Writing Down Deep; an Alchemy of the Writing Life, has been a huge labour of love over the last three years. Many of the ideas have been trialed in blog articles and in online courses, and have been honed and rewritten for the book. There's also a huge amount of new material, reflections and writing prompts to help you become the writer you want to be with your own story and values. Writing Down Deep; an Alchemy of the Writing Life is a book for writers who want to dive deeply into their creative flow and into the extraordinary power of writing to affect individuals and the world. Whether you are a blogger writing articles, a memoirist, poet or novelist, writing is magical, it offers perspective shifts, leaps of imagination and connections that are vital to how we live at every level. The world is storied and those who tell stories of every kind, have a unique role and responsibility. The premise is that story (including poetry, fiction and nonfiction) is vital to human survival. It is so important that storytellers do well to become congruent with their tales. This book is for the wild idealists and alchemists of the imagination who believe that writing is so powerful that it should change us as we push the boundaries of our craft. This book is for those who see writing as an act of radical spirituality, in the broadest sense of 'spiritual' as the antonym of egotistical hubris, rather than as the opposite of 'material'. The book is a companion on the quest and, as such, you can read it straight through or slowly; make the rhythm suit you. It has five main sections that are interspersed around shorter, seasonal sections. The book is packed with prompts, inspiration and writing exercises. These are not mechanical or 'how to' exercises but aimed at challenging us to dig deeply into our writing processes and writing lives. Woven throughout are seasonal pauses to help you design your own writing retreats.

About the Author
Jan Fortune was born in Middlesbrough and read theology at Cambridge. She completed a doctorate in feminist theology and has worked as a teacher, priest (ordained at the first ordination of women to the CofE) and charity director. She is the founding editor of Cinnamon Press and has edited around 300 books, led numerous creative writing courses in the UK, Spain and France, and mentored writers who have gone on to publication. Her previous publications include non-fiction titles in alternative education and parenting; three novels: The Standing Ground, Dear Ceridwen and Coming Home; four poetry collections, including Slate Voices (a collaborative collection with Mavis Gulliver), Stale Bread & Miracles, Edge (a companion to Adam Craig's Year W), and Turn/Return, a pamphlet inspired by Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies cards. She published This is the End of the Story in 2017, the first novel in the Cassilda Trilogy, quickly followed by the second volume, A Remedy for All Things, and the last part of the series, And Hope is Always Born, all published by Cinnamon Press.

Reviews
"What story do you want to write? What story do you want to become?' Writing Down Deep is a powerful, multifaceted book that transcends the limits of a standard 'how to write' manual. It is a book that really gets you thinking, not just about your writing but also about yourself and your life - not just about what you want to write, but about who and how you want to be. The emphasis is on making conscious choices, as writers and individuals, rather than allowing ourselves to be dragged along, thoughtlessly, mindlessly, by the busy-ness of modern life.; The coronavirus lockdown was perhaps the perfect time to read a book that advocates stillness, some solitude, and simply 'being', at a time when rushing around 'doing' was, for so many of us, no longer an option. The long, enforced retreat meant we had to find creative ways of living through dark times, tested our inner resources, and required us to find small joys in the midst of suffering, loss and fear. Practices that have been recommended to help us through - walking, yoga, meditation, good diet, fresh air - are what Jan Fortune prescribes as a way of life. Sometimes, reading the book feels like a quiet meditation in its own right, with thoughts coming and going, memories triggered, moments of insight, ideas emerging, particular words or phrases sparking vivid images. And, at the end of each chapter, there are journal exercises and rituals to ground the process.; Fortune stresses the importance of journaling, of the need to perceive creativity as a muscle that needs to be exercised, and writing as a skill that has to be practised regularly. Yes, there is such a thing as natural talent, but it can really only flourish through application. To complement this regular practice of putting pen to paper, she recommends travel as a source of inspiration, providing us with a shift in perspective, and encouraging us to focus on the here and now. Fortune speaks specifically of foreign travel, but the inspiration and shift in perspective can also be achieved by visiting local places and our own space, our 'milltir sgwar', with the curious and observant eye of the traveller.; There is also the journey through the seasons that we all make every year, with its shifting energies and rhythms. To track this,; Writing Down Deep contains eight 'interludes' or 'seasonal pauses' that follow the quarter days and cross-quarter days of the year - 'seasonal reflections on diving deeply into our writing', or indeed into our life. This is just one aspect that makes Writing Down Deep a valuable resource to turn to again and again - it is, of course about writing, but it is also about how to travel through life consciously, nurturing our natural rhythms and giving time to what we love." -- Suzy Ceulan Hughes



Book Information
ISBN 9781788648011
Author Jan Fortune
Format Paperback
Page Count 420
Imprint Cinnamon Press
Publisher Cinnamon Press