Book Review: Writers in the Spirit: Inspiration for Christian Writers
by Glenn White

Need a nice gift book for a novice writer friend? If you do, then Writers in the Spirit by Carol J. Rottman, Ph. D. is a good choice. Don't let the Ph. D. scare you, this book is a nice easy read written in the personal essay style with meditations and writing exercises at the end of each chapter. If you enjoy the writing style of Madeleine L'Engle then you'll enjoy this book. And if you've never read Madeleine then is a nice introduction to that same writing style.

Writers in the Spirit refreshes your writing soul without straining your heart. It's a book that you can treasure for many years perched on your night stand waiting like a faithful friend to encourage you at day's end. Relax, read and you may find your dreams filled with great writing ideas. With this book, maybe you should have one those pens with a self-contained light and a notebook so you can write like never before.

There are eleven chapters with several short essays and meditations in each chapter. And at the end of each chapter is a writing exercise that's fun and easy. Here's a synopsis from the book.

1.    Incarnational...Biblical characters, mentors meditation, and even games can open a writer up to God's incarnational spirit.

2.    Nourishment...A writer is nourished to produce fruit; and fruit outlives even the most fruitful writer.

3.    Understanding...Encouraging the writer to let go of convention, expectation, senitmental nostalgia, and control.

4.    Realism...A writer must face reality and write anyway.

5.    Meaning...Searching for the meaning of our lives through writing.

6.    Hopefulness...A writer is hopeful of publication yet also afraid of it.

7.    Absence...Missing something dear or at least familiar or satisfying opens the writer up to experience with the holy.

8.    Labors...Writing is hard day-labor with a day's pay.

9.    Fervor...Fervor or passion pushes the writer to attempt the difficult and overcome the improbable.

10.    Transfusion...The writing experience as recorded, like the blood of a transfusion, can as new life within the writer.

11.    Creation...Writing is creating. No writer writes like anyone else; each voice is unique.

The author covers many facets of writing and the writing life with a comforting maternal voice that can nurture any budding writer. Especially if that writer is a working mom or any other woman wanting to dip her toes in ink. This is a nice book with a soft approach that can entice anyone to give writing a try and see what happens.

In all fairness, I must say that the only shortcoming of this book is the author's veiled comments that being a real writer means quitting your day job. Other than that, I  highly recommend this book as a great start for any beginning Christian writer especially grandmothers and mothers. Writers in the Spirit will inspire the writer in anyone with a heart for God, some blank paper and an itchy pen.

Copyright 2004 Glenn White