A review by cassiealexandra
The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life by Allison Fallon

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

This book on writing was not what I expected. I’ve followed Ally Fallon for a long time online, but this was the first time I read any of her published works. Because her social media, business, and blog are very practical, I thought this would include more prompts, tips, and guidance on non-fiction writing. Instead this was more of an overview, including some summaries of scientific studies, of the benefits of expressive writing as a tool for framing one’s life. I appreciated the ideas about processing past trauma, framing the present, and imagining the future. I didn’t need much convincing to know that writing is a helpful way to work through emotions and events; I’ve been doing it most of my life. The practical tips in this title including setting a time and place, “the infinity prompt,” and writing “it” like a love letter were all helpful, but I know I’ll struggle with having the discipline to implement them, especially with my kids in their current stages. One of my takeaways was that writing can change my life, but that this practice isn’t just the power of positive thinking at work. Overall, I think this is a great read if you want another tool in your life to use in conjunction with therapy, prayer, community, etc. If you’re looking for something practical about becoming a non-fiction author, this is not that—my own fault for making assumptions about the book’s content without reading the descriptions.