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Writer’s Read

Wynelda Shelton

Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul
Edited by Canfield, Hansen and Gardner
ISBN 1-55874-769-9
Health Communications, Inc., Trade Paperback
$12.95 US

I hate to admit it, but The Chicken Soup series is a guilty pleasure of mine. Guilty because I feel as if I'm somehow cheating by reading them. Some people, famous people, look down on the stories as if they don't have enough craft. A pleasure because the stories by turns are entertaining, inspirational and sometimes even heart-tugging.

"Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul" isn't a book about craft, it doesn't have any insight into how to get that novel outlined, planned, written. But it does have tons of inspiration for the writer.

If they could do it, so can I.

"Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul" follows the same format that other books in the series has followed. The sections include: How I Became a Writer, Living Your Dream, Defining Moments, Finding Your Voice, Making a Difference, A Writer's Life and more. One story, "How to Write your Way Through College" by Lois Duncan, details how Ms. Duncan wrote her way through college because her family couldn't afford it.

The authors of the stories in this book include both the famous and not so famous. Inside the covers, you'll find Ray Bradbury, Steve Allen, Clive Cussler, Dame Barbara Cartland and Art Linkletter to name a few. One of the editors, Bud Gardner, details a meeting that he had with Alex Haley.

Bottom line is that if you enjoy the Chicken Soup series, you'll love this book. It was written for writers by writers. If you don't like the series, you may want to browse through the pages in your local bookstore before deciding whether or not to buy this book.

It may be short on craft, but it is long on heart. Sometimes, heart is exactly what we need in order to continue pursuing our dreams.