Writing Out the Storm: Reading and Writing Your Way Through Serious Illness or Injury

by Barbara Abercrombie

Book Overview

This powerful and deeply inspirational handbook is for anyone coping with serious illness or injury--be it theirs or that of a loved one--who wants and needs to help themselves through the healing process. Offering her own experience with breast cancer, as well as stories from other authors who have suffered from illnesses or severe injuries--from Stephen King to Lance Armstrong--Abercrombie encourages readers to write what is in their hearts and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312285450
• ISBN13: 9780312285456
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Writing Out The Storm.

Writing Out The Storm by Barbara Abercrombie.Paperback 145 pages. As The title suggest you can read and write your way through the storm of serious accident,illness or injury. It provides a positive way to cope with long standing medical issues. This book is not for the casual reader. I was drawn to it because I have Cerebral Paly and I was looking for a way to cope with the psychological effects of this. I like many people in this book want to live my life rather than being defined by a condition. I liked this book for many reasons.I was attracted by the wide variety of people sharing their situatins.I found it very helpful because the sources of the material was all given. If you want to use it as a writing/ reference book,a simple,clear structure encourages the writer and helps with those difficult blocks.It also provides a page turning story.I think it is clear I am a fan. Give it a go and good luck!

Brilliant, Inspired and Inspiring

Writing out the Storm is a gift to all who have experienced trauma in their lives...and even those who haven't. Abercrombie's compassion, sensitivity, sincerity and humor engage the reader in a community of the famous and not so famous who have in common the hardships that life doles out. The reader finds that he or she is not alone and that there is a creative way to channel the anger, despair, loneliness, fear, and other emotions generated by serious illness or injury into very beneficial and positive energy. Abercrombie crafts the layers of this book so beautifully that she not only encourages the reader to write, but also dissolves the writer's block that discourages most of us from trying. Wonderful!!!

writing out the storm

Barbara Abercrombie is a simply wonderful writer. One of UCLA's mostpopular and gifted writing teachers the exercises in this book aresimply amazing .It is easy to understand why Ms. Abercrombie's writingclasses are always full. You will want to give this to everyone you knowwho is journeying through an emotional or physical storm. At a recentbook signing people were buying 5 and 6 copies at a time. No ordinaryself- help tome, Ms Abercrombie's own encounter with breast cancerforms the core of this book. She tells of her fear and anger, herfamily's love and support, the indignity and isolation of the diseaseand the eventual bonding with others in the Wellness community, whereshe holds the workshops which inspired this book. She is able to capturethe humor in even the darkest moments.You won't be able to put it down. It's a real page turner.

4 tracks woven together to make soul centering music .......

A natural gift to oneself, friends who are on their own journey, and caregivers."Writing out the Storm" is an exploration of the journey through life threatening illness and the identity, meaning, joy and personal mastery that may come from it. It draws the reader in.It has four tracks - each hope filled while reality based 1) The author's own story which wonderfully unfolds, is masterfully told, and woven together with her selections of 2) vivid descriptions from other authors and public figures who bring to bear, through their own unique presence and communications skills, the essence of steps along the journey.3) gems of real time writing responses by her "ordinary" workshop participants. Some of which so connect with you that you find yourself reading them over, again and again. 4) Direct and sometimes playful trigger questions which invite each reader to explore their own journey and writing."Writing out the Storm" is a stirring read that can't be put down, yet must be put down from time to time, as it takes the reader to their core and back.If you have any doubts just read the chapter headings and imagine the gifts to be found within each.

Writing Out The Storm

This is an extremely sensitively and well written book about an increasingly common and yet delicate and difficult subject. While the medical specialists are doing their best to deal with the physical aspects of this unwelcome arrival into our own life or the life of a loved one, what do we do about the equally important aspect of the emotional, spiritual and psychic effects?Using her own personal experience to provide a path to examine the many anxieties and traumas through what was an eventual successful outcome for her the author provides inspiration from famous authors and people like the rest of us that end up providing comfort, insight and even humor into a situation that once seemed simply hopeless.It may seem awkward or even trivial to write to one of the chapter questions until after you do one but the insight,the relief and the understanding at the end can make this aspect of the book as valuable as a simple reading of an important entry into the library on this important subject.