Reviews
A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement by Barbara Abercrombie
sacrowauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book of inspiration, and adored the quotes. Sadly I rented it form my library, so I'll be putting this title on my buy list soon.
quotidianwriter's review against another edition
5.0
Everything about this book is magic. Here you will find snippets of inspiration from a wide variety of writers on every topic related to the craft—anxiety, discipline, self-confidence, habits, rituals, authenticity, vulnerability. I’ve never felt such a strong urge to buy a physical copy of a book; I want to have this on my shelf so that I can flip to a random page whenever I feel myself slacking. Writing is my religion, and this book has become my Bible.
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
ahue92's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic book if you're looking for inspiration, or need to break through a block in your writing. I use this book mainly for it's varied collection of prompts, but the writing advice and anecdotes that Abercrombie provides are also helpful. I highly suggest this book if you want to get in the habit of writing, or improve your writing abilities!
herbivorehaunts's review against another edition
5.0
This book really lit a fire underneath me to finish my novel I was working on. It encouraged me to keep writing, no matter what, and all the quotes and anecdotes from writers made me feel like I am not alone in the experience of writing ☺️ highly recommend if you need a pep talk or a confidence boost in your writing skills!
quotidianwriter's review
5.0
Everything about this book is magic. Here you will find snippets of inspiration from a wide variety of writers on every topic related to the craft—anxiety, discipline, self-confidence, habits, rituals, authenticity, vulnerability. I’ve never felt such a strong urge to buy a physical copy of a book; I want to have this on my shelf so that I can flip to a random page whenever I feel myself slacking. Writing is my religion, and this book has become my Bible.
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
paulieg's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this, although had to speed through it by the library due date. Encouraging bon mots of just the right length.
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