Book Review #14: The Power To Write
The Power to Write by Caroline Joy Adams is intended to encapsulate what you can learn during a writing workshop. The material focuses on “seven keys to discover your writer within.” In her opening, Ms. Adams states that “The Power to Write is intended for everyone who wants to write but who may need a quick dose of inspiration to get going.”
The book provides a stepwise process for developing a story, and that’s the key here, a little bit of education. By giving examples and discussion points, Adams walks you through the process of thinking about what to write and how to write it. Isn’t that what writers are striving to do?
The book has two parts. The first part is titled Shape Your Words Into An Intriguing Story. Here, Adams presents four of her seven keys. By focusing on how to open a story and ways to make an emotional connection to readers, she’s pushing you into understanding how to use your knowledge as a foundation. Everyone has experiences containing emotional elements, and each of these is a building block. One essential item is to ask yourself questions about what you’re writing to help define and build your story.
The second part is titled Continue To Develop And Refine Your Writing Skills. These chapters focus on using the five senses and developing your voice. Adams also describes the purpose of sharing your work and why it’s useful to do this. Curiously, my biggest takeaway from this part was Adams’ shift in expressing the sense of smell. She uses the word scent instead, creating a different mental image for me. Would you go to the movie titled Scent of a Woman or Smell of a Woman? Yeah, thought so.
Though you can find numerous writing materials online, sometimes it’s better to sit down with a physical copy in your hands. Experiencing the tactile sensation enhances the operation of the brain. The book contains many good examples of writing and the reasons for writing. At a minimum, having a structured stepwise process will provide a learning opportunity.