Customer Reviews

A Creative Writer's Kit: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for the Writing Life

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Judy Reeves has boxed together a book of prompts and practices along with cards that offer advice on the practice of creative writing.

This set is a nice gift for anyone who suffers from writer's block or who wants to embark on a career in creative writing. The book offers a year of writing prompts, recommended readings, many quotes from famous writers and several pages of open journal pages that holds all of the inspiration one might receive. The cards offer 25 suggestions for becoming a better writer, from overcoming bad habits to developing new ideas freely.

All in all this is a nicely packaged set for a gift to a would-be writer. For serious writers I recommend Reeve's more thorough book on writing, "A Writer's Book of Days". But any inspiration is good inspiration!

If you do not have Judy Reeves' book, & are into cards & brevity, then A CREATIVE WRITER'S KIT will be a good addition to your daily writing exercises. You do do daily exercises, don't you?

Judy Reeves has a mission -- to get us writing -- not necessarily on the Great American Novel -- more on learning to write well, on recording our lives, on becoming articulate about our thoughts, on making the time for what satisfies us...writing!

A CREATIVE WRITER'S KIT easily fits into a pocket or bag, & thus is perfect for traveling. Perhaps the only thing "missing" is a slot for a pen.

Rebeccasreads recommends A CREATIVE WRITER'S KIT especially for students of & novices to the ancient art of writing. It is a unique gift for the writers & wannabes in your life.

I have finally admitted to myself that I am a musician who writes. I spend my daytime hours in a job that is noncreative and demanding. My spare time is spent in musical efforts so the time devoted to writing seems to fritter away. In the past, however, I found myself jotting down prompts from the "Days" book as I prepared for night-owl writing on choral concert tours.

Yes, this kit contains excerpts from Judy Reeves' book. I know that fact regardless of whether I am shopping from this site or in the bookstore. The editorial description on the site informs me. The kit's packaging contains chapter titles familiar to me. Obviously, "A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life" is taken directly from the book's title.

I sought portability and have found it in this kit. I no longer have to search for index cards in my office clutter. Concert tours do require immersion in music, but when the performance is over, there is always time for people-watching. I can imagine personal histories or envision these people in different settings. It's only with Judy's assistance that I'm able to let my mind wander.

The kit I possess is the fourth one I have purchased. Each time I do a quick show-and-tell to a friend or colleague, I receive a bug-eyed response and a confession that this person "used to write" so I order the kit as a gift. One recipient was a computer manager who has a degree in English Lit. She called and thanked me for the gift: "I have never been able to sit down and just write...like I can with these prompts!!"

I've been pleased with my purchases.

I bought this hoping to add to my collection of Judy Reeves's prompts, unfortunately all this is is a repackaging of A Writer's Book of Days: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for the Writing Life. The year's worth of prompts are in the kit's book, followed by lined pages. The advice and encouragement on the kit's cards can be found among the pages of her Writing Book of Days. I'm very disappointed that Reeves couldn't create more prompts rather than simply making more money off of her previous work.

This is a complete repackaging of "A Writer's Book of Days" and the blurbs on the package do NOT warn you. There is no new material at all. If you already have the book, then you have everything the "kit" has to offer.

This is the advice that is given in this wonderful little book. It has little one to two words or small sentence idea joggers for everyday of the year. The idea is to sit down every day for a set amount time and using thoes little joggers, write whatever comes to mind. Freewriting if you will, to help get your imagination jump started.
I, personally, find this very effective and fun. I have writen some really cute stuff using this, and some really bad stuff. And the joy of freewriting is that you don't have to stay on the same subject for the time you have set, you mind gets to wonder and your pen, or computer or typewriter, gets to follow it, and sometimes it is the pen, computer or typewritter that leads the way and your mind has to play cetch up. LOL

If you are having any problems at all with your writing style, or just want to branch out, or want to work through some things in your life, this is a wonderful little book to help you do it.