Customer Reviews

A Writer's Book of Days: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for the Writing Life

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If anything will get you writing, this book will. Enough prompts to get even the most reluctant practicer going--much more fun that playing scales. This book provides companionship and direction, not to mention diversion in the form of lives of the writers information for when you need a word snack before you start your own work. As a writing teacher, I have all my students buy Judy's book.

Judy Reeves has written a gem of a book--one that actually got me writing in a matter of minutes.

I've been so busy with my writing web community that I told myself I wasn't going to look at my review copy of A Writer's Book of Days until after the first of the year. But once the book was in hand, I couldn't help but thumb through the pages. The stunning design and functional format hooked me immediately. Pretty soon I was reading--and the next thing you know, I was writing on one of the daily writing prompts the book offers. Imagine that--WRITING! I haven't had time for writing--just for the pleasure of it--in months. I've been writing three or more "practice pages" a day ever since, and loving every minute of it.

A Writer's Book of Days is a wonderful motivational tool, but it's also a delicious book full of advice that will, quite simply, make you feel like writing. Reeves encourages practice writing, and includes a year's worth of "writing prompts" designed to jump-start the creative process. But don't dismiss this book as another new-agey volume on freewriting. It's as practical as it is motivational. Reeves' writing is personable and honest. Her book makes you feel as though you're sipping coffee with your favorite writing buddy, talking shop.

I'll be offering my highest recommendation on the Coffeehouse for Writers website!

There are a lot of how-to writers' books around, but Judy Reeves's WRITER'S BOOK OF DAYS fills a void because it gives writers food for thought and starting points from which to work, either doing "practice" pieces or "timed writings" or taking her daily suggestions and going with them wherever the writer wishes. I found it useful and inspiring on these counts.

There are, however, a few things that bother me. The first is the insistence than this practice writing be done "by hand." I know there are a lot of writers who feel that the hand-brain connection is almost sacrosanct and that to write this way is like "breathing" and so on. But I think to insist that that is the only way it should be done is likely to cause some people to turn off entirely, to say, "Well, I just won't bother," because the physical act of writing is difficult for them. They will lose out on the valuable things this book offers because they can't fulfill one of the dictums the author seems to require. My own experience as a writer is that I'm just as connected via computer to my thoughts as I am when I handwrite them. In fact, I have a lifetime of painful memories of handwriting and do as little of it as possible. As a published writer, I know that I can write using computer and that doing so doesn't lessen the connection between my heart and my words, I wish Ms. Reeves hadn't made such a point of that being the only way to do such writing practice.

I wish, too, that she had not found it necessary to take a cheap shot at the romance genre. She doesn't take cheap shots at science fiction or westerns. I'm sure there are many people interested in writing romance who will find her flippant dismissal of the genre as "bodice-ripping, heavy breathing purple prose" both an unwarranted stereotype and an unnecessary condescension.

I had intended to buy a copy of this book to give to a romance writing friend of mine, but now I've changed my mind. I'm also reluctant to suggest it to a romance writers' group because no one likes to feel they are being taught by someone who disparages the area in which they choose to work.

The inspiration for daily writing practice is non-stop in this book. The author provides endless sources for getting the creative juices flowing. This book makes a person feel the passion that writing is all about, and it's done with humour and thoughtful quotes. The advice is gentle and encouraging. No one can pick up this book and not put it down without feeling the strongest urge to write. We will survive this thing called "writing," and Ms. Reeves shows us how.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Judy Reeves provides a wealth of information on how to simply put pen to paper and let your imagination take control. Reeves' words give the writer support and encouragement to let his or her voice come through, and she has insights on how to successfully conquer writer's block. I actually felt like I was sitting in on one of her writing workshops.

I hadn't taken the time to write anything in quite awhile because I felt burned out & nothing seemed to inspire my creative voice. Since I received Reeves' book several days ago, I have spent more time writing in that short period of time than I have in the previous 6 months. And in my writing sessions I could really feel the power of my words and imagination coming together. What's more, I can hardly wait to get started on the next day's writing exercise.

This book has singlehandedly made me feel good about writing again. If you are stuck in a rut, A Writer's Book of Days will serve as a magnificent jumpstart. If your work is flowing smoothly, this book will make your writing--and the way you approach it--even better. I have a collection of writing books, but I know this is the one I will come back to again & again.

Judy Reeves has written a book that lives up to its name; it truly is a spirited companion and lively muse for this particular writer's life. I have been reading it as if it were a novel rather than day by day...it is simply so rich I cannot wait to read the next page, the next section, the next prompt. Written so that it is both accessible to the neophyte writer as well as the practiced and published ones, this book is a hymnal for writers. This one is to be quoted from, you will do yourself a disservice to rest it upon your bookshelf. Heck, buy two, one to keep at your computer and the other to carry with you at all times.

Judy Reeves clearly cherishes the writing life and wholeheartedly encourages fellow writers to do likewise in an endearing, enticing and emphatically inspiring work which enthralls the sometimes-reluctant writer to write whether he/she feels ready to do so or not. Wholly delightful, wholly enjoyable, a resource for all seasons. I'm buying copies for all my friends for Christmas, for I believe it is also both therapeutic and spiritual.

As an author and writing teacher, I own scores of books on both the art and the craft of writing. Too many of them make the process of putting pen to page seem intimidating. Judy Reeve's book is the best of its kind. Just flipping through it makes you feel like writing. Lovely layout, margin notes, quotes by famous and not-so-famous people, and many, many writing prompts to get your juices and your pen flowing onto paper.
Hurrah!

Playwright and editor Judy Reeves has taught writing, led creative writing workshops, and participated in writing groups for years. A Writer's Book Of Days is a compilation of all that she's learned when people get together to write. She says "the book came about because I saw the difference ongoing, regular practice could make in a writer's life." Because she found that people often needed a "prompt" to help get them started, she included a topic for every day. She says "they are all guaranteed to work if you give yourself over to them, trust the process, and follow your pen." Reeves says what is most important is to make a commitment to yourself that you will write every day. Then make an appointment with yourself and keep it. Treat it as seriously as you would any other appointment by not breaking it except for an emergency, and rescheduling when it does have to be broken. She emphasizes that writing is like any other skill--it is honed by practice. Her book is much more than a listing of writing topics, however. Each month starts with "Guidelines for Writing Practice" designed to create "a solid foundation on which to build your daily work." That's followed by each month's main writing tip, covering subjects like getting started, overcoming fears, and getting "unstuck." Monthly, "The Writing Life" starts with wisdom and advice from famous authors, historical and contemporary, then offers suggestions for all the myriad problems that beset writers, such what to do when your writing is boring. Each month ends with "Beyond Practice," an opportunity for writing practitioners "to honor themselves as a writer and nourish the writing-self . . . They are to have fun, to play, to expand possibilities, and explore the further reaches." All writers, novice or experienced, will find A Writer's Book Of Days encouraging, inspirational, and a reference they will enjoy turning to every day. Buy a copy for yourself, and extras for all your writing friends--it's the ideal gift for everyone wanting to put words to paper.

Sandra I. Smith, Reviewer

Added October 2010: Buy the Tenth Anniversary Edition, too! The best part: 365 NEW PROMPTS! And lots of updated information incorporating the advances made in technology over the past 10 years. And lots of beautiful and well-deserved praise from some of the best writers around. A classic never goes out of style.

All my life I wanted to name myself "writer." I certainly did a lot of writing, but always with the mind set that my words were of limited value--even worthless--until someone validated them by choosing to publish them. The name "writer" was a privilege to be earned only after publication.

This book changed everything. In one of the most beautifully written books about writing I have ever read, Judy Reeves redefined for me what it means to be a writer. Her premise is deceptively simple: "a writer is someone who writes." As a skilled and eloquent practitioner, what Ms. Reeves understands so well is that lots of us want to be published, but fewer of us actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and regularly engage in the act of writing. The reasons are endless: fear of the blank page, lack of confidence in our own abilities, never enough time, etc.

In her book, Reeves takes away all the fears and exuberantly invites us to reclaim the joy of writing, to actively participate in the sheer wonder of creation. She allows us to see ourselves beside dancers, athletes, musicians--all practicing our craft, growing stronger, more agile, less afraid. Ultimately, claiming ourselves as writers by giving that part of our selves the special attention it deserves.

At first, I wondered if engaging in all that "writing practice" would simply produce more writing. Well, abracadabra, Reeves-the-writing-magician has infused her words with a magic potion that really works. I found that I wasn't just writing more, I was writing better and gaining confidence in my abilities. Since reading this book, I have completed a screenplay treatment and a nonfiction book proposal. Last week, an editor called my co-author to express interest in publishing our book!

All of this is a dream come true, and I give much of the credit to Reeves' book. The best part of all is that I have finally named myself "writer," regardless of whether this or that editor decides to publish my writing. As the old song goes, "they can't take that away from me." Thank you, Judy Reeves!