Customer Reviews

The Write-Brain Workbook: 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a non-fiction writer, it's all too easy for me to fall into a routine with my writing. I heard Bonnie speak at a writers' workshop recently, did one of the sample exercises, and was hooked. The exercises have been fun, and not only is it "forcing" me to be more creative, but it's also therapeutic, as I often seem to be writing about pet peeves or challenges on my mind. :)

I like the fact that these are short exercises. And I also like writing in the book with a pen in a comfortable spot, instead of my fingers frantically flying across the keyboard. The exercises are definitely carrying over into my work as I think of new ways to write about ordinary topics.

As a bonus, the pages are beautifully designed. A really unique book!

I'm an essayist and columnist, and sometimes I think, maybe I've already written about all the ideas I can come up with. That's where this book reigns supreme. All I do is open it, read an exercise or two, and I can skip over the weeks of deliberation about "what to write about next" - and get right to the writing. The book is a gold mine for anyone wanting to get over writers block. I highly, highly recommend it!

I was really disappointed in this book. Out of 366 exercises, maybe five were helpful. It was silly. Very silly. If my writing were a type of food, what would it be?? Is she serious? The first lines she gave as beginners for the exercises were, quite often, lines that I would hope NOT to see in a book I was reading. I almost expected to come across the line "This one time, at band camp, I..."

Her encouragements may be helpful to others, but I personally would not be helped by standing in my shower and yelling "I am a writer!" at the top of my lungs. I'll admit, at least part of my irritation is that the writer of this book is entirely too sunshiney for my taste. A positive attitude is a good thing, but I think she went overboard on the "self-love".

This book was not my idea of helpful. Not at all. Go for the 3 AM Epiphany if you're having trouble finding ideas.

This book is chalk full of prompts and ideas to get your brain working. It is also a very visually stimulating book with it's vivid colors and all the shapes and pictures utilized throughout.

The entire book won't appeal to everyone (I don't know many that do), but it is a great book to get your brain thinking in different ways. And even if you don't like the exerices that are packed into this thick book you still can use the 'story starters' that are presented on almost every page.

It's a little pricey at $20, but all in all it's a good thought provoker.

Writers seeking something more stimulating than a mere subject stimulation guide will welcome THE WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK: 366 EXERCISES TO LIBERATE YOUR WRITING. Playful and thought-provoking exercises range from finishing half-completed stories and filling in imagination blanks to using memories as a springboard to writing. THE WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK would initially seem inappropriate for libraries as it encourages filling in the blanks - but the color-coded pages make it somewhat difficult and lend to fill-ins elsewhere on white paper, and may make WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK a strong library lending tool.

I must say, I've found that most books filled with 'creative' exercises and activities fall well short of the mark. Not this one, though. The activities here are actually interesting and, I'd guess, pretty darn effective! There's a whole year's worth of block-busters (even leap year, since there are 366 activities!).

A terrific book. Its big, colorful, and has a scrap book look to the pages. Thee difference between this and other idea or what if books is the NEXT STEP. It takes the idea, or just a part of it further and in a new direction. I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

Visually, the book is fun to page through with lots of graphics and color, plus this book is definitely thick. The trade-off however is that there's very little room per page to write more than a few sentences, so it's not really a "workbook" in that sense. You'll still need a laptop, notebook, or PDA (w/folding keyboard) to capture your reponses to the prompts. Depending on what you like to write and what motivates or inspires you, this book will likely have some useful prompts for everyone, but I don't think it's an end-all/be-all for any writer. I like the concept and it's a graphic artist's dream, but in terms of content, the prompts are reminiscent of "The Writer's Idea Book" by Jack Heffron.

If you ever trouble coming up with ideas for your books, short stories, novels, poems, articles, etc., then you need to check out Bonnie Newbauer's new book, The Write-Brain Workbook, just published by Writer's Digest Books. It provides a colorful exercise to do every day to help spark your creativity and exercise your writing prowess. Check it out at Amazon.com. I think you'll enjoy it. I have. -- John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

As a writer-wanna-be I had found this book suggested on multiple sites. Of the writing books I've purchased this is one of the best. The style is enjoyable and the book achieves it's stated objective. This probably only second to "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" as a recommended writing book.