Zen in the Art of Writing

Zen in the Art of Writing
Ray Douglas Bradbury

In this exuberant book, the incomparable Ray Bradbury shares the wisdom, experience, and excitement of a lifetime of writing.The first thing a writer should be is – excitedAuthor of the iconic FAHRENHEIT 451, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN and THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, Ray Bradbury is one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.Part memoir, part masterclass, ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING offers a vivid and exuberant insight into the craft of writing. Bradbury reveals how writers can each find their own unique path to developing their voice and style.ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING offers a celebration of the act of writing that will delight, impassion, and inspire.

Zen in the Art of Writing

Ray Bradbury

HarperVoyager an imprint of

HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk

Published by HarperVoyager 2015

First published in Great Britain by Joshua Odell Editions 1994.

Copyright © 1994 Ray Bradbury Enterprises

Owing to limitations of space, acknowledgements

to reprint may be found on the acknowledgments page.

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2015

Cover images © Shutterstock.com

Ray Bradbury asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008136512

Ebook Edition © May 2015 ISBN: 9780008120870

Version: 2015-04-22

TO MY FINEST TEACHER, JENNET JOHNSON, WITH LOVE

Table of Contents

Cover (#ub7192d38-6374-5f94-b602-81bb0427b30f)

Title Page (#u91ae2ce4-043b-58dc-b62c-df5f51032d17)

Copyright (#u21bcb078-b5e1-5cd2-b3e0-a62a4e98d6c8)

Dedication (#uc04ed472-ef73-5999-8c52-d80c9f323a2e)

Preface (#ub0c4db81-71ae-5da2-990d-4affcdff5108)

HOW TO CLIMB THE TREE OF LIFE, THROW ROCKS AT YOURSELF, AND GET DOWN AGAIN WITHOUT BREAKING YOUR BONES OR YOUR SPIRIT A PREFACE WITH A TITLE NOT MUCH LONGER THAN THE BOOK (#u3a6982e4-c567-58fd-bcd2-2181dbb0351e)

THE JOY OF WRITING (#ucda82d29-8219-53f5-8a8c-ac38bd291f11)

RUN FAST, STAND STILL, OR, THE THING AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, OR, NEW GHOSTS FROM OLD MINDS (#u08475197-2d0e-5ec6-8324-c0e106111040)

HOW TO KEEP AND FEED A MUSE (#u7eb062ad-d9e7-5a93-9812-847b910d4fd7)

DRUNK, AND IN CHARGE OF A BICYCLE (#litres_trial_promo)

INVESTING DIMES: FAHRENHEIT 451 (#litres_trial_promo)

JUST THIS SIDE OF BYZANTIUM: DANDELION WINE (#litres_trial_promo)

THE LONG ROAD TO MARS (#litres_trial_promo)

ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS (#litres_trial_promo)

THE SECRET MIND (#litres_trial_promo)

SHOOTING HAIKU IN A BARREL (#litres_trial_promo)

ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING (#litres_trial_promo)

…ON CREATIVITY (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Ray Bradbury (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Preface (#ud97ba56e-a2c5-5366-8717-13ea725ae79a)

The Author-In-Residence