One Year to a Writing Life

Whether you are a writer of fiction or essays, or want to explore poetry or memoir, Tiberghien's twelve fundamental lessons will help you discover and develop your own distinct voice. Tiberghien's inventive exercises focus on the processes unique to each genre, while also offering skills applicable to any kind of writing, from authentic dialogue to masterful short-shorts. With vivid examples from literary masters such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Eduardo Galeano, May Sarton, Terry Tempest Williams, and Orhan Pamuk, One Year to a Writing Life is an essential guidebook of exercises, practical advice, and wisdom for anyone looking to embrace, explore, and implement creativity in everyday life.

Twelve months of lessons for a portable workshop experience: With a format similar to Julia Cameron's best-selling The Artist's Way, longtime workshop leader Susan Tiberghien guides writers through every major literary genre--from journal writing to personal essays to nonfiction, memoir, prose, poems, and fiction--in a cycle of 12 workshops. Focusing on process--free-write, drafts, revisions--the lessons build upon each other, guiding readers to finding and developing their own voice. - An original and essential new book that merits a place next to the classics on the heavily consulted writing-guide shelf: Offering key elements of the best writing guides out there, One Year to a Writing Life merits comparison with Annie Dillard's The Writing Life in its authority and inspiration. Think Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write with the addition of thematic exercises and Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird with a workshop structure. Tiberghien also includes examples from masters in each genre, from the likes of Rainer Maria Rilke to Eduardo Galeano, May Sarton to Terry Tempest Williams, as well as Tiberghien's own work and that of her students. - By a highly active and beloved workshop leader: Tiberghien has taught at writers' workshops and conferences in the United States and in Europe for more than 15 years--and has regular engagements with IWWG (the International Women's Writing Guild), Hudson Valley Writers Center, and the CG Jung Institute.