Aspiring writers read plenty of books that reveal the secrets of writing success. Many of them enumerate the exact number of secrets revealed within, such as “Five Secrets to Writing Success” or “Fifty Three Habits of Successful Writers.” One of the habits of a successful writer is cashing royalty checks, a secret revealed here for the first time.
Eric Maisel has written A Writer’s Paris to be released by Writers Digest Books. If you’re not an aspiring writer, the book is an interesting tour of Paris through the eyes of an artist. Maisel addresses the whole person in his books about writing. Part drill instructor, part philosopher, he wants to train his novitiates to write, write, write. There is a continuum to his writing, easily recognized if you’ve read his stuff before. Courage, fear, commercialism, bad drafts, Maisel describes the experience of producing fiction while leading a life, complete with budget worries, relationships, and the root causes of procrastination.
He’s tough on Jean Paul Sartre, literary agents, and sexy ideas for book proposals. Maisel understands the dilemma that to write quality fiction, to add something meaningful to the world, is the fastest way to lose an agent’s interest in your project. If you cannot afford to spend six months in Paris, this book is the next best thing.
