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

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!

I am writing this review for anyone who wants to read this book on their Kindle. I am reading and writing from this book with several friends and am really enjoying both the content of the book and the daily writing ideas. The book is very good at prompting you to write - great if you hate the "blank page" looking back at you. However, my only complaint is with the Kindle format - the daily inspirations are in small boxes scattered throughout the chapters - great in the physical book, but almost microscopic in the digital version!! It adds a new challenge to each days writing. Make sure you check out the "look inside feature on each before making your choice. It is a wonderful book for anyone looking to be or become a writer.

f I had to sum The Writer's Book of Days in three words, they would be informative, interesting, and motivational. Ever since a member of my writing group brought this marvelous book to one of our meetings, I've been a fan. I leafed through hers and ordered my own within an hour. Since that day, I have perused this volume every day. Today's prompt is "In anticipation of catastrophe," and as soon as I read it, memories of hurricanes threatening the coast of SC came rushing back, and I easily wrote a couple of pages.There are dozens of good books for writers out there but what makes this one unique is that it's not autobiographical. It's just straight out good stuff! The reader can open the book at to any page be guaranteed to find a list of prompts, an essay on writing (how to get unstuck, for instance), quotes from famous writers, and a plethora of fascinating information (what well-known writers did for their day jobs). I'm still mulling over the ten daily habits that make one a good writer and wondering if I'll ever fit the bill.The book is arranged in months, and each chapter is centered around a guideline. July's is "Kiss your frogs," and you'll need to buy the book to better understand what that means. There is an opening quote for each chapter too, and I particularly like September's by Allen Ginsberg: "Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness."If you're a writer trying to get your "muse mojo," an English teacher looking for ways to stimulate student writing, or a would-be writer longing to know more about well-known writers and how they do (and did) it, this is the perfect book for you.

I've read many books on writing but this one proves to be the best motivator. The information about developing your practice is good. The daily writing prompts are great, just sufficiently vague enough to get the brain moving.

This tool is great to get into practice, especially if you are suffering from writers block. The author is great with encouragement and the day-to-day writing work is practicable and relatable on many levels. Get the "junk" out of your head or get the seeds for solid work -- this book is worth it.

A bit much for beginners. Good advice though.

This is a great book every writer needs for his/her "Writing Books" shelf. But you won't actually leave it on the shelf - you will carry it around with you in your writing bag or purse, or you'll leave it handy on your desk, since it's a constant source of inspiration. My writing group used this for prompts more times than I can count.I've had the pleasure of taking classes taught by Judy and she is a wonderful, giving teacher. That generous spirit comes through on the pages of this book. Buy it. You'll love it!

Use this in my writer's group and was so useful I had to by another copy, 1 for class & 1 for myself

What an absolutely fabulous book! I purchased it to add to my already overburdened shelf of books about writing. I was confident that it would be good - what writing book isn't? plus I'd read another by Judy Reeve (Wild Women, Wild Voices) and I like her style. I didn't expect A Book of Days to be as good as it is.Judy's gem is divided into months, each month with a different focus. Inspiring thoughts abound from the perfectly chosen quotes to Judy's own flowing prose, but this book doesn't stop at inspiration. It is absolutely filled with practical ideas and imaginative, helpful prompts. I've been working with a prompt a day for the last couple of weeks and have found each of them to be tremendously helpful. I can't say that for all books of prompts, some of which leave me shaking my head in wonder that anyone would ever have anything to say about x.I'm not surprised at the other reviewers who say that A Writer's Book of Days is one of their indispensables. It's now certainly one of mine.

This is one of those books you must have if you're a writer. It is packed to the top with tips from famous writers. It understands the process inside and out and tells you how it is, warts and all, and how to fix those warts and all. A writer recommended it to me years ago and I couldn't remember the title until I found it one day on Amazon. Thank goodness it came back to me.

This book is wonderful for the struggling writer. In every sentence, it's full of encouragement and love for writing. It is full of practical advice, inspiring quotes, intriguing anecdotes from published writers and small to big exercises. Plus the daily prompt, of course - and I must admit that this technique of 15-minute-writing about a prompt has brought never-known sources of creativity to live in my case.So, I recommend this book strongly to every writer who struggles with writing sometimes - which should be every single writer there is.

I've been told that if I want to be a writer I should write everyday regularly, but always at loss at what to write each day and how to do it. This book gives me just the right thing I need to jump into the habit of daily writing practice. It gives topics to write for each day in a year, and it's spiritual approach toward the act of writing is just the right kind of invitation to me. Writing practice become something I look forward to every morning.　Thanks Judy!

I love this book;)