Breathing In, Breathing Out

Fresh off the heals of reading Pyrotechnics on the Page, I picked up Breathing In, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebooks, hungry for more of Fletcher's insights. As I mentioned in my post about Pyrotechnics, I realized that this summer I want to make sure and write more consistently in my writer's notebook. I already started this weekend with many snippets of memories and moments that I had yet to record. This book inspired me even more, giving me ideas of new ways that I can use my writer's notebook.

Also, much like my sentiments while reading Pyrotechnics, I loved that I was able to highlight many of Fletcher's comments to later share with my students and to inspire him the same way he has inspired me. With Pyrotechnics I mentioned that even though he was writing it for writing teachers, I was viewing it from the lenses of being a teacher and a writer. This book was the opposite; it was written with writers in mind, and again I looked at it through both lenses.

Reading the two books so close together was a nice pairing up. While Pyrotechnics focused on language play, this book provided a wider view of writer's notebooks. I highlighted and wrote notes in the margins of many sections of the brief chapters, each giving different suggestions of how to utilize writer's notebooks to capture moments and thoughts that will fuel later writing. Again, the book was a hotbed for comments that I can share with my students about writing.

This text was a great, quick read packed with ideas that I have already used in my notebook, as well as areas where I can experiment and continue to grow. I look forward to learning more from Fletcher in the future.