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The 365-Day Writer's Block Workbook (Volume 1): 1,000+ sentence starts with 50+ writing tips
With over a thousand sentence starts - three per day, and a writing tip at the end of each week to motivate and inspire, this book provides kick-starts to avoid the dreaded 'writer's block'. Useful for any writer at any level, whether they have 10 minutes or 10 hours, to start a new project. Also an ideal tool for writing groups. With a combination of six first-person, six second-person, six third-person and three non-specific point of view starts per week, there are plenty to choose from. Beginning at 'Day 1' this book has been designed to be started at any time of the year, and regardless of whether the sentences are used in order or not. With a choice of three per day a writer can select one, two or all and see where it leads them.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
114 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2011
19 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Morgen Bailey
126 books83 followersMorgen Bailey – Morgen with an E – is a freelance editor, writing tutor (in person and online), blogger (helping other authors, sharing tips etc.), Writers’ Forum magazine ‘Competitive Edge’ columnist, speaker, author of several novels (at various stages), 400+ short stories, a series of writer’s block workbooks, an editing guide, articles, and has dabbled with poetry. She is an avid supporter of all things creative writing.
Former Chair of three writing groups, she has judged the H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, RONE, as well as the Althorp Literary Festival children’s short story, BBC Radio 2, and BeaconLit 500-word flash fiction competitions. She also runs her own monthly 100-word competition and was Flash 500's 2018-9 judge.
Events included talks and workshops at Troubador’s Self Publishing Conference speakers, workshops and panels at Delapre Abbey Book Festival, interviewing and workshops at BeaconLit, and NAWG Fest with her ‘Editing your Fiction’ weekend residential course.
Morgen can regularly be found as morgenwriteruk on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. When not online, she edits other authors’ books, reads, loves walking her dog, and somewhere in between all that she writes.
Like Morgen, her website is www.morgenbailey.com and her blog http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com is consumed by all things literary. Her email address is morgen@morgenbailey.com.
You can read / download her eBooks (paid and free) at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.
Profile photo credit: Cliff Hide for BeaconLit
Former Chair of three writing groups, she has judged the H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, RONE, as well as the Althorp Literary Festival children’s short story, BBC Radio 2, and BeaconLit 500-word flash fiction competitions. She also runs her own monthly 100-word competition and was Flash 500's 2018-9 judge.
Events included talks and workshops at Troubador’s Self Publishing Conference speakers, workshops and panels at Delapre Abbey Book Festival, interviewing and workshops at BeaconLit, and NAWG Fest with her ‘Editing your Fiction’ weekend residential course.
Morgen can regularly be found as morgenwriteruk on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. When not online, she edits other authors’ books, reads, loves walking her dog, and somewhere in between all that she writes.
Like Morgen, her website is www.morgenbailey.com and her blog http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com is consumed by all things literary. Her email address is morgen@morgenbailey.com.
You can read / download her eBooks (paid and free) at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.
Profile photo credit: Cliff Hide for BeaconLit
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 7, 2019
The 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook is a great book that really gives your creative spark a boost.
As the title suggests there are 365 days worth of writing prompts. You can do an exercise every day if you want to or like me dip in and out when you need that extra bit of assistance.
Each day you’re given three lines, in a different tense or point of view which you can use to start a story. The great thing is you can use as many lines as you want, you can even change the POV or names or tense, mix and match lines from different days, there’s endless possibilities!
When I got my hands on this book I was really suffering from maybe not full blown writer’s block but I’d really hit a wall with my writing. I used a couple of the prompts and while the stories I wrote were not the best, it really helped me get back into writing.
The 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook is a fab little book that every writer should have in their toolbox.
As the title suggests there are 365 days worth of writing prompts. You can do an exercise every day if you want to or like me dip in and out when you need that extra bit of assistance.
Each day you’re given three lines, in a different tense or point of view which you can use to start a story. The great thing is you can use as many lines as you want, you can even change the POV or names or tense, mix and match lines from different days, there’s endless possibilities!
When I got my hands on this book I was really suffering from maybe not full blown writer’s block but I’d really hit a wall with my writing. I used a couple of the prompts and while the stories I wrote were not the best, it really helped me get back into writing.
The 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook is a fab little book that every writer should have in their toolbox.
August 9, 2019
As a striving-but-as-yet-unpublished writer, I was very keen to take part in the blog tour for this useful little book. I have done various writing exercises and prompts before, and have found they often produce some fascinating pieces of work that can be expanded or incorporated into bigger projects, so I was eager to see if the prompts in this book would spark similarly useful creativity in the word-weary writer’s mind.
The book is small but perfectly formed, with three writing prompts per day for a whole year, in a mixture of tenses. Each week of prompts is then rounded off with a writing tip, which cover a multitude of authorly concerns. The format works well for ease of reference, but you wouldn’t necessarily have to stick rigidly to the recommended regime (I was listening to your tips on alliteration, Morgen, but not the one about adverbs – oops.), but could easily choose a day at random, whenever you feel the need of a spur, and work like that. I obviously have not spent a year working through this book on a daily basis in order to write this review, but did try a random mix of the prompts and read all of the weekly tips, and it did produce some fascinating ideas.
With regard to the prompts, I liked the fact that we were given one for each tense per day. I have to say, I am a cautious (possibly lazy) writer, who prefers the comfort of third person past tense, so using the prompts that pushed me out of this comfort zone was a very useful and surprising exercise, and the results may make me a little braver and more experimental in the future. I also adopted the approach of rejecting the very first idea that popped into my head after reading the prompt, on the basis that this was probably too obvious if it came so easily and I wanted to make my writing more surprising, and this worked really well. Some of the prompts resulted in some possibly bizarre ideas, but that is the fun part of writing. I am sure I am not the only aspiring author whose brain produces odd ideas from time to time!
The writing tips were probably my favourite part of the book. Some of them were ones that were not news to me, but some really made me think, and a lot of them will provide a very useful checklist in the process of editing my current WIP, so much so that I am going to summarise them in an editing reference document. For a small volume, this definitely packs a big punch.
This is a great little workbook for any writer who sometimes needs a little push to get the pen to the page, or for anyone who wants an odd thought or sentence from a third party that might spark that new creative connection in their brain that leads to a great piece of writing. A useful tool to have in your writer’s toolbox.
The book is small but perfectly formed, with three writing prompts per day for a whole year, in a mixture of tenses. Each week of prompts is then rounded off with a writing tip, which cover a multitude of authorly concerns. The format works well for ease of reference, but you wouldn’t necessarily have to stick rigidly to the recommended regime (I was listening to your tips on alliteration, Morgen, but not the one about adverbs – oops.), but could easily choose a day at random, whenever you feel the need of a spur, and work like that. I obviously have not spent a year working through this book on a daily basis in order to write this review, but did try a random mix of the prompts and read all of the weekly tips, and it did produce some fascinating ideas.
With regard to the prompts, I liked the fact that we were given one for each tense per day. I have to say, I am a cautious (possibly lazy) writer, who prefers the comfort of third person past tense, so using the prompts that pushed me out of this comfort zone was a very useful and surprising exercise, and the results may make me a little braver and more experimental in the future. I also adopted the approach of rejecting the very first idea that popped into my head after reading the prompt, on the basis that this was probably too obvious if it came so easily and I wanted to make my writing more surprising, and this worked really well. Some of the prompts resulted in some possibly bizarre ideas, but that is the fun part of writing. I am sure I am not the only aspiring author whose brain produces odd ideas from time to time!
The writing tips were probably my favourite part of the book. Some of them were ones that were not news to me, but some really made me think, and a lot of them will provide a very useful checklist in the process of editing my current WIP, so much so that I am going to summarise them in an editing reference document. For a small volume, this definitely packs a big punch.
This is a great little workbook for any writer who sometimes needs a little push to get the pen to the page, or for anyone who wants an odd thought or sentence from a third party that might spark that new creative connection in their brain that leads to a great piece of writing. A useful tool to have in your writer’s toolbox.
August 7, 2019
This is a great book and gift for anyone who loves to write and works on so many levels and is suitable for everyone to use.
There is an introduction from Morgen explaining how to use the book. She discusses the different ways of using tense and 1st, 2nd and 3rd person and the effects it has on the piece of writing and the reader. Different days of the week are allocated specific tense and person however the beauty of this book is you can use the structure or not.
The sections inside the book are broken down into days and then weeks. Each day has 3 opening sentences or writing prompts to chose from (I guess you can use them to inspire you as you wish) and then there's a great little writing tip at the end of each week.
The brilliant thing about this little book is that it suits anyone. An avid or experienced writer can use it to provide additional inspiration or as a writing exercise or to experiment with something new and unusual before using it in a novel or just to expand your creativity by changing genre.
For me, I've always wanted to write. I have several ideas for children's books but I lack the confidence and often motivation to give it a go. Believe me, it took me years to start putting my blog out there and only close friends and my husband are really aware of it now outside the world of social media. I have personally made a note in my schedule to attempt a short story using some of these prompts. I also have never written for adults before so I may try one for children and one for adults. If you have the time, I strongly suggest setting an hour aside each day and following the book through - who knows where it will lead you. What I do know is, it's going to be somewhere wonderful.
As a teacher I strongly believe a grammar focused curriculum has lead to a decline in encouraging and developing creativity. I completely plan on having free write Friday every fortnight and using a selection of these prompts to providing choice and a starting point for the children to use.
Overall, this book is a brilliant companion of inspiration for writers young and old, new and established and Morgen has done a fabulous job of making this accessible to all.
There is an introduction from Morgen explaining how to use the book. She discusses the different ways of using tense and 1st, 2nd and 3rd person and the effects it has on the piece of writing and the reader. Different days of the week are allocated specific tense and person however the beauty of this book is you can use the structure or not.
The sections inside the book are broken down into days and then weeks. Each day has 3 opening sentences or writing prompts to chose from (I guess you can use them to inspire you as you wish) and then there's a great little writing tip at the end of each week.
The brilliant thing about this little book is that it suits anyone. An avid or experienced writer can use it to provide additional inspiration or as a writing exercise or to experiment with something new and unusual before using it in a novel or just to expand your creativity by changing genre.
For me, I've always wanted to write. I have several ideas for children's books but I lack the confidence and often motivation to give it a go. Believe me, it took me years to start putting my blog out there and only close friends and my husband are really aware of it now outside the world of social media. I have personally made a note in my schedule to attempt a short story using some of these prompts. I also have never written for adults before so I may try one for children and one for adults. If you have the time, I strongly suggest setting an hour aside each day and following the book through - who knows where it will lead you. What I do know is, it's going to be somewhere wonderful.
As a teacher I strongly believe a grammar focused curriculum has lead to a decline in encouraging and developing creativity. I completely plan on having free write Friday every fortnight and using a selection of these prompts to providing choice and a starting point for the children to use.
Overall, this book is a brilliant companion of inspiration for writers young and old, new and established and Morgen has done a fabulous job of making this accessible to all.
September 13, 2019
What an invaluable workbook this will be to any writers or budding writers. As an aspiring writer myself and currently suffering from writer's block this book will definitely help me to kick start my creative brain. Its set out simply and in an easy for follow format with exercises that don't leave you feeling overwhelmed the way some can do. As a member of a local writing group there's lots of things I'll be able to take from this book to share with my writing buddies. It's definitely a workbook I'm going to be recommending to the group. As a writer who often gets her tenses muddled and has a tendency to slip from first person to third person in the blink of an eye, Morgen Bailey's book will hopefully help me break away from some bad writing habits and develop better ones which in turn will help develop my writing. I particularly like how the book is broken down into weekly sections and I'm the type of writer who needs little goals to keep me focused. I can be a bit of a procrastinator and need a workbook such as this to keep my writing on track. A handy tool for every writer out there. Grab yourself a copy. You won't regret it!
August 6, 2019
Another brilliant workbook from Morgen Bailey to kickstart the creative writing process.just a sentence or two to fire the imagination.
Each week is set out with three sentence starters from the following points of view:
Day 1: ‘first person
Day 2: ‘second person’
Day 3: ‘third person’
Day 4: more ‘first person’
Day 5: more ‘second person’
Day 6: more ‘third person’
Day 7: ‘any viewpoint’
And a tip of the week..
There are also various points of view, 1st person etc and tenses, Past/Present…..which really gives an incredible variety to the prompts. No dates, so you could start anywhere or even dip in and out. All the prompts feel unique and from various genre and emotions.
This would be a great aid to creative writing, to really ignite the imagination…brilliant.
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Each week is set out with three sentence starters from the following points of view:
Day 1: ‘first person
Day 2: ‘second person’
Day 3: ‘third person’
Day 4: more ‘first person’
Day 5: more ‘second person’
Day 6: more ‘third person’
Day 7: ‘any viewpoint’
And a tip of the week..
There are also various points of view, 1st person etc and tenses, Past/Present…..which really gives an incredible variety to the prompts. No dates, so you could start anywhere or even dip in and out. All the prompts feel unique and from various genre and emotions.
This would be a great aid to creative writing, to really ignite the imagination…brilliant.
Thank you to Sarah at Book On The Bright Side for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
October 22, 2019
This is a fantastic book, I attend a writer’s group and writers’ block is something that every single one of us has suffered with at some point.
The book is easy to follow, with three prompts for everyday and you can do just one, two or all of them. What I like is that the prompts are designed to test you. You have to vary your writing preferences and try something new, I tend to always write in the third person, and thanks to this book I am now experimenting with different passages, different perspectives and this helps me to look at writing in a new light.
I also love the weekly tips, I learned a lot from reading these. It is interesting information that just adds to a writer’s arsenal.
Thoroughly recommended for writers of any level.
The book is easy to follow, with three prompts for everyday and you can do just one, two or all of them. What I like is that the prompts are designed to test you. You have to vary your writing preferences and try something new, I tend to always write in the third person, and thanks to this book I am now experimenting with different passages, different perspectives and this helps me to look at writing in a new light.
I also love the weekly tips, I learned a lot from reading these. It is interesting information that just adds to a writer’s arsenal.
Thoroughly recommended for writers of any level.
August 8, 2019
Every now and then, writers fall into the writer's block. You can do nothing but stare at the blank page. I know how it feel, I have been there. But today I am happy to tell you that here's a book that can help you out of your writer's block.
The 365-Day Writer's Block Workbook has different prompts, from different point of views, to help you kick start your writing back again. These prompts will help you fire up your creativity and imagination, therefore looking at the blocks from a different angle, which inevitable will lead to breakthrough in your project.
This workbook is a very handy tool for all writer. Worth your time and effort.
The 365-Day Writer's Block Workbook has different prompts, from different point of views, to help you kick start your writing back again. These prompts will help you fire up your creativity and imagination, therefore looking at the blocks from a different angle, which inevitable will lead to breakthrough in your project.
This workbook is a very handy tool for all writer. Worth your time and effort.
August 7, 2019
This is a fabulous writing aid. There are three sentence starts for each day of the year; some in first person, some in third person. The writing tips I found extremely useful and this is a book I will be dipping in and out of as the need arises. Excellent for writers' block, of course, but also useful for honing your skill, writing a piece of flash fiction or pushing yourself to write outside your comfort zone. Now I need it in paperback.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews