A great little book about the best and worst of times from 20 authors who currently enjoy more success than they ever imagined.

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It is a wonderful compilation of essays by 20 American authors. Most of them read like a straight from the heart conversation and provide a lot of practical advice to aspiring writers. However the context is limited to being a writer publishing in the United States. Hence some of the operational matters are irrelevant for readers from other parts of the world. ( )

This is a collection of essays by twenty different authors about why they write. While there was a lot of repetition (frequently "I can't not write"), I found many of the stories to be very interesting. I particularly liked the essay by Isabel Allende. She starts writing every book on January 8th. She writes in Spanish even though she is fluent in English. The same person always translates her works and Allende works closely with her, often correcting a word or choosing another instead. "I correct to the point of exhaustion," she says. David Baldacci's defense of "popular fiction" as opposed to "literary fiction" was also quite interesting. I have not read anything by Katherine Harrison, but after reading her essay, I want to.
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Twenty well-known authors are all asked the same questions … the 5 W’s of writing. Their answers to these questions make up this book, along with a brief personal history, a synopsis of their work, the first paragraph of their newest offering and their advice to anyone considering writing as a career.

This was an interesting and informative little book, especially for someone who loves to read. I was familiar with all of the names in the book, but have not read works by every author included. Some good insights into how writing and publishing have changed over the years. Some really intriguing little quirks about the authors themselves as well.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book is being donated to an organization called 826 National, an innovative youth literacy program.
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One of the things I loved about this book was the diversity of perspectives from the 20 authors who gave their opinions on why we write. We don't all write for the same reasons, but understanding the reasons why some others write can provide us insight into ourselves and our culture. The book is also inspirational and filled with advice and encouragement for authors. Highly recommended for authors and those who aspire to write. ( )