Good Naked
How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier. Revised and Expanded Edition.
From veteran teacher and acclaimed author Joni B. Cole comes the revised and expanded edition of her popular writing guide Good Naked. Once again, Cole's humor and wisdom shine through as she debunks long-held misconceptions of how we're supposed to write, replacing them with advice that works. Feeling overwhelmed? Having trouble getting started or staying motivated? In this edition, Cole offers more stories, strategies, tips on craft, and exercises to serve new and seasoned writers from the first draft to the final edit. Writers will even find help making peace with rejection.
Admirers as well as newcomers to Cole's work appreciate her uniquely cheerful approach, time tested to foster creativity and productivity. Keeping this generous and essential guide close by will provide a jump start to inspiration and a daily reminder of the meaning, humor, and happiness that can be discovered in your own writing life.
A humorous examination of popular writing that shows readers how their first drafts can lend to a process that increases creative impulses and finished products.'--Donovan's Bookshelf
A great deal of practical value for aspiring writers and seasoned authors alike.'--Midwest Book Review
Joyful, tough-minded, and heartening, these pages offer encouragement to everyone from beginners to experienced writers. . . . One of the best books for writers I've read in a very long time.'--Cynthia Huntington, Frederick Sessions Beebe '35 Professor in the Art of Writing, Dartmouth College, and National Book Award finalist for poetry
Belongs on every writer's bookshelf next to their copy of Strunk and White. . . . You don't have to suffer for your art, and Cole will make you laugh out loud and nod in agreement as she explains why.'--C. I. Dennis, author of the Vince Tanzi series
Brilliant, instructive, and witty . . . an essential read for everyone who wants to write or keep writing.'--Gina Barreca, author of ten books and the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Connecticut
Joni B. Cole teaches creative writing at her own Writer’s Center in Vermont and as an independent workshop facilitator at Dartmouth College. She is a frequent teacher and speaker at academic programs, conferences, and social-service organizations across the country. Cole is the author of six books and a contributor to The Writer as well as the host of the podcast Author, Can I Ask You?
Gold Stars: Preface to the Second Edition
Cheerleader for Mediocrity: Preface to the First Edition
Planet Writer
First Things First (Not)
Planet Writer
The Writer from Vermont
Who Needs Your Writing
Survival of the Optimist
You Know You're Not a Writer When . . .
In Good Company
What a Week!
Anyhoo! (Learning from Rejection without Losing Heart)
Good Naked
If You Don't Know Where You Are Going . . .
Don't Fix; Reconstitute
Good Naked
Can I Be Honest?
The Reverse Curse
The Great American Thing
Getting the "Other" Right
Every. Single. Day.
Thief of Joy
The Church of the Creative Process
A Case for Inefficiency
Seeing Blue
Drama Queen
Seeing Blue
A Walk around the Block
Heart to Heart
Decluttering
Last Typo Standing: An Open Letter to the One That Got Away
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Happy Endings
Acknowledgments
About the Author