Deb Norton - Part Wild: A Writers Guide to Harnessing the Creative Power of Resistance

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Advance Praise for Part Wild

Writers, youve got a new BFFDeb Norton! Read her book and do what she says; you will not have writers block again. Seriously.

E LLEN S ANDLER, FORMER COEXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND WRITER , E VERYBODY L OVES R AYMOND , AND AUTHOR OF T HE TV W RITERS W ORKBOOK

Deb Nortons Part Wild provides insightful tools to unleash your writings full potential and unlock the infamous writers block.

M ARISHA M UKERJEE, WRITER , T HE B RIDGE , H EROES R EBORN , AND Q UANTICO

Part Wild is like having a personal writing coach at your disposal twenty-four hours a day. Stuck, blocked, or in hiding, youre guaranteed to be freed by something in this volume from the fear that binds and suppresses your best impulses. It will transform you from the writer you wish you were to the writer youve always known you could be.

L YN G REENE, COEXECUTIVE PRODUCER , M ASTERS OF S EX , AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER , B OSS , N IP /T UCK , AND T HE I NTERESTINGS

Resistance is a natural part of the creative process. It is the tension that births new life. I am so grateful to Deb Norton for her brilliant work with resistance; she has helped to transform the complexities of the creative process into functional, effective practices... that work! Part Wild is more than a book on creative writing, it is an essential guide for creative living.

D ARA M ARKS , P H D, AUTHOR OF I NSIDE S TORY: T HE P OWER OF THE T RANSFORMATIONAL A RC

This is a wise, delightful, and powerful book, unlike anything else of its kind Ive come across. Its written by a writer for writers, and you can feel that compassion and rigor on every page. Norton shares practical ideas with grace and ample lashings of humor. Writers of all kinds will find this a godsend.

E LLEN M C L AUGHLIN , PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR, AND PROFESSOR OF PLAYWRITING , B ARNARD C OLLEGE

Deb Nortons writing is infused with so much heart and compassion, and her unique sense of humor and curiosity are infectious! This book inspired me to PLUNGE!

D IDI C ONN, ACTRESS AND PLAYWRIGHT

When you get stuck in your writingand Id give a 99.9 percent for-sure guarantee that you willtake hope. Somewhere in Part Wild you will find just the right suggestion to get you moving. Deb Norton is the highest-leaping cheerleader a writer could wish for!

N INA R OTHSCHILD U TNE, ACTIVIST AND COFOUNDER , U TNE R EADER , AND COFOUNDER, L ILY S PRINGS F ARMS

Enliven Books

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Copyright 2016 by Deborah Norton

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Enliven trade paperback edition September 2016

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of personal professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it.

The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

/ENLIVEN and colophons are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Interior design by Renato Stanisic

Cover design by James Perales

Tiger: Smit/Shutterstock

Typewriter: Darren Pullman/Shutterstock

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-5011-2915-5

ISBN 978-1-5011-2916-2 (ebook)

Part Wild is dedicated to my husband, Chris, without whom I would never have known I was a teacher.

I got the title of this book from my dog, Al, a smart, sensitive, mostly well-behaved Queensland heeler mix who was my constant companion for fourteen of her sixteen years. Al had some truly inexplicable behaviors and habits that no amount of training or socializing could alter. For instance, Al sang loudly in the car whenever I took a route she didnt approve of or put the car in fourth gear. It was a dead-on imitation of Yoko Ono at the height of frenzy, and there was no getting her to stop. If I held her muzzle closed, she sang inside her mouth. She also barked at the sun and moon, was rude and snobby to other dogs, didnt like her sides to be touched, and absolutely would not stand for anyone taking her picture. Then, as if these werent enough quirks for any dog, Al developed a new habit. After walking off leash her whole life, she began to stray from my side and stroll into our rural road to stand in front of oncoming cars. I told her this was absolutely forbidden, but she wouldnt hear it. I started leashing her for our walks, and she was not pleased.

When I discovered that one of the writers in my workshop was a pet psychic, I thought, What the heck, maybe she can speak to Al and find out what on earth made her want to walk into the road .

Laura sat down next to Al, and they put their heads together conspiratorially. After just a few moments, she looked over at me, laughing. Im sorry; its really not funny, she said. I told her she has to stop going into the street and she said, But the people in the cars like to see me. It makes them happy.

I would never have guessed this reason for Als behavior. But shes going to stop, right?

Yes, I told her if she wants to be off leash, she has to do what you say.

Good. What about all the rest of it? The singing and the barking.

Oh, Al says she cant help it because shes part wild.

Excuse me?

Laura looked at Al as if for confirmation. Yep. Part wild. And she says she wants a kitty. She looked at Al again. And a duck.

Al never did stray into the road again after speaking with Laura. I let the rest of it go. As long as her behaviors were merely eccentric and not dangerous, why try to tame them out of her? The duck, thoughthat was a bridge too far.