What do you think?
Rate this book
Living the Life of a Writer
Jen Vincent believes everyone is a writer. This conviction has long been her secret to success in classrooms and workshops where she empowers writers of all ages.
In Living the Life of a Writer, Vincent shifts the focus of writing instruction from the writing to the writer — guiding teachers so they can help students boldly face the blank page and move through their writing process with enthusiasm.
Through a broad lens view, Vincent explores writing instruction as a classroom culture of writing where teachers and students alike approach writing with confidence and curiosity, thinking deeply about the habits they develop, and choices they make as writers.
Vincent invites readers to reclaim their writer’s workshop by getting back to the essence of what it means to live the life of a writer while exploring the myriad of ways writers live writerly lives. Vincent’s intuitive, inquiry-based approach to writing guides you, and your students, through six habits of living the life of a
● Writers have a way to collect.
● Writers have a writer’s mindset.
● Writers know writing is a process.
● Writers know strategies to help them write.
● Writers explore.
● Writers celebrate.
As she explores each practice, Vincent shares stories from her classroom, reflections for readers, and ideas that help teachers live the life of a writer alongside their students. Living the Life of a Writer is the guidebook every writing teacher needs to turn writing instruction into a writing lifestyle.
In Living the Life of a Writer, Vincent shifts the focus of writing instruction from the writing to the writer — guiding teachers so they can help students boldly face the blank page and move through their writing process with enthusiasm.
Through a broad lens view, Vincent explores writing instruction as a classroom culture of writing where teachers and students alike approach writing with confidence and curiosity, thinking deeply about the habits they develop, and choices they make as writers.
Vincent invites readers to reclaim their writer’s workshop by getting back to the essence of what it means to live the life of a writer while exploring the myriad of ways writers live writerly lives. Vincent’s intuitive, inquiry-based approach to writing guides you, and your students, through six habits of living the life of a
● Writers have a way to collect.
● Writers have a writer’s mindset.
● Writers know writing is a process.
● Writers know strategies to help them write.
● Writers explore.
● Writers celebrate.
As she explores each practice, Vincent shares stories from her classroom, reflections for readers, and ideas that help teachers live the life of a writer alongside their students. Living the Life of a Writer is the guidebook every writing teacher needs to turn writing instruction into a writing lifestyle.
136 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2025
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Read
November 18, 2025Jen Vincent is one of the best writing teachers ever, so her new book Living the Life of a Writer: 6 Practices Students Writers Have, Know, and Do is cause for celebration. And Celebration is, in fact, one of the practices Jen offers in her book!
At the heart of Living the Life of a Writer is the idea that claiming the identity of a writer matters not only for students but also for their teachers. When we know the joy, frustration, and gratification that comes from writing, we can better identify with and guide our students as they grapple with their own writing projects.
Here are the six practices presented in Living the Life of a Writer:
Writers have a way to collect.
Writers have a writer’s mindset.
Writers know writing is a process.
Writers know strategies to help them write.
Writers explore.
Writers celebrate.
Jen Vincent believes in the power of choice and the beauty of each student’s individuality. As she explores each of the six practices, I love how her teaching honors that individuality by providing students with the knowledge and opportunity to make the choices that good writers learn how to make.
My favorite of the practices is “Writers explore.” So much of traditional writing instruction involves following rubrics and guidelines, but isn’t it true that the best writing happens when we veer from those prescribed paths to explore new thoughts and dimensions related to what we’re writing about? Isn’t it also true that beyond writing, we are more fully realized human beings when we have the courage and know-how to go beyond what is known or expected?
Jen Vincent’s Living the Life of a Writer is inspiring, but it’s also practical. The author knows kids and classrooms. She knows what works and a thousand ways to scaffold and differentiate each strategy. The how-to aspects of this book are a gold mine wrapped in deeply humanistic, motivational language.
Each chapter includes Writer’s Affirmations, A Moment to Reflect, Living the Practice, and Ready, Set, Write! These sections are useful when going back to the book for specific purposes to enhance our teaching or writing. Since I started reading Living the Life of a Writer, I’ve been using the Moment to Reflect sections as prompts for my own journaling.
Living the Life of a Writer is a great choice for professional development through department book clubs.
Jen Vincent is the writing teacher every student deserves, the friend every teacher wants, and now the author that will elevate every writing classroom.
This review also appears in slightly different form on Instagram and my What's Not Wrong? blog.
At the heart of Living the Life of a Writer is the idea that claiming the identity of a writer matters not only for students but also for their teachers. When we know the joy, frustration, and gratification that comes from writing, we can better identify with and guide our students as they grapple with their own writing projects.
Here are the six practices presented in Living the Life of a Writer:
Writers have a way to collect.
Writers have a writer’s mindset.
Writers know writing is a process.
Writers know strategies to help them write.
Writers explore.
Writers celebrate.
Jen Vincent believes in the power of choice and the beauty of each student’s individuality. As she explores each of the six practices, I love how her teaching honors that individuality by providing students with the knowledge and opportunity to make the choices that good writers learn how to make.
My favorite of the practices is “Writers explore.” So much of traditional writing instruction involves following rubrics and guidelines, but isn’t it true that the best writing happens when we veer from those prescribed paths to explore new thoughts and dimensions related to what we’re writing about? Isn’t it also true that beyond writing, we are more fully realized human beings when we have the courage and know-how to go beyond what is known or expected?
Jen Vincent’s Living the Life of a Writer is inspiring, but it’s also practical. The author knows kids and classrooms. She knows what works and a thousand ways to scaffold and differentiate each strategy. The how-to aspects of this book are a gold mine wrapped in deeply humanistic, motivational language.
Each chapter includes Writer’s Affirmations, A Moment to Reflect, Living the Practice, and Ready, Set, Write! These sections are useful when going back to the book for specific purposes to enhance our teaching or writing. Since I started reading Living the Life of a Writer, I’ve been using the Moment to Reflect sections as prompts for my own journaling.
Living the Life of a Writer is a great choice for professional development through department book clubs.
Jen Vincent is the writing teacher every student deserves, the friend every teacher wants, and now the author that will elevate every writing classroom.
This review also appears in slightly different form on Instagram and my What's Not Wrong? blog.
December 13, 2025
As a writer, librarian, and former writing teacher, I loved this book. It’s filled with practical tips for the classroom. While the author teaches middle school, the techniques in the book mentioned could be used with upper elementary or high school as well. Jen Vincent encourages teachers to think of themselves as writer-in-residence to their students. It empowers teachers to see themselves as writers and contains reflection questions along the way to help reflect on writing and the teaching of writing. Highly recommended for teachers who want to feel confident as writing teachers and to empower confident student writers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews