Customer Reviews

The Writer's Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-Start Your Imagination

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Jason Rekulak's "The Writer's Block" is a memorable item--it's nearly a perfect cube, 3 inches on a side, containing hundreds of pages meant to get you writing when you're feeling stuck. It includes three types of content: "Spark words" pair a single word or phrase with a photograph. Many are meant to be ambiguous or controversial; others are simply meant to be challenging, interesting, or unusual. "Writing topics" provide a brief discussion of some issue in writing, usually relating it to various published and well-known writers. "Writing challenges" give you short assignments--exercises you can play with and try out.

The sheer volume of photos, words, exercises, and writing suggestions is astonishing! Beyond that, however, I'd call this book very good, but not amazing. The spark words are interesting; the photos didn't wow me quite as much, however. Many of them had that excessively posed look to them; most of them seemed to illustrate the most stereotypical or expected aspect of the spark word rather than leading the reader to new ideas.

The three different types of content are scattered nicely throughout, making it quite easy, if you're looking specifically for a spark word or challenge, to find one no matter what page you open up to. Certainly you'll be able to make use of this little block for a long time to come without running out of material.

Also, while the "writer's block" cube is a cute gimmick, it does have a downside. When I first opened it I found the pages very stiff and difficult to open all the way. Once I'd played around with it for a short while the binding started to separate from the pages even though I handled it very carefully. Perhaps it would have been better to sell these as cards in a memo cube. That way there'd be no worry about a binding falling apart, and it would even be easy to sell later bunches of cards to supplement the stack.

All in all, a worthwhile purchase for any writer. How could you not enjoy having that many words, photos, exercises, and suggestions to play with? Just go easy on your little cube's binding, and try not to let the photos trap you into thinking about the spark words in expected ways.

This little book is fantastic for those of you stumbling with the ever ready writer's block.

Jason Rekulak has provided 786 ideas within this little block to jumpstart your free wheeling imagination. Each page contains something different and friendly to kick your writing into another fresh story idea. Some pages are photographs, others are just inspirational words or statements, still other pages ask you to describe an event or situation you have endured (I feel a memoir coming on), but every page requires the same thing: a committed time frame towards your craft.

So fork over a few bucks and enjoy the rewards this little block will bring you year after year. I challenge you to knock your block off!

As an aspiring writer, I am constantly seeking ideas to inspire me. When writer's block hits (which is often) I open THE WRITER'S BLOCK and flip to practically any page and find numerous ideas on which to write. I have even gone through the book and flagged the ones that I like the most with post-it tags. The only unfortunate thing is -- I don't have enough time to write on all of these awesome suggestions! BUY THIS BOOK. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

I received this book as a gift from another writer. At first, I thought it was a cutesy idea -- nice gift with a nice thought behind it, but I probably wouldn't do more than use it as a paperweight.

Suprisingly, I've found this book to be fine source of inspiration. Great for those days when you are stuck in a chapter (or story, or article, or concept for an ad campaign) and you really need something to kickstart your creative brain. Also, oddly enough, it acts as a sort of oracle. I always seem to find exactly the word or phrase or question I need to fix my literary problem when I turn to this little gem.

Sure, it's corny. Yes, it has gotten as splayed as a revival minister's bible. But it works! Give it to the writers you know -- or to your own inner muse.

WOW. This book is amazing. I am taking my first writing course and was suffering for ideas for what to write about. A friend recommended this book to me and I haven't been able to stop writing since. The Writer's Block is a small book - 3 x 3 x 3 [handy to fit in your bag!] that has a story idea on every page. Some are writing exercises, some are an image and a 'spark' word, and others are an author's view on writing and how to write. A must-have for anyone who writes!

My husband bought this book for me and I love it. It's cute, it's useful and it's fun. Just flipping through it, I came up with so many useful ideas.

This little block book makes ya think. It caused me to ponder events long ago, and rework them into my current book. It really is helpful. I like the one word nudges....words that spark your thinking, bring up different kinds of images. For example, the word LOST. Lost Dog? Lost Soul? Lost child? Sooo many possibilities.

A great gift for a writer, or for anyone who likes to keep a journal. Fabulous, creative idea. If you write, you will LOVE this little book.

I found this book on a trip to Boston. At first I thought the small block shape was kind of a gimmick but the book is pretty good if you like writing. The photographer did a really great job of creating some really interesting images. They definitely can make you think about a subject in a new way and start writing. My only complaint is that the book should have more advice on science fiction and fantasy writing. There are a few sci-fi writers represented here (Orson Scott Card, Ray Bradbury) but not enough to satisfy me. If it had a little more sci-fi it would definitely be 5 stars in my opinion.

One of my creative writing students brought this book into class, claiming that it had inspired her to start churning out stories. After I browsed through some of the exercises, I could see why the book worked for her! My favorite exercises were paired with some really provocative photographs (but nothing that's inappropriate for a teenager or a mature child). There's also lots of great advice from some of my favorite authors, esp. Anne Tyler and Nick Hornby. And the section on Joan Collins novels is just hilarious! I've seen writing books that cost twice as much, and they're not nearly as good. All books should be as GOOD and as AFFORDABLE as this one!

This is literally a "block" of a book. It's the kind of book you would find next to the register at a bookstore as an impulse buy. However, the small size masks a very effective tool for kickstarting your writing. There are exercises, words to spark your imagination, and photos that will help trigger other parts of your creative psyche.

Of all the books dedicated toward jump-starting a stalled mind, this is definitely the smallest, and possibly the most inexpensive, but in terms of value per page, no other "idea" book can match this one.

As previous reviewers have said, after a few times through the book, the spine makes it look like a kind of floppy Rolodex, but it is a great way to give yourself that extra edge when there's nothing else around to fire your imagination.

This is the best writer's tool I've ever seen. The prompts are provoking and the short snippets about writers and their craft are wonderful. Don't buy anymore of those high brow books that you have to buy another book just to understand. Get this little gem instead. It's well worth the inexpensive price.