The best advice a writer can get is: Write. The second best advice a writer can get is: Read. So be sure to add Julia Cameron's "The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life" to your reading list because it's the best of both worlds.

Best known for her bestselling book, "The Artist's Way," Cameron hits the mark again with "The Right to Write." This book is a wonderful motivational tool for writers of all ages and stages, and well as for those who've always aspired to try writing but haven't found the courage. The point of her book is not to teach you to be a brilliant writer, nor to aide your aspirations of becoming a best-selling novelist. Instead, she conveys that everyone has the right to expression, the right to put words to paper, and in the process, who knows what may happen.

Each chapter is broken into two bite-size chunks. One half consists of an invitation, an inspirational essay on subjects pertaining to writing and the writing life. The other half is devoted to initiation, which are simple and effective writing exercises. Though Cameron is sometimes self-indulgent in her writing, the essays are entertaining, thought-provoking, and most importantly, inspiring. Through her essays, Cameron connects with the readers -- making them feel as if she truly understands the writing experience, which, of course, she does.

The writing exercises are wonderful -- and they don't always involve writing either. An exercise may be simply to make a date with yourself to do something creative: visit a museum, an arboretum, an aquarium. At other times, the exercises invite you to dig deep into yourself, to discover how you feel, really feel, at that exact instant. Almost always, the exercises leave you racing for pen and paper, or word-processor, or maybe even crayon and napkin.

For those looking for a how-to book on writing, this is not the book for you. Cameron does not include strategies for plotting, characterization, or dialogue. There are no tips for polishing or marketing, no guidelines for formatting. What you will find in "The Right to Write" is a push in the right direction. And after all, the best advice a writer can get is to write.

Most importantly, for me, I came away from this book with a great desire to write, which is something I -- though I consider myself a writer -- had not felt in a long time. "The Right to Write" is a book that will have a special place on my bookshelves, where I can reach for it whenever I need a bit of inspiration.