Tag: writing toolbox

Book review for Writing for Bliss: A 7-step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life by Diana Raab

“Bliss may be defined as a natural direction to take to maximize your sense of joy and sense of fulfillment and performance. It is more powerful than happiness.” Writing and Bliss is about writing for therapy, for healing, and for transformation. It is about journaling (documenting and getting in touch with your feelings) which is a cathartic and safe way to spill out your stress or pain by being a storyteller which helps us understand and make sense of our lived experiences, the lessons we learned and our dreams for the future to help us transform to becoming aware of, facing, and becoming responsible for one’s thoughts and feelings.

In preparation to write, the author tells of the necessity of a writer, which is voraciously reading by being a seeker on the path to self-discovery. The book explains how to set up a writing spot, grounding, feeling gratitude, the connection of mind, body, and spirit, calming your mind, being fearless and courageous, and nurturing creativity, inspiration, and flow. Also interesting was the part of cultivating awareness, recalling your dreams, setting intentions and creative visualizations. Finding your voice, reflective writing, memory, and imagination were a good precursor to examining your life which encompasses purposes and themes, the meaning of experiences, the patterns in our lives, writing about difficult times, and sharing stories to heal the inner child.

Finding your writing form was also explained well, whether it be journaling, stream-of-conscious writing, memoir writing, poetry, or fiction. I particularly liked how the author wrote about the courage to write poetry as well as the necessity in reading poems of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. I also made numerous sticky notes focusing on the handy table of writing prompts. It gives you a starting place to find your bliss. This book is a keeper. Get yours here and read it in its entirety.

Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.

Book review for On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

If anybody has the right to give writerly advice based solely on success, Stephen King is one of them. With so many novels and short stories under his belt, King offers the collected wisdom, both learned and discovered. King’s memoir is part life story or memoir and part writing manual. The field guide is smart, instructive, and often amusing. It’s full of wise advice from the viewpoint of a seasoned veteran of the work. King’s writing shines through in both places. He can tell a good story, and he can make potentially boring writing guidelines fun to read.

The opening half is a look back on major events that helped to shape King as a writer, and you can see how even the little things, things seemingly unimportant or silly, can influence somebody and really leave a mark on them. From silly stories to ones that make you laugh or even cringe, the first half of this book is a treasure trove of personal experience. Many authors write books about writing, but King emphasizes memoir in this piece of nonfiction.

The second part of this book offers answers to commonly asked questions. King tells us several secrets about writing, which mistakes it’s okay to make and which ones you should avoid at all costs. For example, it’s not good if everything is described in passive by you. King describes writing as a toolbox. You fill it with different useful things like grammar, vocabulary and others. Then, you use them to express your ideas. But don’t let the toolbox get too big or it might as well lose its value as a toolbox! What I liked the most in the book was that it managed to continue being interesting throughout itself.

Anyone who reads King will appreciate this book for the backstory of several of King’s more popular novels. What an unexpected pleasure it was to read this book! I must say I was hesitant to pick it up years ago, but a fellow bookseller recommended it to me. I’m not a big fan of Stephen King’s novels (not really the horror and gore genre I usually read). However, this book was lots of fun, informative, and interesting. I enjoyed learning about Stephen’s curious childhood antics and how his writing developed over time. It is highly recommended for a budding writer.