THE HAPPY WRITER by Marissa Meyer is one of the better books that I have found about writing. I say that because it offers a myriad of practical suggestions and, as Meyer says, is written to connect the readers with their intrinsic love of writing as they "build a foundation of happiness, a love of words, a passion for telling stories, and appreciation of our own bizarre and beautiful imaginations." Meyer divides her thoughts into six sections that deal with cultivating creativity, setting goals, crafting and revising a first draft, pursuing publication, overcoming common challenges, and finding big payoffs through little joys. For example, she mentions developing a story playlist and listening to different types of music. A very established and best-selling writer herself, Meyer has been providing similar pointers on her Happy Writer podcast (link below) and this text certainly offers suggestions on many, many ways to "Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond." I received a preview copy of the text and an audiobook file read by the author. For me, Meyer's voice was a bit strident, and I found it difficult to focus and retain so many ideas when listening. Personally, I would prefer a print version where I could scribble and highlight – and I would because her ideas are useful and motivating. Meyer even includes a list of sources and further reading like Joyful by Lee, plus writing classics like Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott or Stephen King's On Writing. Meyer has added a great pep talk for aspiring and established writers!

Podcast link:
https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

This was an absolutely delightful book about writing. I have read many and this one is going to be one of my favorites. Many books about writing are not giving you tips about keeping the fun in writing, and Marissa Meyer gives a ton of great tips peppered all throughout this book that brings the focus back to that, always. I find that refreshing because so many times, writing will begin to feel like a chore, which is not what I envisioned as a little girl writing stories just for herself to escape from her unsafe world to worlds of wonder. Marissa helps to bring that magic back!

I want to read this book over and over again! I feel it will keep me optimistic and help me keep a positive attitude about writing. I wish I had this book when I was homeschooling my boys during those annual novel writing months that we sometimes struggled through. This may have been super helpful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook format. I listened intently to the author/narrator with a notebook and pen. It felt like I was back in creative writing class, the lecture portions, haha! I definitely recommend this book!

Having been a long-time listener of the Happy Writer podcast, I was thrilled about this book — and it didn't disappoint! I loved every chapter of The Happy Writer and often found myself nodding along (and making notes).

I loved that Marissa narrated the book, It was so fun listening to her!

Author Marissa Meyer tackles the art of being the healthiest and hardest working author in this self-help book. From creating outlines to going on writing retreats, Meyer gives inspiring tips, pushing authors to get words down on the page and accomplish their goal of publishing their first or their fiftieth book.

Thank you Marissa Meyer and Macmillan Audio for the audio copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. All opinions here are mine and mine alone.

Meyer does an excellent job bringing energy into her writing. I was definitely inspired to sit myself down and work on my manuscript. A good chunk of this book had this energy, but there were some slower and almost unnecessary sections that did not keep me as engaged, such as the discussion on breathing exercises.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to get inspired to work on their writing dreams. Listening to it via audiobook read by the author herself gave it great pacing and better insight to what Meyer was trying to convey.

This is a highly enjoyable book to reminder writers why they love to write while spurring them on with gentle, common sense guidance. It won’t be a book for every writer, but should be. We can all use a dose of happy every once in a while.

Oh to have just an ounce of Marissa’s optimism. This book was just chock full of such good advice for aspiring writers. She has a way of making you feel like it is possible to achieve your dreams of being a writer — that it doesn’t have to be a dream, you can make it a reality. She made me feel optimistic about my passions and hopes of being a published author one day and that’s not easy to do, given I can be a bit pessimist when it comes to my own aspirations.

I loved hearing all her advice and tips and encouragement throughout this whole book. In addition to very practical advice when it comes to building healthy habits, or getting inspiration from your dreams or from the outdoors, Marissa also advises readers to take heed of the most integral advice - to be kind to yourself when you’re pursuing your dreams of being a writer. Something I forget to do sometimes.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was truly an excellent book about writing and the creative life. Well-researched and thoughtfully presented, and also full of easy-to-implement practical tips. I loved Meyer's anecdotes and the quotes from the various podcast guests. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a delightful read. If you are an author or wanting to become an author, this is a book I think you should read. This has such good advice on how to stay on track and not beat yourself up, and to just keep going. I was lucky enough to be able to get the audiobook of this and Marissa Meyer does a fantastic job reading her book. I know getting behind that microphone can be pretty intimidating, but she does such a good job with her podcast and on this book. I think this book will inspire a whole group of new authors.

Marissa Meyer, acclaimed author, sets out to write a book to help writers be happier. The book incorporates loads of advice about writing, the publishing process, taking care of your mental health, and more. Short chapters and a positive outlook shine in this nonfiction piece.

The Happy Writer is a great addition to collections for both adults and young adults, especially those who aspire to be writers. Meyer doesn't ignore the challenges faced by writers, but incorporates a positive spin that can lead to success. Fantastic tone and audio, narrated by the author.

This is the first time I’ve read this author, but it will not be the last. This is a cute story and I cannot tell you enough that you need to read this. I got this off NetGalley and I’m so blessed to be able to read this so if you haven’t, please do

Based largely on Marissa Meyer's own success as an author as well as myriad guests to her podcast (also called the Happy Writer), this book contains over 70 chapters on topics to help writers find more joy in writing. (wow, it's almost like that's what's in the subtitle). The chapters follow something resembling chronological order, starting with coming up with ideas and writing the first few sentences, and ending with book deals, managing publicity, and learning some tricks that often keep even experienced writers from starting the next project. Throughout the chapters, there are quotes and anecdotes, and Marissa offers constant positivity while still acknowledging that writing isn't always easy.

This is a relatively long book, but I appreciate how Marissa keeps each chapter short and approachable. The book is well-organized, making it easy to flip back to rediscover a relevant topic at a later date. I'm amazed at the number and variety of topics covered; I don't think I've ever come across a writing book that offers advice on everything from the actual writing to managing burnout to problem-solving when you lose your editor partway through a publication deal. While there's certainly more to say on any given topic, the overview gives a great starting point, making this book a suitable tool for writers who aren't sure where to get started as well as anyone who's looking for a few tips to make the writing life more fun overall. I was encouraged to find that, even though Marissa is pretty upbeat in this book, she never offers pat answers or implies that the first answer is necessarily the best one. Some sections are notably empathetic; others made me chuckle. I would expect that some readers will find parts of this book useless, but I think there is something here for anyone who is serious about writing books as an income source.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

First off I loved that this was read by the author, it added to the over all experience. This is a comprehensive guide for writers and covers all aspects of the writing process, from where to start to how to get published. She shares advice from not only herself, but based upon writers she has interviewed on her pod cast.

This book has actionable and real advice, it can be applied to not only writing, but many other creative industries or jobs as well.

The one drawback to the audio format is that it would be nice to annotate and mark key passages that resonate with your writing process. For this reason I recommend the printed book over the audio, but the content is fantastic and actionable.

Simple yet relatable advice for writers dealing with everything from tackling goals to burnout. This book covers a lot of ground with the writing and publishing sphere, particularly with traditional publishing, though, as an indie/small press author, I still found some value in it. I love that it's read by the author and that there are some guest appearances (Kendare Blake!!!). It seems like a good compendium of all the words of wisdom from a long writing career and Meyer's podcast.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I've had this book preordered for my daughter for months but I was happy to get a sneak peak. I LOVED that it was read by the author, and she could truly highlight and add flourish to the things she wanted to. You just know your own work better than anyone else and with a non-fiction piece it really made sense.
I enjoyed the content of the book overall and it provided helpful tips for writing. I can't wait to share this with my daughter.

A must read for modern workers, if you work in any creative field.

You HAVE to read this book if you like:
Adam Grant
Brene Brown
Practical solutions
Validation.

This is the most comprehensive book on writing and publishing I have ever read. I'm obsessed with books on writing and this is an easy to read practical book.

If you replace the word "Writer" with most job titles today, it is still applicable.

Marissa Meyer takes you from daydreams to dealing with burnout and every little thing in between. This book is long and comprehensive, but she delivers it in such bite size chunks that it is simple and actionable.

I can't recommend this book enough. Her concepts of how to treat yourself are novel and validating. If I had to paraphrase it would be: "If you need to take a break, do it. Take care of yourself. But if you want hacks for how to work, here they are!" I am ordering it for my friends right now! I'm just sad they have to wait until it is released.

The author reads the book with such conviction it really makes a wonderful listen. Even though I want a physical copy now, I'm glad I listened to it first.

Such a positive treat

The Happy Writer made me realize I was previously stuck in a striving and unhappy mindset. I knew it was hard for me to find the fun in writing, but I couldn't put it together on my own. So I kept striving to find another book to tell me what I was doing wrong. Listening to Marissa's voice with the audiobook already set the perky optimistic tone for positivity before it even clicked for what was missing in my outlook. Her emphasis that this was going to be an optimistic and positive book made me pause and take a moment to let it settle that that was my issue. After restarting the book, it was tip after tip of ideas to keep me looking for that fun and happy writing. A lot of the front of the book is just overall good mental advice for a happier, less stressful life. The book is more focused on traditional publishing. I thought with the list of other narrators in the intro, that the back half of the book would be other people. But nope. It's just one chapter where she has less experience in the subject. Listening to Marissa's voice for 99% of this book was a delight. Like a fairytale princess telling you that life isn't all doom and gloom. I highly recommend this book for a happy mental shift in your writing and life. Also, cookies are mentioned a lot. You may want to come prepared.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, having listened to this book as an audiobook, I think I'd have much preferred to have read it in paperback in order to be able to skip around more easily. The book is broken into dozens of small sections, some of which were relevant to me, some of which were not, so consuming this book as audio was a little tedious. I'd recommend other readers get the paperback edition!

Also, I'd say that this book is best recommended for folks who are going the traditional publishing route, as that's where the author's experience shines. Likewise, there's a lot of advice here for those who've already gotten an agent or published their first books, so first-time authors might find some of the sections a little less useful than others. If you're still drafting your first manuscript, you're not ready to be thinking about writing notes of thanks to the bookstores that host your book events.

That said, this was a great guide to a wide range of aspects of a writer's life, from drafting to coping with burnout. Meyer shares her experience as a published author and podcast host, as well as advice from the authors she has interviewed for her show. There's quite a lot of emphasis on not only getting the work done, but also making sure the process of writing is enjoyable.

In short, I'd recommend this book for people who hope to or have already begun to make a career out of writing, especially for those going the traditional publishing route. Novice and indie writers can take away lots of good advice as well, but will want to skip around the book to find the most relevant content.

The Happy Writer is a guide for writers who strive to improve their craft -- whether they are stuck or simply looking to make changes in their process.

Meyer uses advice from writers who have been guests on her podcasts, and also adds her own suggestions to all aspects of how writers can become better, produce more and feel more secure in their writing. Her tone is positive and encouraging, and she offers ideas that can help any writer to visualize a more complete and satisfying experience. Her advice is practical and relatable and she clearly acknowledges just how hard writing can be.

I'd suggest reading the hard copy of this book, because there are a lot of places where I'd have liked to annotate and mark up.

#netgalleyaudio