I finished reading Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks. I had read this book over a decade ago and couldn’t remember who the author was. I knew it was a science-fiction or fantasy author that I enjoyed, but not enough to search for it successfully. With the advent of AI, I have found that it’s pretty good at interpreting my described memories to unlock details otherwise lost. It found the book for me with one search and I read it immediately.

I remember finding the book inspirational, and it remains so. Brooks makes writing seem attainable with focus and determination, which is what I most often lack. The book is also filled with thoughts that make me uneasy, like when he describes his life as “how things used to be” while failing to recognize it was only his personal experience. He laments how people used to be courteous when he was a kid, but at least has the presence of mind at that point to admit he sounds like his father.

I’m glad I was able to track this down and give it a second read.