The Thorn Necklace : Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process

For devotees of Bird by Bird and The Artist's Way , a memoir-driven guide to healing through the craft of writing Francesca Lia Block is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including the award-winning Weetzie Bat series. Her writing has been called "transcendent" by The New York Times , and her books have been included in "best of" lists compiled by Time magazine and NPR. In this long-anticipated guide to the craft of writing, Block offers an intimate glimpse of an artist at work and a detailed guide to help readers channel their own experiences and creative energy. Sharing visceral insights and powerful exercises, she gently guides us down the write-to-heal path, revealing at each turn the intrinsic value of channeling our experiences onto the page. Named for the painting by Frida Kahlo, who famously transformed her own personal suffering into art, The Thorn Necklace offers lessons on life, love, and the creative process. An exploration of the writing life by Francesca Lia Block, offers visceral insights and healing exercises for the writer who creates as a way to process pain and adversity. Block offers guideposts of awareness for writers, such as how to find a muse, channeling agony into art, putting chaos into order, ignoring the inner critic, fostering personal perseverance, and thriving as an artist in a troubled world. The author also addresses the intrinsic value of channeling our experiences into the written word and provides compassionate support to the reader for his or her own write-to-heal process"-- Provided by publisher "In this long-anticipated guide to the craft of writing, Block offers an intimate glimpse of an artist at work and a detailed guide to help readers channel their own experiences and creative energy. Sharing visceral insights and powerful exercises, she gently guides us down the write-to-heal path, revealing at each turn the intrinsic value of channeling our experiences onto the page. Named for the painting by Frida Kahlo, who famously transformed her own personal suffering into art, The Thorn Necklace offers lessons on life, love, and the creative process."--Page [2] of cover. Echo: Find a mentor -- Dangerous angels: Find a muse -- Blood roses: Channel pain into art -- Quakeland: Banish the critic -- The frenzy: Chaos into order -- Roses and bones: Develop your style -- Guarding the moon: Persevere -- Beyond the pale motel: Face your fears -- Rough magick: Love -- The thorn necklace: Words into action.