Customer Reviews

Write: 10 Days to Overcome Writer's Block. Period.

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

 

 

Here's an in-depth guide to many of the causes of writer's block that also offers some unique solutions to the problem.

If you want to write but can't get started, can't stop revising, can't complete what you start, you may find the suggestions useful.

A previous reviewer mentions that the book contains "too much psycho-babble", and true, it does have a fair share of that. However, for a writer who has tried just about everything else to break through being blocked, what is there to lose by trying this method?

Reading this guide feels like sitting down with your shrink and discussing why you have this problem with writing, and being told what you might try in order to overcome it.

As I said, if nothing else has worked in breaking your block, it won't hurt to try this psychological approach to the problem.

I've read a fair amount of the current popular writer's block literature, including Jane Anne Staw's book *Unstuck*, Ralph Keyes's *The Courage to Write* and Alice Flaherty's brilliant *The Midnight Disease*. And while I found this book interesting, I was discouraged when (despite an open mind, calm approach, and several attempts at the exercises) my right and left responses proved identical, repeatedly.

One of Alice Flaherty's points is that serious writer's block (and its obverse cousin, hypergraphia) is a more complicated and intricate linkage of neurological processes than this book's "right" and "left" brain theorizing. I'm no expert on these matters, but I find myself unfulfilled by Peterson's methods, and I think the overconfident title ("Period"!) brushes with all-out irresponsibility on her part. Legitimate writer's block is quite awful for the afflicted and so the title echoes a bit of old snake oil promises.

Please don't get me wrong: I'm sincerely glad this book is helping people and I don't mean to squelch anyone's success, but I would caution prospective buyers to take a *careful* look at this book beforehand. Don't let the title inflate your hope prematurely. Don't make the mistake I did. Ensure these exercises hold promise for you before you buy her book.

To buy a book written by a psychologist and then accuse her of "psychobabble" as some reviewers have done seems strange to me. Plus, Dr. Peterson does not write "babble" of any kind. She reviews recent scientific research on the brain and then suggests behaviors that will help anyone deal with the physical and psychological issues involved with writer's block. Her writing is easy to understand but sophisticated in content. I have already found her book helpful, and recommend it to anyone dealing with this difficult issue.

This is a fabulous book! What writer hasn't spent time in front of their computer or pondering over a legal pad desperately trying to find the right words? This is the book for them! I would highly recommend this to all writers and authors, it should be your reference guide.

This book might be helpful if the reader were a split-brain patient--a person who has had surgery to separate the left and right hemispheres of the brain to control epilepsy. For everyone else, the two sides of the brain communicate with one another directly and extremely rapidly, mainly by way of the corpus callosum, a thick band of fibers. The author is apparently unaware of this fact. This means that her repeated advice to respond to checklists separately with the dominant and nondominant hand to reveal the different thinking of the two hemispheres is simply nonsense. So the reviewers who said their two hands gave identical responses now know why. (For those who did get different answers, there are simple explanations for that that have nothing to do with hemispheric differences). Since this faulty understanding informs all of the book's recommendations, I found this book a great disappointment. There are some interesting bits about the work of Allan Schore, a brilliant thinker on the brain and development, but other than that, there is little of value to be had here.

I opened this book and immediately found a couple very engaging quotes:

"The plot is just a bribe to keep them reading." Kurt Vonnegut and

"And they were all, when their souls grew warm, poets." Ray Bradbury.

I knew if the author chose those quotes, she must have good information to share - she was obviously someone with good taste.

What makes this book different from other "Writing Block" style books is this one takes its approach from the most recent brain research AND it manages to communicate not like it got its information from recent brain research. The writing style is entertaining and crisp, not full of jargon or vocabulary written-to-impress.

There are specific ideas using the "bi-vocal" approach... so that the nagging from both sides of the brain and the three different types of writer's blocks may be adequately addressed. Included are numerous top ten lists and one of my favorite bells and whistles is an index.

This is definitely one to read once and then refer to, both for yourself and for other writers you know.

I'm sorry , but this book is the most poorly written book on writing I have ever read. All you writers out there--please do not use it as a model. I'm glad if it has helped some of you get past your blocks, but I've worked with blocked and anxious writers for over 15 years, and I would never recommend this book to them. In my experience, it is far too simplistic to address more than the most basic types of block. The "brain research" used to support the book's premise is pretty weak as well. Bottom line: Not worth the money.

I strongly encourage anyone involved in the process of writing to read this book. The exercises are especially helpful in facilitating the creative writing process for enjoyable and productive writing. Peterson's book has helped me in writing my own books. I wish I had book earlier!

This is one of the best writing books I've found in the past year. It's helpful for me to understand a little more about how the brain works, because I can connect it to my many experiences of procrastination and freezing up in front of a blank page or screen. What the author says makes sense to me.

She clearly explains how research findings on left/right brain interaction and hormones are connected to the challenges many writer's face while pursuing their goals. If you could just sit down and write, you would...

Maybe this is not the book for everyone, but if you're one of those aspiring writers who's been knocking your head against a wall for 20+ years, long and hard enough to question whether writing is really for you, TRY THIS. It could be the rainmaker that helps you unleash all that pent up expression.

I'm looking at four bookcases full of other writing books. I'm taking this one to my writing group and all my writing/creative friends.

Dr.Peterson's write.is a stellar delivery of research,humor, and functionality-should be required reading in all collegiate English curriculums-any doubts?...take them up with Vonnegut.