if you were training for a marathon and stresses the importance of consistency. She tackles the difficult subjects such as “daring to suck” and what to do when you are drawing a blank. She also talks about an interesting concept of using your past experiences like a creativity “compost pile”.

“Page After Page” is an affirming and informational book that any writer should have on hand for inspiration and practical advice. It’s like having a personal mentor that you can turn to whenever you need.