 29 Sep 2003 @ 10:38, by Quidnovi
The Observation Deck is kind of like an I Ching for writers. At an impasse in your essay or novel? Looking for a new approach or even merely a warm-up exercise? Simply pluck a card from the deck, refer to the appropriate section in the accompanying book, and go with it.
Each card---there are 50---is accompanied by a meditation on its subject by Naomi Epel, whose own warm wisdom is supplemented by that of the hundreds of writers she has met in her role as a book-tour escort in San Francisco. For the card labeled "Get specific," for example, Epel calls upon eight writers in the space of a two-and-a-half-page rally against the vague and superficial. Among them is Gabriel García Márquez, who advises, "If you say that there are elephants flying in the sky, people are not going to believe you. But if you say that there are four hundred and twenty-five elephants in the sky, people probably will believe you."
---Amazon.com review by Jane Steinberg
In her incarnation as literary escort, Naomi Epel had the opportunity to ask more than 100 authors how they overcame writer's block. These inventive tips are now available as 'The Observation Deck,' a set of 50 cards containing suggestions for loosening up the imagination and tweaking the urge to write when it goes into hibernation. Users of the deck can create their own cards to add to the pile as they experiment with what motivates them and provides helpful perspective. This synchronistic writing tool can be used alone or with a group and is perfect for anyone who wants to bypass creative fears and just plain have some fun.
---Bloomsberry Review
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