I Should Be Writing: A Writer’s Workshop by Mur Lafferty (2017) is a book in which you can quote me here and in a video review I previously created in saying that it is...
“One of the best writing resources that I have ever found — especially for newbie writers.” (BooksbyBaleigh)
I quote myself on this for several reasons.
The first being that this book, and the reason for this review, is entirely for the fact that this book isn’t talked about a lot today, even with it being published just a few years ago. The second reason is that the book is an award-winning book and resource for writers. After publication, I Should Be Writing: A Writer’s Workshop received two distinguished awards for its content, including the 2007 Parsec Award for Best Writing Podcast and the John W. Campbell Award. My third reason for giving this book such high praise is due to myself being a writer and having used this book myself. As I am still a new, self-published author, I found the book to be incredibly insightful and the fact that it also functions as a workbook, only makes it more valuable.
Other reasons this book is one I would recommend for any beginner writer is because the book is 1) a quick and easy read, 2) a resource you can return to when stuck, and 3) acts in place of publically available course/mentor for those who might not be able to obtain one. I Should Be Writing: A Writer’s Workshop also dives deep into topics that can portray to traditional and self-publishing authors, as well as, gives you a vague glance into the entire process of start to finish of what it takes to craft a book.
The other notable difference of the book which makes it stand out from other resources is that I Should Be Writing focuses rather heavily on the psychology of the process of writing. What I mean by that is that it focuses on why someone might be having writer's block or why one might be afraid to start wiring and redirects that thinking into positive changes as one might find in a workshop. This concept, especially with it being done so well, really sets this book apart in that it shifts a writer’s mindset in order to get them out of their head and back to work.
Overall, I really enjoy and love this book and believe it to be a great resource for any writer, whether it be an author or a student, who wants to better their writing or change the way they think about writing. This is a five-star resource for newbie authors and I implore you to pick it up and read it even if you do not like to write. The lessons within the book have extremely applicable lessons when taken out of context and modified to a passion of your choice.
WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK?
WATCH THIS VIDEO!
THE BOOK METADATA
Title: I Should Be Writing: A Writing Workshop
Author: Mur Lafferty
Classification: Nonfiction, Writing Resource, Workbook
Pages: 160
Rating: 5 Stars
AWARDS: JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD WINNER, 2007 PARSEC AWARD FOR BEST WRITING PODCAST