Write from the Heart : Unleashing the Power of Your Creativity Paperback – March 2, 2001

Hal Zina Bennett's book "Write from the Heart" is a must read for any person attempting to embark on a fulfilling literary life. Bennett states it very plainly, or at least to me, that a writer should learn to tap into their mind, via their heart, to find there within the inner peace we all search for. By acquiring the calm and inner peace in the mind, the heart will do the rest, telling the mind what to say. A writer shouldn't have to struggle if they can only learn to attain an inner peace and listen to their heart. Bennett tells that writing about what we know best, and drawing from our own life experiences, is an excellent place to start. He has learned this and gains tremendous recognition through his published writings and workshops. I have always believed that every writer has their own personal muse, whether they know it or not. Bennett holds the same belief. I personally feel that new writers should not confuse a Guide with a Muse, but I do believe writers can draw inspiration from either or both. Good writers, allowing for good plot, great characters, and the ability to put words down correctly on paper (proper editing) can get published. Knowing how to write from the heart isn't about learning how to get published (although Bennett's book does hold some good information here), it's about learning to write period. For me, I find it is sort of like Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About the Bike", only with Bennett, "it's not about the book". It's about the person within to assist the work and to overcome the obstacles. I consider myself to be very lucky because I think I understand what Bennett is talking about in "Write From The Heart". I'd wager there isn't a person, who has had the privilege of attending one of Bennett's workshop, that came out of it without understanding. To any person who is thinking of writing a book, I strongly recommend getting a copy of "Write From the Heart" and reading it first. The quotes, the core concepts, and the writing explorations at the end of each chapter are excellent. I'm placing Bennett's book next to Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style" on my desk. Do yourself a favor and read Hal Zina Bennett's book, then go ahead and unleash the power of your creativity.

A warm mix of spiritual philosophy, writing techniques and personal anecdotes, WRITE FROM THE HEART is a master coach teaching by example.Hal Zina Bennett gently leads the reader through an exploration of both solitude and creativity. While he acknowledges the need for technical expertise, Bennett always focuses on the connection between a writer's creativity and the Divine Source that inspires the creative work. With examples that ground the spiritual explorations in a practical reality, Bennett shows how this Divine connection links a writer's consciousness with that of reader's and ultimately transforms them both.Bennett reminds authors of an important facet of writing too often forgotten in a world where modern technology makes writing a book almost too easy: writing a book is not about fame, fortune and technical perfection. Yes, he says, those are fortunate benefits writers secretly dream of...but, Bennett constantly reminds us, a truly creative writer is the one who taps into the soul and writes from deep within that mysterious source.In equal parts easy to read and inspiring, this writing guide is one every writer, no matter where they are on their writing path, should read. Writers who follow these guidelines are sure to produce stories that touch readers where it counts: in the heart.

You'll find plenty of interesting material in this book. 13 chapters are included, each beginning with the obligatory cool quote and ending with a single detailed exercise. Many include a paragraph somewhere indicating the "core concept" of the chapter, set off with a gray background. Finally the book ends with a bibliography--which doubles as a rather nice reading list. A fair amount of time is spent on the emotions and feelings involved in writing, which is entirely appropriate to a book with a title like "Write from the Heart"!You'll find material on making peace with your inner critic (a subject discussed in "Pencil Dancing" but dealt with in greater depth here). There's a chapter on creating a system of supportive critiquing with other writers, and a chapter that deals with the subject of small, independent book publishers--something I haven't seen talked about in many places.While I do very much like this book, it did suffer from some balance problems. As the title indicates, it's a book for writers. In large part, however, it's a memoir. It's also a book on spirituality. I felt as though Mr. Bennett lost focus now and then--forgot what his main topic and audience were. I sometimes felt as though the bits of memoir scattered throughout weren't adequately related back to the topic at hand and went on for longer than they needed to. While Mr. Bennett did make fascinating connections between elements of spirituality and elements of writing, sometimes he failed to connect them well enough. A few chapters seemed to focus almost entirely on spirituality with writing concerns added as an afterthought.The spirituality of this book is not what I would consider offensive. It delves into such topics as spirit guides and the "invisible world," but is (usually) careful to remain grounded in reality and anchored to the topic of writing. It will make die-hard skeptics uncomfortable in places, but it is interesting, and some of the ideas are worth a try. They might indeed give you new ways in which to approach your writing. Ultimately this is a very helpful book, and I highly recommend it for people who would like to achieve more with their writing than commercial success alone.

This book is uncannily accurate for me. It hit head on, point on, the voice of guidance that was already speaking in my gut and needed to hear to reinforce the steps in writing my first book on spiritual poetry. I simply could not put it down! I've read few books in my life that I couldn't put down. This book was a direct answer to prayer. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Amazingly clear, divinely inspired writing.

I want to thank Hal Zina Bennett For this book. I know he probably hears this all the time, but I’ve recently found that people always like hearing that their work is touching others & doing what it’s intended to do.I have always been a writer, secretly. I have never had the courage to say or even admit that to anyone. Through this book I have not only been moved to tears and action, but I have found a commonality between myself and other writers and an acceptance that makes me feel like this is not only achievable, but essential.I want to thank you for speaking from the heart and not only the intellect, as I have plenty of heart.This book is not only readable, and relatable, but it answered questions about writing that I didn’t even realise I wanted to ask!I’m only a third of the way in but I felt moved to ‘write’ and express my appreciation for this much needed guidance.Thank you.

Some great stuff in here I hadn't read elsewhere. Rather ties up the advice in stories a little too much rather than getting to the point. Text could be half as long and still fulfill its purpose.