Joni B. Cole
author of six books, including two acclaimed writing guides; offers workshops in academic programs and writing conferences around the country; contributor to The Writer magazine and creator/host of the podcast Author, Can I Ask You?; nominated for USA Fellowship Award and Pushcart Prize; her second collection of personal essays is forthcoming in 2023 from the University of New Mexico Press
Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier
From veteran teacher and acclaimed author Joni B. Cole comes the revised and expanded edition of her popular writing guide Good Naked. Once again, Cole’s humor and wisdom shine through as she debunks long-held misconceptions of how we’re supposed to write, replacing them with advice that works. Feeling overwhelmed? Having trouble getting started or staying motivated? In this edition, Cole offers more stories, strategies, tips on craft, and exercises to serve new and seasoned writers from the first draft to the final edit. Writers will even find help making peace with rejection. Admirers as well as newcomers to Cole’s work appreciate her uniquely cheerful approach, time tested to foster creativity and productivity. Keeping this generous and essential guide close by will provide a jump start to inspiration and a daily reminder of the meaning, humor, and happiness that can be discovered in your own writing life.
Good Naked has been included on Poets & Writers magazine's list of “Best Books for Writers”
Expanded edition published by University of New Mexico Press (September 1, 2022)
"For some people, me for one, the first draft is the hardest to produce. Sometimes I wish I could hire someone to write it for me and spare me a lot of anxiety and stress eating. I got nothing, I think, the thought reinforced by a blank page staring back at me. Of course this is not true; I have got plenty, as do you if you happen to feel similarly when confronting what feels like the creative void. The real issue is not that you lack ideas, but rather that you lack access to those ideas. In addition, the challenge is to single out the material that matters to you now: the story or memory or scene at the front of the line, pushing against the velvet rope between your unconscious and conscious. To tap into your most urgent material, you simply need to manufacture an in..."
from Good Naked: Reflections on How to Write More Write Better & Be Happier (University Press of New England)