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It’s when you’re so deeply engaged in
whatever it is you’re doing that it becomes self-rewarding. When you write
from a flow state, you may forget what time it is, the words seem to arrive
almost effortlessly, and it’s possible that you’re producing your best work.
“Perry is a wonderful guide and
interviewer, juggling the voices of many writers to make concise points. I
would strongly recommend the book to any aspiring or successful creative
writers.... Would I recommend this book to psychologists? A more difficult
question, but the answer is yes. And it’s a fun read.”
—James C. Kaufman, Ph.D., Journal of Creative Behavior
“If it is possible to capture the essence
of flow, Perry has done it. This would be a welcome companion on any writer’s
bookshelf. It’s the perfect mix of inspiration and perspiration.”
—Beth Amos (on www.barnesandnoble.com)
“Perry’s book is a real contribution to
the creativity literature.”
—Sandra W. Russ, Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books,
April 2001“Writing in Flow would
be a welcome companion on any writer’s bookshelf. It’s the perfect mix of
inspiration and perspiration.”
—Beth Amos, Barnes & Noble.com
“Perry’s text is a genuinely informative
book that both describes the state of flow and provides a concrete road map
for achieving it. . . . The descriptions of flow and prescriptions for
achieving it are as individual as the dozens of writers and poets she surveyed
and interviewed at length. . . . What makes Perry’s text a fascinating read,
however, is the glimpse it gives us into the habits of authors such as
Jonathan Kellerman, Sue Grafton, and dozens of others. Their experiences are
diverse, but the voyeuristic pleasure we get is exceptional. In all, Susan
Perry presents us with an exhaustively researched and valuable book.”
—Jeff Leiper, Writer’s Block, Spring 2000
“Writing in Flow is a creative
and yet practical work. The ideas are nicely tied to the research, and the
practical implications clearly explored. In a sense this volume shows how the
medium can be the message - it is a joy to read.”
—Mark Runco, Ph.D., Editor, Creativity Research Journal
“A writer’s greatest challenge is getting lost in the writing and
entering that state some call ‘flow.’ Susan K. Perry helps writers negotiate
that vital movement from ‘busy mind’ to ‘no mind’ where they can write with
authenticity and real power.”
—Eric Maisel, Ph.D., psychotherapist and author of Deep Writing
and Fearless Creating
“This volume is alive with the
distinctive voices of great writers, preserved in the unobtrusive yet
scintillating medium of Susan K. Perry’s own writing. Readers who have
struggled with verse or prose will recognize the ring of truth in these
descriptions. Those who are just curious to know what’s involved will have a
chance to get a glimpse into the strange world where as yet untold stories
gestate.”
—From the Foreword by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph.D., University of
Chicago, author of the bestselling Flow
“The good news that Perry offers is that
anyone can learn to enter flow more often and that there is not only one way
to be in flow. By seeing all the myriad and quixotic ways that writers write,
this book can help readers recognize the common elements of flow so they can
learn to do and trust what works for them. If one is already motivated to
write, Perry’s book can help.”
—Foreword Magazine
“Unlike standard academic studies, Perry maintains a connection with the
mysteries of creativity. She avoids quantifying the life out of the writing
experience, while presenting an objective study of subjective experience.
It’s a fine line, and she walks it with the grace of a high-wire artist. . .
. If you find strength in the company of writers sharing experience and
insight, Flow is a necessary treasure.”
—Nessa Flax, Freelance Success (online)
“Chock full of interesting quotes and
quips…. Each interviewee’s personality comes through clearly in their quotes,
and any professional writer is sure to find a bit of themselves in these
chapters.”
—Jade Walker, Inscriptions (online)
“If you are interested in other writers’ takes on writing in flow, or would
like to know how to enter this state more often, this is a must-read.”
—Mariska Stamenkovic, Keystrokes Magazine (online)
“Writers at any level of experience will
benefit from Perry’s insight into creativity and the mental process that
occurs during the act of writing. This is not another ‘how to’ book that
serves up a rehash of common do’s and don’ts of how to be a writer. This book
gets right into the heads of 76 regularly published, successful writers.
Perry picks their brains, like a scientist with tweezers, extracting gems of
wisdom from the gray matter. . . . The style is comfortable, warm, and very
readable. . . . the feeling of relaxing over coffee with the author or
eavesdropping on her conversation with all the best writers of the day.”
—J.B. Justice, RestStop Writers’ Newsletter (online)
“Each chapter ends with a page or two of
‘keys’ that give readers suggestions... Because these tidbits are based on
strategies used by real writers, they usually sound fresh, practical, and
ingenious – unlike the stale, mechanical advice of so many how-to books.
Helpful as well as enjoyable to read.”
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Psychology and the Arts (newsletter of
Division 10, American Psychological Association)
“This book inspires and explains. It is a
must read for every writer, no matter whether you write poetry, articles,
novels, or ad copy.”
—Dana Nourie, Writer’s Guidelines Database (online):
“What I like most about his book is
Chapter 8, where I can compare my own experiences with those of the ‘rich and
famous.’ ‘Writing in Flow’ explains, in glorious detail, the what and why of
flow. It also offers a ton of ‘insider info’ on how you can develop your own
method of getting into this highly productive state when you write. If you’re
interested in how the creative mind works, you’ll like this book.”
—Writers’ Exchange (online)
“This is an enjoyable read and valuable
learning aide for developing writers. Perry also provides answers to
questions from students and friends throughout the text of the book. Writing
in Flow is an excellent and unique guide for enhancing your creativity and
inspiring yourself to write regularly.”
—Writers Write (The Internet Writing Journal)
“Many writers will want to buy this book
to help them achieve and maintain a sense of flow in their own work. ...
Despite beginning as a doctoral thesis, Writing in Flow is an interesting and
practical contribution to the practice of writing. I say this with
admiration. ... I think most writers will enjoy the panel discussion format of
this book. Better yet, it’s more like sitting in a huge booth at a café with
76 writers you can not help but admire. This book feels real. There is no
phony-baloney secret formula to success.”
—Rodney L. Merrill, Writer Online
“It’s like having a sister’s
knowledgeable, earnest math-loving friend lead you through calculus; you’re
learning a lot in a friendly manner.... Writing in Flow is a good book,
an interesting book, and a useful book.”
—Daniel Argent, Creative Screenwriting
“A really exciting book. So many people
want to be writers, and what you’re looking at is the thing that prevents
them.”
—Lawrence E. Shapiro, Ph.D., president and founder of The Center for
Applied Psychology, and author of How To Raise a Child with a High EQ.
“Writing in Flow, Susan Perry’s
major work on flow, that creative zero-time trance that writers enter when
they are working their hardest (and most would say best), is one of those
brilliant simplicities that illuminate our lives from time to time. It is
simplicity because Perry makes it so with her common sense approach to
research, her use of unexpurgated interview, and her relaxed but pointed prose
style. It is brilliant because she, for the first time that I am aware of, has
collected and examined the state of flow, something mentioned in passing by
scores of writers in various contexts, but something never excerpted as focus
of serious psychological and aesthetic investigation. She has assembled an
extremely interesting and yes, even entertaining book, one that I am sure will
become standard reading for any writer or anyone interested in writing.
Writing in Flow is simply, brilliantly, a great book.”
—Frank X. Gaspar, author of three volumes of poetry, recipient of the
Morse Prize, the Anhinga Prize for Poetry, and the Brittingham Prize for
Poetry, and a Writing in Flow interviewee.
“It’s about time.”
—The author’s father
How is WRITING IN FLOW
different from all the other books for writers?
1. It is based on actual research with
76 present-day successful writers, rather than on historical anecdote, theory,
or one person’s opinion alone. In addition, the insights of countless other
writers whose comments appeared recently in newspaper and magazine interviews
and profiles were also distilled for this book.
2. Practical and inspiring Question &
Answer boxes are scattered throughout the text, based on actual questions that
have been asked about writing in flow.
3. WRITING IN FLOW is
unusually candid, both on the part of the author and on the part of her many
generous interviewees. Secrets are shared and vulnerabilities are revealed.
The chapter on “The Sexiness of Flow” is certainly one of a kind.
4. This is the first time anyone has
focused the laser beam of inquiry on the moments leading up to the crossover
into FLOW, that altered state of consciousness in which so much of the best
writing is done.
5. WRITING IN FLOW, while a
down-to-earth guide to enhancing creativity, is also psychologically credible
due to the inclusion of a chapter on how the research was done (including some
thoughts on why those who didn’t contribute chose not to), as well as a rich
Notes section.
