Build Your Best Writing Life: A Book Review

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-help

Pages: 200

ASIN: B08358CWF6

Format: eBook (Kindle/Kobo/Nook)

Publication date: February 7th, 2020

Publisher: Self-Published

Type: Nonfiction book

*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to dear Kristen Kieffer (whom I secretly admire)!*

Introduction:

I own every workbook by Kieffer as well as her Scrivener course (which is SO useful!) and I’ve been one of her newsletter subscribers for a few years now. So, when she sent out the invitation to review her Build Your Best Writing Life ARC to help her out, how could I not? I mean, I always find what she does to be helpful and excellent, so the book probably wouldn’t differ from her usual work. Plus, the invitation came at a dire time in my life where I needed writing more than ever to stay afloat.

And trust me, it impressed me, taught me essential stuff about the writing life, and helped me like I thought it would.

How about we explore it together?

The Blurb:

Is there a gap between where you are and where you want to be in your writing life?

Maybe you have a drawer full of unfinished manuscripts or a story idea you’re struggling to develop. Perhaps you’re frustrated with your writing progress or overwhelmed by creative doubt, burnout, or writer’s block. Or you just can’t seem to sit down and write.

No matter the roadblock standing between you and writing success, here’s the good news: You’re capable of becoming the writer you want to be—and that work can begin today. In this actionable and empowering guide to personal writing success, Kristen Kieffer shares 25 insightful chapters designed to help you:

Cultivate confidence in your skills and stories
Develop a personal writing habit you can actually sustain
Improve your writing ability with tools for intentional growth
Discover what you (really) want from your writing life—and how to get it!

By the end of Build Your Best Writing Life, you’ll know how to harness the simple techniques that can help you win your inner creative battles, finish projects you can be proud to share with the world, and work with focus to turn your writing dreams into reality.

The Positive Sides:

For starters, I learned several things, especially about the Resistance, such as the indifference I feel sometimes when I come to put pen to paper. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, and reading about this reassured me. Seriously, her book reaches out to us writers and our specific troubles, our hopes, and our vision. She gives interesting tips on how to recognize and battle resistance, which I think is invaluable if you want to create your best writing life. Her book is informative and tackles topics like what is inspiration and what are the two types of creative energy.

Moreover, I liked that Kieffer links to professionals in theirs fields like Laura Vanderkam for time management. This makes the author more credible and professional. I also love that she gives tidbits of how she came to be a writer and overcome these issues and so on. It’s nice to have a personal experience thrown in at some points. It makes the reading richer and more entertaining.

As for the quality of the writing itself, it is beautiful and approached in a friendly and caring manner. It’s also no nonsense about things such as doubt (among other issues) and how it can impact us and so on. Kieffer is matter-of-fact, such as in the topic of finding time to write. She won’t tell you what you want to hear, but instead present you with facts and how reality is different for each of us, etc. As a last point, I personally enjoyed that she uses battle metaphors against Resistance; this reminds me a lot of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

In addition to these great points, she explores several important notions, concepts and issues experienced by writers. She tackles the external need for validation and the best way to cultivate confidence. Also, she talks about what habit is and why it is good and essential for writers. It’s very interesting to see its various benefits. Want tips and principles on how to find and make time to write? She’s got you covered! I liked the creative mindset chapter and loved the habit triggers part. Her explanation made me understand those better and now I want to try a few out! I loved her genuine thoughts against the productivity hot topic for writers that they have to write more etc when it’s a creative activity! Kieffer also explores writer’s block and its causes in detail and what we can do to help ourselves overcome it or deal with it. She is quite positive even in the face of doubts and taking action. It is inspiring and reassuring. She even goes into details on how to choose between traditional and indie, and she goes into details for the author career paths like the four business models we can use. Superb! And several chapters offer well-chosen and helpful questions meant to make you think about what you want and who you are as a writer. All the while, she goes deep into the subjects in a concise manner.

Lastly, kudos for mentioning fan fiction naturally while other writers shy away from or deride this creative outlet. I started out as a fan fiction writer too, so it always pleases me to see others respect this type of writing.

The Negative Sides:

Honestly, I would have preferred more tips and information about how to organize and build a writing routine. As one who struggles with this, I feel there wasn’t enough depth and guidance. It’s unfortunate, as the book is otherwise perfect!

In Conclusion:

Despite the lack of information about organizing and building a writing routine, all the rest of the book was immensely captivating and insightful. Thus, for the sheer helpfulness of this book and the joy and enthusiasm I felt reading it, I give Build Your Best Writing Life by Kristen Kieffer a rating of 5 out 5! I recommend it to all types of writers, both beginners and seasoned, and mostly to those considering a serious career in writing (or a more serious hobby)!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit her very informative Web site, you can also follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can also add Build Your Best Writing Life to your bookshelves on Goodreads.