Writing with Hemingway: A Writer’s Exercise Book gives a writer a place to begin and move forward to open up their caged creativity. It is like having Ernest Hemingway as your personal guide to help you become the writer you were meant to become. We all have stories hidden within us. After reading this book, you will be highly motivated to put those stories into words. Cathy MacHold has the gift of inspiring you to use your words now and not ‘lose them by waiting for tomorrow’.
-Janis B. White, Ed.D., Chief Operating Officer, Regional Center of Orange County
All equations must have at least two parts. Books are the same way. They must be written, they must be read. Readin’ and writin’, along with ‘rithmatic, are taught in elementary school. However, knowing how to write the alphabet legibly, and being able to recognize those letters, is only half of what reading and writing are all about.
In her book, Writing with Hemingway, author Cathy MacHold blends her admiration of Ernest Hemingway with her love of writing and provides exercises and advice for people who want to learn to write or hone their writing skills. Each page asks a question or offers a scenario and provides space to write your responses. Some questions are straightforward. “What is the strangest sight you have witnessed in a crosswalk?” “Explain why your character did not pick up the ringing phone.” Some are more introspective.“Your biggest surge of confidence came from what?” “What inspires you?”
Reading and Writing: Both are necessary for richness of life.
This is a YouTube video book review from Spiritual Agnostic. She writes: In this video I review the book “Writing with Hemingway: A Writer’s Exercise Book” by Cathy MacHold. It is a fun, creative way to spark your writing and find new ways to express yourself!
This writer’s exercise book, with a focus on the life, writing style, and historical impact of Ernest Hemingway, effectively stimulates both the novice and established writer. The writing prompts are many and varied, often backed with information about Hemingway’s life and writing style. The book gives ample space for the exercises to be written and is sure to improve anyone that does the work requested. Appropriate for classroom and individual use, it is sure to be a “go to” resource for teachers in the high school, adult school, or college setting.
-Paul Chollet, B.A., M.A., Educator, Author
As an author, I am astounded when people tell me they don’t write because they truly believe they have nothing in their lives of interest to share. The cliche of being advised to “write what they know” often fails them because, as humans, they don’t realize the depth of their own rich, cultural repertoire of interesting and vibrant experiences. Using Ernest Hemingway as a backdrop and creating emotive strategies contextualized within the life of this timeless author, Cathy MacHold creatively and easily moves one’s thoughts into action. Her exercises effectively evoke the writer to take that jump onto the page with plenty of things to write without fear of consequence or failure. “Writing with Hemingway”gently coaches the writer to embrace the raw power of the narrative that lies from within. “Writing with Hemingway” is a great writing tool for the entire spectrum of writers.
-Patrick Collins, A Canadian Author published by DRC Publishing St. John’s , NL
I struggled in school with creative writing assignments. This workbook guides all levels of writers to meaningful results. It brings a fresh approach to writing based on legendary author, Hemingway. The exercises range from brief to lengthy, specific to broad, real life to fictional, past to future, happy to sad, and 1st or 3rd person perspective. Students will be challenged to increase their vocabulary, expand their knowledge base and think outside the box. This book does it all. Bravo.
-Nancy Newell Stiles, B.A., M.A., K-12 Educator, Retired,U.S. and International
Writing with Hemingway brings out personal elements that are suitable learning exercises for any genre, sport, and life. The in-depth questions reveal ways to have new personal visions. The exercises compel the reader/writer to evaluate and discover new ideas and depths in his life. It is fun, interesting, encouraging, and challenging to the readers to delve deep into themselves. Writing with Hemingway will be a dominant influence on writers crafting their books, articles, memoirs and more. What a joy that this timeless and soon-to-be treasured book will bring many readers a delightful experience.
A writer must write. A writer must write many things in many ways. Practice makes perfect.
-Suzy McMinn, Editor, Writer, Photographer, Instructor
