I think a lot of writing books are the author writing to their younger selves. Writing the book they wish they had when they started. There is a lot of value to this approach. It makes people realize they are not alone. I would definitely buy this book for a young writer starting out.

This was a very helpful and insightful read and I learnt many new things about the whole process of writing. Hopefully it will be helpful to me in the future.

Would write a longer review, but I really should be writing.

Loved it. Applicable and to the point. Feel like it may have a limited audience, but hope it inspires plenty of folks to do what they love.

Helpful and interactive!
Its unlike a textbook but like reading a transcript of an enjoyable talkshow, although I couldnt finish on time . The contents were inspiring .

A simple, perhaps too simple, book on writing advice. Helpful for beginners, but perhaps too repetitive for writers like myself who are studying it full time. However, it was very well laid out, and I enjoyed reading it.

If a reader has seen more than his or her share of writing instruction books, this one does not add much. However, for someone just starting to read about this topic, it is an excellent introduction.

An excellent read for anyone struggling to get started. Easy to use, entertaining and fun, Ms Lafferty makes writing more accessible for everyone.

Full of practical and humorous tips and advice for writers and all creatives.

This was a really cool book to read. With useful tips and the colorful illustrations as well as Lafferty's constantly reassuring, and quirky, tone, there's much to learn. Having read this just for fun, I SHOULD BE WRITING actually encourages people to buck up and write whatever it is they feel like writing and not to constantly berate themselves or wallow in a pool of their own brooding depression on those days when things just don't seem to be working out for them. Lafferty reassures the reader that, hey, although this chapter suddenly makes you doubt yourself as a writer and that you've been wasting years of your time, just take a deep breath, focus, and don't take yourself so seriously.

Writing should be fun and relaxing, a hobby you do in your own time, at whatever pace suits you best, and I SHOULD BE WRITING couldn't have made that message any clearer.

***This book was reviewed for Quarto Publishing via Netgalley

I Should Be Writing, by Mur Lafferty, is a small, concise writing book focused less on the technical parts and more on helping baby writers overcome inner excuses and debunk myths. There are eight chapters, along with a section of writing prompts. The start of each chapter has a nifty quote, and scattered throughout are humorous examples of how the 'muse’ and the 'bully’ might respond to what's being discussed at the moment.

Chapter One looks at the unrealistic expectations new writers may have of themselves, or that friends/family may have. Chapter Two looks at the tools at a writer's disposal, stressing that things don't need to be fancy to be functional. A pad and pen works as well as a fancy notebook and $500 quill pen. Chapter Three is concerned with squashing myths. Chapter Four talks about writing advice, and to take it with a grain of salt. To process advice and test it for yourself, seeing what works for you. Chapter Five is all about getting started, putting paid to excuses like 'no time’, and working through being blocked. Chapter Six discusses the basic ingredients of story. Chapter Seven talks about the editing process, and cultivating the second draft. Chapter Eight, the final chapter, looks at traditional Vs self publishing.

Lafferty's book is great for quick inspiration if you're having difficulty getting started writing. With gentle humour, she dispels the myriad excuses the mind can conjure for putting off writing. Most of the information was familiar to me, but I did find good suggestions for online workshop and critique groups, which I'd been looking for. I really liked that she reiterated multiple times that the only hard and fast 'rule’ for writing is to sit your ass down and write. Nothing else. Everything else is variable, depending on the person’s (and the story’s) needs and preferences.

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Sophie decided that November, known to many as the month of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), would be an ideal time to dive into I Should Be Writing: A Writer’s Workshop by Mur Lafferty. This was only in part to avoid doing any actual work on her own NaNoWriMo project. Honest…

This short book – 160 pages – is split into two parts. The first half consists of friendly first-person advice from Mur, with interjections from two figures she refers to as her Muse – who gives her ideas and encouragement – and her Bully who advocates for procrastination and endlessly questions why she is even trying to write anything. These figures are effectively the angel and devil on her shoulders and she includes asides from them both in their own colored speech bubbles.

Mur covers situations familiar to anyone who has attempted to write: imposter syndrome, finding a routine, writing anxiety, and writer’s block. She also tackles a number of myths like that of the tortured writer, whether natural writing talent exists, and how to find the time to write. There is also some more factual advice such as a breakdown of how a publishing advance will actually pay out over time, which writing tools are really worth investing in, the differences between traditional and self-publishing, and a breakdown of basic story elements.

The second half of the book is a series of writing prompts designed to get you actually writing rather than simply reading about it. These are a mixture of exercises that begin with making a list of reasons not to write and include ways to brainstorm new ideas, and actual writing prompts. Each exercise comes with space to write inside the book itself, or you could write elsewhere if you’re like me and can’t bear to mark the inside of a precious book. There were some really fun exercises included here and Sophie found herself coming up with new ideas just reading them.

This is an ideal book for anyone toying with the idea of trying to write something for the first time, or even for those who have already started writing and are looking to improve their work and/or get something published. The advice isn’t groundbreaking, but the friendly way in which it is presented gives the book a feel of chatting with a friend who has already been there and done that and is passing along their advice. A perfect gift for the aspiring Rowlings and Gaimans on your Christmas list.

When I was younger , our school had something deemed innovative called 'English Lab'. We would dissect tapes and try out different pieces to a prescribed guideline.The guidelines would consist of basic grammar, rules of haikus or other structured writing and tentative story situations. I start with this brief introduction because this book took me back to those fun sessions.

The book contains age-old wisdom in very interesting packaging making it a thoroughly energizing read. The exercises at the end of the book contain very interesting ideas that I am sure to sit down with someday. I do not intend at this time to take up writing as a vocation or a career but this book has enough ideas to help with even a bit of writing, in passing, like the reviews that I have been pursuing( Even if I may not have used any tips on this review itself).

To all those out there who need a little bit of variety to experiment with their writing, this would be a welcome addition.The author I believe is already well-known in this field.

I think the best thing about Lafferty's book is that it has all the advice you need in one place. You probably heard some or maybe even all the advice in this book at some point in your life, but Lafferty has a way of delivering it that really hits home and make you stop and think. I especially like the chapter where she talks about writers who want to write but just feel like they don't have the time. As an aspiring writer myself, I found this chapter especially sobering because I make this excuse all the time. She points out that if you have time to text, watch TV, play games on your phone, etc...you have time to write. Lafferty also goes beyond motivation to talk about characters, plot, setting, how to edit, and different publishing methods. Filled with tons of motivation and practical advice about getting started as a writer or pushing through to the finish line, you will not be disappointed!

Interesting, entertaining and down to earth advice from a writer who's 'made it' at last.

I should be writing by Mur Lafferty is a book of great information and suggestions that I'll share with the writers' group at our public library.

So, this was kind of a mixed bag for me. Certain aspects of this self-help guide—marketed as a workshop for aspiring writers—spoke to me, while others felt like nothing more than filler.

Let’s start with the positives:

That title—snazzy. The moment my eyes landed on it, I was like—YES! That’s me—a wannabe writer that just hasn’t found the discipline or confidence to sit down and really explore my ideas on the page. Hearing that EVERYONE experiences negative self-talk—even seasoned and widely-published writers—put things in perspective. It’s no secret, putting yourself out there is hard, while finding excuses is all too easy. To further that point, the author delves into the quest some of us have for perfection and how it only hinders a writer’s progress. NOTHING is ever perfect and apparently that’s what editors are for. I think the biggest and most important piece of advice I took away from this book was to write, write, write and then go back and try to edit. It’s important to avoid letting your “inner editor” bully you about word usage and sentence structure as you’re writing—save that for the actual editing phase.

Alright, it’s time to delve into the negatives or things I personally found unhelpful. Number one, the author’s discussion on how to publish or what one might expect to see as far as an advance. For the person picking up this book—one who’s acknowledged “I Should Be Writing”—that’s a little outside the scope of focus. Shouldn’t we be more worried about actually getting the words on the page? I also felt some of the author’s advice was contradictory—she says you don’t need a fancy new pen or notebook to get started, but in the next breath pimps Scrivener. Huh? The “workshop” wraps up with a large number of writing exercises/prompts, which honestly felt like nothing more than filler.

Overall, this is a quick and easy read with some useful insight, but not something that I found to be mind-blowing in any capacity.

This is an upbeat self-help book for aspiring writers. The advice is all sound and to the point, and the tone is warm and likeable. It’s very nicely illustrated and presented, and includes a number of solid exercises to kickstart the writing process. If you have the urge to try creative writing but have no idea where to begin, this would be an excellent primer, but if you’re a more experienced writer you might also find it encouraging as it could help give your writing a renewed direction.

Pratico manuale ricco di consigli per chi vuole imparare a scrivere, ma anche per chi vuole scoprire e mettere a nudo i meccanismi e i trucchi che si nascondono dietro un testo.

Good advice. Clear, concise, great tips on getting the creative juices flowing.

With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, it's time to get some inspiration - and what better way than with the bluntly named "I Should be Writing". My internal monologue reads this as *screams* "I SHOULD BE WRITING!!!" in a harried, overly-caffeinated way so quite why there isn't an exclamation mark on the end of the title is (spoiler alert) a mystery that is unfortunately left unresolved within the pages of the book. Perhaps I equate a different level of stress to the knowledge that I've wasted two hours looking at videos of puppies vs stairs when I know that I SHOULD BE WRITING!!! - and is possibly the reason that Mur Lafferty has a book and I... well, I know all the ways that a puppy can fall down the stairs. So cute!

I digress...

I Should be Writing (bet you screamed that in your head) is part self help book, part constructive guide to get you to, well, write. There's a big focus on motivation ("You're a writer. Get over it" (seriously, what does Mur have against exclamation marks?)) with plenty of tips for avoiding common mistakes, improving your manuscript and a brief discussion on the different ways to sell your work. There's also lots of writing exercises to spark your imagination, should you be a bit stuck. The book is pretty brief, but it's the sort of guide that you can dip in and out of to get an overview on a particular topic, because, you know, you really should be writing...

I found the actual advice given in the book to be pretty useful, if a bit basic (my favourite thing that I learnt was if a character can be replaced with a sexy lamp, you need to make her have more agency). There was some good stuff on character development, passive language and plot devices that helped me to think about the structure and direction of my work (I say that as if I have actually written something - I haven't - but I do have ideas) which again was quite useful. I'm sure that if I do actually sit down and write something I will become immediately sidetracked by the pretty shiny on Pintrest so knowing that I have some constructive advice to fall back on is quite comforting.

I found that when I was reading the writing exercises at the back of the book I was immediately trying to answer the prompts in my head. I think it was the way they each headed a blank page - it felt like I was in an exam and I had to draw a spider diagram to get all of my ideas down before I forgot them. I might still get a mark even if I don't get round to writing about them! After all, I've only got an hour! Aargh! How many points is the question worth? I'm going to need extra paper! Why is Clara using a highlighter pen? It never leaves you...

I could easily have smashed out a few hundred words for each of the writing exercises so I'd recommend this book on the strength of these prompts alone. I think they could definitely help authors with writers block as they were all clear, non-repetitive and easily relatable; no weird shit like "you look out of the window and there's a dinosaur in your garden. Write about what happens next" (Answer: you die from the seizure which initiates such bizzare visions) or "A horse opens its mouth and..." which makes you churn out such nonsense that you question your integrity as a person, let alone a writer. Top marks for Mur. They probably used highlighters too.

The only thing that this book was missing was advice on literally how to write; where you should start, how you can plan a novel out, how to remember which character is which etc. I would have liked some input on these topics over and above "just start writing". For me that way madness lies but I guess I just enjoy having a proper structure to stick to. To each their own.

Overall, I enjoyed reading "I Should be Writing" (punctuation optional) and I think it would be a good, basic guide for the aspiring novelist. It's a fun, quick read that avoids all of the dry, textbookyness (I know that's not a word but Mur said I'm a writer so I can do shit like that) of other writing guides. The focus on motivation and procrastination could be really useful and the writing exercises gave me some great ideas. All in all, a great introduction to writing and a useful book to have around.