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.

On Sale: May 1st 2018
Price: $15.99
Page Count: 304
ISBN-13: 9781580057523

FROM SEAL PRESS:

“The Thorn Necklace
by Francesca Lisa Block

 

We are pleased to announce the publication of The Thorn Necklace by bestselling author Francesca Lia Block. This long-anticipated guide to the craft of writing is an intimate and supportive model to help readers channel their own experiences and creative energy.
In The Thorn Necklace, Block offers an intimate glimpse of an artist at work, sharing visceral insights and powerful exercises to guide readers down the write-to-heal path using her original methodology called The 12 Questions. In revealing the intrinsic value of channeling experiences to the page, this memoir-driven guide to healing through the craft of writing offers lessons on life, love, and the creative process.

 

We would love to partner with you to spread the word about this creative and insightful book. If you would like to review it on your blog or website, promote it on your social media or email newsletter, or host a giveaway, we would be more than happy to send you an advance copy. Please email Quinn Fariel at Quinn.Fariel@hbgusa.com to receive a copy of The Thorn Necklace to review.”

 

LEARN MORE

Francesca Lia Block is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books of stories, nonfiction, and fiction, including the Weetzie Bat books, her series of magical-realism novels. She has received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award, and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, the New York Times Book Review, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Los Angeles, a city the New York Times says she describes “better than any writer since Raymond Chandler.” She teachers writing at UCLA, Antioch University, and numerous workshops across the country.

 

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

LOVE the book, hate the cover… Why are books about writing or the creative process so stoic and (yawns), boring… I get what the message is that the publisher is trying to convey, but really (yawns), couldn’t it have been more… creative?

Anywho…  This is a fascinating book. It’s broken down into ten sections that I’ll show in a minute.  Francesca Lia Block has a method of using twelve questions to help produce her writing; these twelve show how they’ve not only resolved the author’s own deeply-set weaknesses,  hopes and desires, but offers all writers help in untangling their mesh of word-walls, struggles and battles in the literary world.

The sections of this book are as follows:

The book begins with a Foreword based around four simple words: “I am a writer.”

Following this is an introduction: You Are an Artist!

Part One: ECHO. Covers finding a mentor and answers the questions asked about “Gifts and Flaws.”

Part Two: DANGEROUS ANGEL. Covers finding a muse and answers the questions asked about “Wants and Needs.”

Part Three: BLOOD ROSES. Covers a section about channeling pain into art and answers the questions about “Arc.”

Part Four:  QUAKELAND. Covers banishing a critic and answers questions about the “Antagonist.”

Part Five: THE FRENZY. Covers turning chaos into order and answers questions about “Setting.”

Part Six: ROSES AND BONES. Covers developing your style and answers questions about “Style.”

Part Seven: GUARDING THE MOON. Covers how to persevere and answers questions about “Theme.”

Part Eight: BEYOND THE PALE MOTEL. Covers how to face your fears and answers questions about “Crisis.”

Part Nine: ROUGH MAGICK. Covers how to deal with love and answers questions about “Climax.”

Part Ten: THE THORN NECKLACE. Covers how to turn words into action and answers questions about “Resolution.”

The author also provides exercises for fellow writers, followed by scenes and a section called AFTERWORD: The Magick Is Within

 

This is an excellent writing resource that every writer should consider adding to their bookshelf to refer to often throughout their writing projects.

I gave this book: