Customer Reviews

Word Work: Surviving and Thriving As a Writer

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As a beginner who has been trying to stop procastinating, and start writing - I'd almost given up hope. After two years and having read at least a dozen how-to books on the writing craft, I gained a lot of knowledge on how to write. After reading Word Work I finally gained the knowledge that allowed me to write. In Word Work, Bruce Holland Rogers takes your fears and concerns about writing and buries them. He explained why I was procastinating and gave me the techniques to overcome it. Rogers takes all the excuses we give ourselves about why we can't find time to write and he shoots them down one by one.

This book is a must for all of you who say: "One day I'm going to write a novel", and for those of you who have lost your way. I highly recommend it

Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer, by Bruce Holland Rogers, is an engaging and eclectic collection of essays examining many of the concerns that writers face as we try to make a go of the writing life.

Roger instills each chapter with the wit and wisdom of his personal experience, as he explores such topics as relationship issues ("Writers and Lovers"), writers' quirks ("The Rite Stuff"), publishing ("The Hazards of Rejection and Acceptance"), and even personality types ("Hunters and Farmers").

Word Work beautifully captures the workings of the writer's mind and the essence of the writing life. I highly recommend this book for current and aspiring writers, and also for those who would like to better understand the writers in their lives.

If you are at all interested in writing, this book is a must-have. It is less about writing technique and more about a writing life. Rogers assumes that you feel it is your "calling" to write, and he shows you how to translate those lofty desires into the day-to-day work of a writer. Excellent read.

Writing instructors and conference speakers like to discourage writing wannabes. "You won't get rich, you'll get depressed and lonely, and you need a buddy to talk you off the window ledge."

So I was curious to see how Bruce Holland Rogers would address the psychology of writing. As other reviewers observed, this book is not about how to write or how to market your writing. It's about the day-to-day life of being a writer.
Get up. Go to word processor. Stare at computer awhile.

Rejection. Bad reviews. Writing a novel under deadline pressure. And a whole lot more.

Word Work is a collection of Rogers's columns, so each chapter can be read as a stand-alone. That's a plus and a potential downfall. If you open the book, as I did, to a chapter that's doesn't grab you right away, you may be tempted to toss the whole thing aside. I couldn't get excited about "best time to write." The message seems to be, "Whenever you want."

On the other hand, you can read a chapter at a time, in any order, and feel satisfied.

Which chapters are best? I suspect that will be a personal decison. What made the book work for me were "Death and the day job," "in the affirmative," and "advanced affirmations." That's when I realized Rogers was a thoughtful person who knows how to read self-help without getting suckered. And, like Natalie Goldberg in Thunder and Lightning, Rogers really writes about life, not just the writing life.

In particular, Chapter 1 - Hunters and Farmers - blew me away. I had never heard of this metaphor, which apparently comes from an author of a book on ADD. Writers are primarily hunters -- and so are entrepreneurs.

The chapters aren't light reading. You don't need to underline and read each sentence three times to get the meaning, but you won't always get hooked on the first sentence. And Rogers makes no effort to sell the reader. A chapter "The Foam White Bull" would be more approachable if titled "The Minotaur in the Basement."

I would like to see two major changes if Rogers gets to a second edition. First, Rogers needs an opening chapter, describing his own life, to unify the chapters and give us a context. The author of a daily or weekly column becomes an old friend. We see his name over and over again and sooner or later we read and we get hooked. In a book, however, we need bait. And Word Work is a very personal book, so we need more background about the author..

Second, the cover is off-putting. The design shows the back half of a wine-colored iMac and some stacks of paper. That's not the view most writers have of their own computers. I see the front of my computer, rarely the side view. And the cover artist needs to sacrifice esthetics for readability. The front words sprawl over the artwork and the back cover -- yellow on gray? -- presents a real challenge.

This is the book to give your writer friend for her birthday or his Christmas. As other reviewers have indicated, it's not for the raw beginner who is still busy asking, "What should I write and where do I send what I write?" It's really for someone who's committed to writing and wants to hear from someone who's been there. Writing is lonely and Rogers is a good companion for the journey.

Word Work is a book about the writing life-not technique or how to become published. The author playfully describes surviving by becoming a lone wolf or a pack member, assuming the pack is the right one for you. Several chapters are devoted to the tireless subjects of writers and their relationships with friends, spouses and children. Packed with humorous examples and antics the author endured, it creates laugh-out-loud moments.Without forgetting the elements of competitivness, frustration and anticipation about publishing, Rogers suggests that the writer envision success and it will eventually happen. It's often choosing the right topics that make the most impact to the writer which, in turn, will imapct his or her readers.
This heartfelt book provides the writer with plenty of valuable strategies to keep on writing...and writing.

I heard Bruce speak at a writer's conference and was immediatley drawn to his wonderful storytelling ability. Word Work is full of compassion for those who are compelled to write but struggle to do so. He understands the very real self-doubt and procrastination that every writer faces and his wonderful anecdotes make you laugh with their ring of truth. He not only identifies the difficulties of the writing life, he gives excellent suggestions for overcoming them. I found this book very helpful as well as fun to read.

" Word Work, Surviving and Thriving as a Writer, is an incredibly useful, informative and fascinating window into the world of a true writer. As if looking into the essence of the writer's brain and soul, Bruce Holland Rogers has encompassed every quirk and elusiveness of being more than a surface writer.

This book is extremely useful to those just starting out as a realistic awakening of the writer's daily life, the good and the bad. If you truly want to know what procrastination, routine and rejection can do for your career, then you need to read Word Work. Whether you are a Pig Will or a Pig Won't, you'll benefit from this concise, therapeutic and educational literary self-help."

- Michelle Hall, Writer & Editor for ABP

Many writing books give the reader specific technical instruction followed by batches of writing exercises. Not so with this one. Although Rogers shares ideas for getting around writing problems (procrastination, networking, writer's block, taking rejections, etc.), he concentrates on the entire world of being a writer. He shares what he knows in essay format in such a way that any reflective, working writer can benefit. I was especially taken by the chapter, "Death and the Day Job," in which Rogers discusses the real reasons we should think about and focus upon our writing and why we do it.

This is a book for thinkers, doers, achievers, and all those who want to achieve in any realm of writing. It reads like a wise mentor is sharing the information, and the entire book is peppered with humor and information about other writers and their processes.

I give this one high marks, right up there with THE COURAGE TO WRITE by Ralph Keyes, and LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE by Eric Maisel.

This book is the kick in the pants I need to keep my writing going. After having met Bruce at the Midwest Poets and Writers Conference in Detroit, as I read the book I feel like he's sitting in my living room with me candidly discussing writing. It's a very conversational (and humorous) book from a man who knows what it's like to be a struggling writer. He's very honest and open about all the trials and tribulations a writer faces. It's very easy to identify with him which helps give hope and inspiration to the reader. This is a book I will turn to again and again to help keep me going. Excellent book. Buy it, you will not regret it.

In his book, "Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer," Bruce Holland Rogers penetrates deeply into topics at the core of the writing process and what it means to be a writer: procrastination, ADD and manic depression, writing workshops, fear of death, handling rejection and success, and balancing relationships with loved ones.

The result is a book that is unique among all other writing books because it encourages you, the writer, to examine many of your pre-conceived notions about your own writing or the writing process in general. You'll begin asking yourself questions like, "Why do I write?" "How is my opinion of my writing affecting my growth?" "What relationships are important to me as a writer?" Throughout the text, Rogers does a great job of balancing the spiritual aspects of these inquiries with the writer's need for pragmatic solutions.

"Word Work" also explores some of the more basic aspects of the writing life including where and how to work, methods for jump-starting a project, and ways to get away from it all when you need a break. As a dedicated writer and teacher of college writing who has read dozens of books on the subject, I heartily recommend this book to both professionals and budding amateurs who want to grow--not only as writers, but also as human beings.