By Marissa Dunham //
A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves
Today I am going to review a book that’s a little closer to home for SoCal locals. A Writer’s Book of Days: A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life, Revised Edition is written by Judy Reeves, teacher and workshop host in San Diego.
This column is part of a series that reviews books on the craft of writing.
Writing prompts are easily one of the most fun ways to set up a writing routine. Put a few printed slips in your pocket, have a favorite collection on the Notes app on your phone, or, like I do, have a stack of paper strips with one-word prompts and keep them in a jar on your writing desk. You’ll have easy access to a treasure trove of muscle-building writing prompts that will relax the mind and inspire you.
And, yes, I have a writing desk, though most days I prefer writing on the tiled counter of my bathroom vanity. The light and sound in the bathroom are more soothing for creative activity than my desk. The bed has also become a good writing spot lately.
A Writer’s Book of Days is special because it provides a prompt for every day of the year and gives guidelines on how to use those prompts to your advantage.
A Writer’s Book of Days has 365-plus writing prompts and 12 chapters, one chapter for each month. The book is an easy-to-read 242 page and has front matter and back matter.
And if you like the book, remember this is a revised edition. That means there’s an earlier version with its own set of 365 writing prompts!
The How to Use section in books is a writer’s greatest ally. And I find myself going back again and again to “How to Use This Book” in A Book of Days. Reeves was generous when she wrote it. She goes step-by-step through the book, so there is no confusion and no heartache.
According to the “Writing Practice Prompts” section (page 3) in the How to Use, prompts come in many forms: sentence stems, quotes, directives, phrases, or words.
The book is geared toward active participation from the reader. And, unlike online articles, you’ll get much more than a laundry list of writing prompts.
I feel like her section titles in the table of contents speak for themselves:
- When Your Writing Bores Even You
- What Do I Do with All These Pages?
- When Can I Quit My Day Job and Be a Full-Time Writer?
My two favorite sections are “The Writing Life,” which is a collection of facts and quotes from famous authors on writing, and “Recommended Reading.” By coincidence, you’ll see a few titles on Reeves’ recommended list that I plan on reviewing in this series on craft books.
As you can see, Reeves thinks of almost everything a writer will need to improve their writing.
For writers interested in Reeves’ prompts but still not sure where to begin, I’ll give you this tip: Use whatever comes to mind when you first read the prompt.
When you’re new, you may feel restricted by writing from a prompt. That’s normal. You’re used to writing from an outline you created or freewriting. Having an outside party start your process for you will feel awkward. But your imagination will loosen up the more you write with them.
Personally, I started a writing habit through journaling. It wasn’t until later that I added writing prompts into my diet.
The benefits of using the occasional prompt for me have been fewer dry days with nothing on the page and writing with richer language.
For writers who already use writing prompts, add to your stockpile. It can’t hurt to have more prompts than you know what to do with. And like I said, this book offers more than the laundry list you’ll typically see in online articles.
Use Reeves’ book, A Writer’s Book of Days, Revised Edition, to help you grow. Play. Do whatever it takes to keep writing and soon you’ll find writer’s block (if it even exists) no longer keeps you from the thing you love to do.
Bonus Writing Prompt: The store closed early.
MARISSA DUNHAM is a writer and freelance editor. She spent the early part of her career in educational publishing, but now spends most of her time editing literary fiction, magical realism, and middle grade fiction. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys bringing new life into the world by planting tomatoes and flowers in the garden.
Full disclaimer: I know Judy (from the Southern California Writers Conference) and love her to death, so maybe I’m biased. No matter. I have the original version of A WRITER’S BOOK OF DAYS, from 1999 and read it cover-to-cover when I was learning to be a better writer. (Side note: I already wrote, which made me already a writer. I just wasn’t a good writer.) Your review made me get the book off my shelf, where it sits next to BIG MAGIC and DAMN FINE STORY, and break it open again, just for the extra boost of creativity juice. Thank you for this–I needed it!