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A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement
In this collection of anecdotes, lessons, quotes, and prompts, author and writing teacher Barbara Abercrombie provides a delightfully varied cornucopia of inspiration — nuts-and-bolts solutions, hand-holding commiseration, and epiphany-fueling insights from fellow writers, including Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners and Abercrombie’s students who have gone from paralyzed to published.
408 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2012
123 people are currently reading
823 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Abercrombie
25 books20 followersBarbara Abercrombie has published 15 books -two novels for adults, books for children, including the award winning picture book, CHARLIE ANDERSON, plus non-fiction books. Her novels have been optioned for films and published in six languages. Her essays, articles and poems have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and her sixteenth book THE LANGUAGE OF LOSS will be published in November 2020 by New World Library.
She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won the Outstanding Teacher award in 1994 and the Distinguished Instructor award in 2010.
Barbara lives in Pasadena and Lake Arrowhead California.
She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won the Outstanding Teacher award in 1994 and the Distinguished Instructor award in 2010.
Barbara lives in Pasadena and Lake Arrowhead California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 29, 2017
Everything about this book is magic. Here you will find snippets of inspiration from a wide variety of writers on every topic related to the craft—anxiety, discipline, self-confidence, habits, rituals, authenticity, vulnerability. I’ve never felt such a strong urge to buy a physical copy of a book; I want to have this on my shelf so that I can flip to a random page whenever I feel myself slacking. Writing is my religion, and this book has become my Bible.
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
I must’ve highlighted every other sentence because my Kindle app tells me that I exceeded the publisher’s 10% export limit. The quotes relate to both memoir and fiction, so no matter what you write, this book is for you. There are also 52 weeks’ worth of writing prompts in the back.
I’ll choose ten of my favorite affirmations to provide a glimpse of the writing wisdom to be found within these pages:
1. “This is how you put the vast chaos of your life into order, how you get to the other side. Writing is also how you nail down and get to keep the good moments. How you live more deeply and become more conscious.”
2. “Here’s another response, from a student, to my question about why writing feels dangerous: ‘Sometimes it feels dangerous to know what I really feel. Because if I acknowledge my feelings outside the safe boundaries of my own heart and mind, if I open up the latch to my subconscious and let those precious secrets leak out, God knows what will happen. I might have to hold myself accountable to these thoughts and feelings. I might have to act upon them. I might have to change. I might have to stop lying to myself and others about what I need and want. I might have to ask for what I need and want. I might have to be a disappointment; I might have to be disappointed; I will disappoint.’”
3. “Surrender to your own ego. Let yourself sound dumb, dull, or overly earnest, or whatever you fear most about your own writing. Surrender and then rewrite.”
4. “Craft has to do with rewriting, with honing the words down to story and emotion.”
5. “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
6. “The writing life is a life lived with all the windows and doors opened…. And rendering what one sees through those opened windows and doors in language is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.”
7. “We have to ask ourselves over and over, quick, a word for the way that branch moves in the wind, the way someone you love picks up a cup of coffee, the sound of a freeway. Quick. Don’t be lazy—look for the exact move, the precise color, the specific sound that no one has ever put into words before.”
8. “Isak Dinesen said she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair.”
9. “The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning.”
10. “Remember that you can find the most inspiring teachers in every book you love. Remember that you can be awash in doubt and fear and still write. Remember that the way out of doubt and fear is through them, one word after another.”
November 26, 2012
Deep down I always wanted to be a writer. I wandered by this book in the library and picked it up, thinking it might have some good prompts for my blog. Instead I found so much more. A day later I decided I wanted to be a writer and started actually writing.
I'll be buying this book and using it daily.
I'll be buying this book and using it daily.
December 13, 2023
I’m so random. I’m not a writer or an aspiring writer, not even planning to write anything. I have no idea why I bought this book in the first place, but it's been sitting on my shelves for some years, so I finally picked it up (for all the wrong reasons - I needed something with short chapters to read aloud to my baby 😄). And what do you know, I STILL ENJOYED IT.
Entries vary in length from a paragraph to a page. Each ends with a quote, but many texts include quotes besides that. I bookmarked many, and most don't belong to Barbara Abercrombie herself.
Some of the content was specific to writing as a craft, but most of it can just as easily apply to other creative endeavors, or any activity, really. There's a lot of emphasis on courage, discipline, perseverance, "just doing it", starting without overthinking, hanging on, etc. It's good advice. I wonder though, to what degree the "blank page problem" is a thing of the past now, at least for writers, because of generative AI 🤔
Entries vary in length from a paragraph to a page. Each ends with a quote, but many texts include quotes besides that. I bookmarked many, and most don't belong to Barbara Abercrombie herself.
Some of the content was specific to writing as a craft, but most of it can just as easily apply to other creative endeavors, or any activity, really. There's a lot of emphasis on courage, discipline, perseverance, "just doing it", starting without overthinking, hanging on, etc. It's good advice. I wonder though, to what degree the "blank page problem" is a thing of the past now, at least for writers, because of generative AI 🤔
"I now have a small rescue dog named Nelson who never lets me out of his sight and is more of a cheerleader than a muse. If I ask him who his favorite writer is, his ears go up and he hurls himself onto my lap, barking with great enthusiasm and adoration."
"Though writers can do magic, transformations, etc, we are not so special that we can't sit down to do our work if we'te not in the mood. Think of a surgeon not in the mood to do a heart bypass at 7:00 AM, or the truck driver too uninspired to get the truck to Denver by 4:00, or the rancher who doesn't feel like hauling out the hay for the cows some icy December morning. We sit down and start writing, in the mood or not."
"Writing is a craft. You have to do the work, be willing to put scattered words down. The magic is in the commitment." - JENNIFER BASZILE
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - ARISTOTLE
"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - HENRY DAVID THOREAU
"The trick is not in becoming a writer, it is in staying a writer. Day after week after month after year." - HARLAN ELLISON
June 30, 2013
For the past couple of months I have been in charge of the brand new adult writers' group at the library at which I work. I happened across this book, and it was truly a fun and informative read. This book contains three hundred sixty-five tips, bits of inspiration, anecdotes, and quotes from famous writers of all types, plus fifty two writing prompts, and I am not exaggerating when I say that all of it is interesting, clever, and truly helpful. I've been able to cull from it information on effective habits to develop, how to deal with rejection and writer's block, and so many other topics that have been very beneficial for those who attend the aforementioned group's meetings.
Barbara Abercrombie managed to impart all of that information without ever descending into repetitiveness or overly dry recitations of tips and techniques; rather, it was all imbued with humor and her clear desire to really help writers, whether they are aspiring or have written for years and have fallen into a bit of a funk; and regardless of what they write: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, etc.
I was able to get a lot out of this book and it was truly enjoyable. I couldn't recommend this more highly to anyone who has any interest in writing.
Barbara Abercrombie managed to impart all of that information without ever descending into repetitiveness or overly dry recitations of tips and techniques; rather, it was all imbued with humor and her clear desire to really help writers, whether they are aspiring or have written for years and have fallen into a bit of a funk; and regardless of what they write: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, etc.
I was able to get a lot out of this book and it was truly enjoyable. I couldn't recommend this more highly to anyone who has any interest in writing.
December 27, 2020
I own dozens of books about writing. I wasn’t sure I should buy this one, convinced I’d read every writing quote and every bit of helpful inspiration ever written.
I was wrong. Abercrombie marries each quote to an anecdote or a tip. It’s never heavy handed, and is incredibly inspiring because Abercrombie is willing to share the anxious and uncertain human behind the published writer, whether that writer is her or one of the heavy hitters who has won a Pulitzer.
I was wrong. Abercrombie marries each quote to an anecdote or a tip. It’s never heavy handed, and is incredibly inspiring because Abercrombie is willing to share the anxious and uncertain human behind the published writer, whether that writer is her or one of the heavy hitters who has won a Pulitzer.
Read
December 22, 2023I found this book to be inspiring. It comprises a daily page with suggestions, advice, comments, anecdotes, and wisdom about the writing craft, each punctuated with a quote from a well-published writer, and 52 prompts for writing weekly throughout the year. I did not use the prompts this year, but I found the daily readings to be a nice ritual to begin my day, and I will likely keep it handy to dip into again and again going forward. A good book for any writer's shelf.
January 10, 2023
I love this book of inspiration, and adored the quotes. Sadly I rented it form my library, so I'll be putting this title on my buy list soon.
May 5, 2024
I loved this book - one of my all-time favorite literary 'self-help' books. I still have it right beside me on my bookshelf, so I can grab and flip through as needed when I'm feeling stuck. A must-have for any emergent author.
January 17, 2018
(3.5) -
I had originally intended to read this book throughout the year (one chapter a day) in the hopes that it would encourage me to keep writing or at least give me some inspiration to start my day. Overall, I think this is what the book intends for you to do, but I read it in two weeks.
Why? Well, every "day" is just a very tiny story or just like an inspiring moment with a quote so it was pretty easy to flip through them and it truly didn't feel like it was supposed to be paced throughout the year. The only times that it is referenced (that you are writing for a year) is toward the end of the book. I think it should've been done throughout so you could feel compelled to keep writing alongside the book. I don't even know if I am making myself clear.
From the title, you would assume the author is writing for a year and she is sharing her experience alongside inspiration and encouragement. Overall, it starts as if it is going to be that way but ends up being just 365 short chapters that are supposed to encourage you to keep writing. The majority of these were fun and quite interesting. I liked the stories about other authors and their experiences writing. However, most of these were just very repetitive. Basically "keep writing" is the overall message, "keep showing up." And, this is great advice, I just didn't want to read the same advice 300 times.
Then again, I think my reading might have been affected by the format (I read the ebook). I have a feeling the experience would've been more enjoyable had I owned a physical copy and could flip through it as I was writing. If you are planning to read this novel, that is how I recommend you approach reading it.
I was really excited about the "Works Cited" though. I liked the stories referenced so basically this book, instead of inspiring me to write, expanded my TBR and my will to read more memoirs, which, I know it's not a bad thing, it just wasn't what I was expecting.
And that is the message of my review: it wasn't what I was expecting.
P.S: I don't know about you, but if I am reading non-fiction, I expect some facts. It bothers me when Abercrombie name dropped an author but didn't give the title to the novel or was very vague about stories. Like "My friend Amy was rejected but then her novel went to win awards!" - what's the novel? I feel like I have to research now or are you afraid I am going to fact-check? So yeah, unreliable narrator.
I had originally intended to read this book throughout the year (one chapter a day) in the hopes that it would encourage me to keep writing or at least give me some inspiration to start my day. Overall, I think this is what the book intends for you to do, but I read it in two weeks.
Why? Well, every "day" is just a very tiny story or just like an inspiring moment with a quote so it was pretty easy to flip through them and it truly didn't feel like it was supposed to be paced throughout the year. The only times that it is referenced (that you are writing for a year) is toward the end of the book. I think it should've been done throughout so you could feel compelled to keep writing alongside the book. I don't even know if I am making myself clear.
From the title, you would assume the author is writing for a year and she is sharing her experience alongside inspiration and encouragement. Overall, it starts as if it is going to be that way but ends up being just 365 short chapters that are supposed to encourage you to keep writing. The majority of these were fun and quite interesting. I liked the stories about other authors and their experiences writing. However, most of these were just very repetitive. Basically "keep writing" is the overall message, "keep showing up." And, this is great advice, I just didn't want to read the same advice 300 times.
Then again, I think my reading might have been affected by the format (I read the ebook). I have a feeling the experience would've been more enjoyable had I owned a physical copy and could flip through it as I was writing. If you are planning to read this novel, that is how I recommend you approach reading it.
I was really excited about the "Works Cited" though. I liked the stories referenced so basically this book, instead of inspiring me to write, expanded my TBR and my will to read more memoirs, which, I know it's not a bad thing, it just wasn't what I was expecting.
And that is the message of my review: it wasn't what I was expecting.
P.S: I don't know about you, but if I am reading non-fiction, I expect some facts. It bothers me when Abercrombie name dropped an author but didn't give the title to the novel or was very vague about stories. Like "My friend Amy was rejected but then her novel went to win awards!" - what's the novel? I feel like I have to research now or are you afraid I am going to fact-check? So yeah, unreliable narrator.
August 25, 2016
A must read fore very writer; one of my favourite writerly books. Abercrombie is an incredible, hard-working writer who demystifies everything. I’ve read A Year of Writing Dangerously before; I’m re-reading it now as someone who’s managed to pen two novels—one in six months, and one in 18—and trying to figure out why the hell I’m stuck now… and unfortunately, whenever I’m feeling too stuck and too unfocused, trading the book for Barbara’s old blog & her new one, which is full of the most delicious digressions that I can claim are professional development...
Anyway: a beautiful and useful addition to any writer's library--and a great gift for that person who says, "I want to write, but..." Abercrombie addresses all the buts... gently... one day at a time...
Anyway: a beautiful and useful addition to any writer's library--and a great gift for that person who says, "I want to write, but..." Abercrombie addresses all the buts... gently... one day at a time...
December 31, 2014
Inspirational and a helpful reference
365 short and insightful anecdotes, each one followed by a quote from a famous artist. I read the entire book straight through over the course of just a few days, but after that, I can see myself flipping to a random page anytime I need a little writing motivation. The bibliography and index of quoted artists makes this a great reference as well as inspirational book in my opinion.
365 short and insightful anecdotes, each one followed by a quote from a famous artist. I read the entire book straight through over the course of just a few days, but after that, I can see myself flipping to a random page anytime I need a little writing motivation. The bibliography and index of quoted artists makes this a great reference as well as inspirational book in my opinion.
July 1, 2022
I really enjoy Barbara's courses at UCLA Extension, and reading her book was like having a private writing session with her! The prompts at the end are a great way to get me writing on days when I feel stuck. My copy of the book is highlighted and full of post-its!
That was my first review. Upon a second read, I found more passages to highlight and more pages to tag with sticky notes.
That was my first review. Upon a second read, I found more passages to highlight and more pages to tag with sticky notes.
December 27, 2022
Nice format......a page a day for one year's worth of inspiration, advice and useful tips on writing as a profession, a pastime or a personal practice. The writing prompts at the back are always a nice addition in any book on writing, though I didn't find these as inspiring as the rest of the book.
January 20, 2016
I Know this book is supposed to take a year to read, but it was to good(I read it in four days). She didn't focus so much on the downfall of writing like other books. I also loved all the cute life stories, not just of her life but other writers. This is by far my favorite writing book I have read so far.
July 31, 2014
i will now purchase this book,... as a librarian with a book obsession (read:book hoarding problem) i dont often buy books but this one will now live by my computer, really great resource for getting past/over/through any sort of block...
January 14, 2015
Great book for writing prompts, writing tips, etc. I like Kicking in the Wall better by the same author. I checked this out on a whim as an eBook out from JMRL, and loved that I could use to it for inspiration in a pinch.
August 31, 2012
Will stay on my desk for quite some time.
December 30, 2012
This little gem contains daily advice and motivation, as well as quotes from a wide range of creative people, from Ann Lamott to Lady Gaga. It also contains daily writing prompts.
December 31, 2015
2015 Devotional
A good devotional for daily reminders of what's important...I wished they would have dates instead of day numbers. Looking forward to writing prompts in 2016.
A good devotional for daily reminders of what's important...I wished they would have dates instead of day numbers. Looking forward to writing prompts in 2016.
August 5, 2016
Something's been seriously lost on me.
October 24, 2020
I am on my 4th reading of it. One anecdote per day - and they all are insightful.
December 21, 2019
This has been my companion this year too. Sometimes every writer need a bit of encouragement or even a swift kick up the pants. Here is someone who understands the writer's mind.
March 6, 2018
I’m guilty of reading this book in chunks at a time. I’m going to reread it, a section a day.
There have definitely been books on writing that I’ve enjoyed, but I’m very glad to have this one in my possession. I enjoyed the quotes from other writers, the experiences, the honest truths, the encouragements... I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to write. It will inspire and energize in some sections, make you think with other sections, and the others will just make your head nod as you think, “Amen to that.”
There have definitely been books on writing that I’ve enjoyed, but I’m very glad to have this one in my possession. I enjoyed the quotes from other writers, the experiences, the honest truths, the encouragements... I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to write. It will inspire and energize in some sections, make you think with other sections, and the others will just make your head nod as you think, “Amen to that.”
May 27, 2023
This is one of those books that I purchased as an ebook but really need to buy a physical copy now. It's the kind of book that demands to be opened at random. Not the greatest when read sequentially, but superb when taken as intended: as bits of wisdom and experience related to writing. The book includes advice and perspective from many different authors that everyone has heard of. It's not a how-to manual, so if you're looking for specific advice about story structure, go elsewhere. If you want inspiration and encouragement, this is your new best friend.
September 24, 2018
This book really lit a fire underneath me to finish my novel I was working on. It encouraged me to keep writing, no matter what, and all the quotes and anecdotes from writers made me feel like I am not alone in the experience of writing ☺️ highly recommend if you need a pep talk or a confidence boost in your writing skills!
June 20, 2018
Interesting and useful book, maybe especially for those of us who have trouble sticking with writing on a regular basis. At the end there are 365 writing prompts, but the book itself is more short, inspiring or encouraging passages. I definitely got some good thoughts and motivation from it.
November 21, 2016
A lot of good, practical advice in here for writers, as well as many great inspiring quotes from famous authors on writing.
January 12, 2019
Very useful information. Read as an ebook this would be one I would purchase
December 24, 2020
I finished a few days earlier than a year, found this work enjoyable and contained excellent information for anyone who writes for a living or enjoyment. Highly recommended...SLT
March 20, 2021
Great day by day travel through the experiences of others. To be read again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews