Reviews of "Wave

Here you will find reviews of Writing the Wave by Elizabeth Ayres (Perigee 2000) as they appeared in various newspapers and magazines. In the sidebars, you'll see actual reader reviews from Amazon.com.

from Aspiring Writers Given Hope
by Phaedra Greenwood, Taos News

The ultimate book on the writing process for aspiring and perspiring writers could very well be Elizabeth Ayres' Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers (Perigee, 2000).

This is one of the few books on the market with very specific and progressive timed writing exercises designed to help you tap into the ocean of creativity inside you, even if you're doubtful, intimidated or blocked. These writing aerobics should jump-start the writing process and keep the creative flow moving once you've popped the cork on your bottle of ink. One of the exercises suggests that you create a dream, a process that frees your imagination to go anywhere it wants to.

"I've bought many writing exercise books over the years -- by Natalie Goldberg, Julia Cameron, Nancy Aronie and others. While I enjoyed reading them, they're now gathering dust on my shelves. Not so this book! It's fun, and I'm learning more each day, because it's like a written version of a class, which I find helpful."

Ayres begs you not to skip around, but do the exercises in order "because the steps have been carefully planned to lead you somewhere, but if you know beforehand where you're going, you'll never arrive."

Broken into small steps, each exercise is easy and takes only a few minutes, but the overall effect of the linear sequence supposedly builds to a rush of ideas, images and scenes.

"I can't begin to explain the power that this book holds. Every exercise brings out the words I've striven for for years, the writing I never imagined I would be able to do. I graduated from GMU with a Creative Writing BA, but the work that follows from these exercises is beyond belief: powerful, full of imagery, full of life."

You begin by facing "Monsters of the Deep," a chapter designed to help you write your way past your fears by connecting you with your muse, defined as "a larger, Divine source."

"Non-intrusive spirituality will make you bold enough to reach for the stars with your writing," she says. "After the first few exercises you'll be diving deeper and riding higher with words than you ever dreamed possible."

"The innovative, creative and user-friendly exercises in this book are nothing short of a way to blast the cobwebs out of your writing. It's not a book you read -- it's a course you do! And in the process, you tap into those deep streams within yourself that even experienced writers may have buried away."

 

She moves on with imaginative layering to generate raw material; taking charge of what you write; naming a main idea and developing it; and structuring your writing. Then you proceed to the chapter on how to jump-start a stalled work-in-progress; pumping passion into lifeless pages; using sound to catalyze the imagination; and discovering your next project.

"I've stumbled along for years, trying different writing strategies by different authors, without much success or satisfaction. Writing the Wave has changed all that. It's enriched my thinking and given me a greater command of theme, structure and imagery. Even the third or fourth time around on the same exercise, I continue to surprise myself with words I never knew I had in me."

 

"Of all the writing books I've never had, this one makes me feel I have a writing coach right by my side."

from Must Reads
by Ann LaFarge, Executive Editor,
Kensington Publishing Corp.

Well, in case you want to try realizing those dreams [to write like Jane Hamilton, Ken Wells or Elizabeth Strout] here are two books about the craft of writing which, in our opinion, far surpass most books (with the exception of Strunk and White) on that subject. They are very different [and] should you fancy a softer-edged, more spiritual approach to the writing game, you might prefer Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers by Elizabeth Ayres.

from Write for Life
in Free Spirit

Everyone wants to be a writer, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to make it a living, breathing reality. Discipline, patience and faith are easy to scrap when the going gets awkward and it will, at some point. If you're one of those creative nymphs who feel like the Darwinian challenge is robbing you of your inspiration to write, Elizabeth Ayres may have the cure. In Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers, Ayres keeps the creative ball rolling long enough for you to catch it. And this time, we promise it will be fun. With years of experience at the Elizabeth Ayres Center for Creative Writing, she's created this guide to encourage others interested in the craft. Broken into small steps, each exercise in this book is easy and takes only minutes to do. It's a joyous writing ride that will bring you to new heights of creative accomplishment, no matter what your level of experience is.

from Library Journal

More than just a how-to, Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers is like an actual writing course -- Ayres even reminds the reader not to continue until he/she has completed the previous assignment in the book. She is extremely nurturing to her students, and her book is filled with encouragement and reassurances. . . . Although obviously designed for the easily intimidated beginner, the book's highly structured format may be useful even to some experienced writers for getting blocked creative juices flowing once again.

from Publisher's Weekly

Acclaimed creative writing teacher Elizabeth Ayres takes readers on a highly structured trip through the writing process in Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers. Step-by-step imaginative and write-in-book exercises encourage the writer.

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