Summary

Elizabeth Gilbert promises to tell readers about "the most magical thing that's ever happened to me" (31). She begins by talking about an idea she had in 2006 for a novel about a midwestern woman who travels to the Amazon. She then breaks the narrative to explain how she believes ideas happen. Gilbert believes ideas are magic, that each one is a "disembodied, energetic life-form," floating around the world, looking for the perfect creative partner to manifest them (35). She encourages creative people to be open to ideas when they come knocking so that the creative "contract with inspiration" can begin (38).

Gilbert returns to her story about her novel set in the Amazon. She outlines the finer plot points of her idea, sells the book to her publisher, and gets to work. A few months later, Gilbert recounts, she had to abandon her project for...