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The Productive Writer: Tips & Tools to Help You Write More, Stress Less & Create Success
The creative process can be treacherous, even for the most experienced writer. Facing the blank page, staying inspired, sustaining momentum, managing competing priorities, and coping with rejection are just a few of the challenges writers face regularly.
The Productive Writer is your guide to learning the systems, strategies, and psychology that can help you transform possibilities into probabilities in your writing life.
Create the writing life you most desire. The Productive Writer will help get you there.
The Productive Writer is your guide to learning the systems, strategies, and psychology that can help you transform possibilities into probabilities in your writing life.
Create the writing life you most desire. The Productive Writer will help get you there.
203 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2010
49 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Sage Cohen
13 books57 followersSage Cohen is the author of the nonfiction books Fierce on the Page, The Productive Writer, and Writing the Life Poetic all from Writer’s Digest Books and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World from Queen of Wands Press. Sage has been sought out as a literary instructor, writing coach, presenter, performer, and judge. Her prizewinning poems, essays, fiction, and how-to articles have appeared in a wide range of publications. She is a graduate of Brown University and the Creative Writing Program at New York University where she was awarded a full fellowship. Sage is the founder of the WE WRITE online community for poets and writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 29, 2011
Cohen gets right down to the business side of things in The Productive Writer. There are no confidence-building exercises, no powerful motivational speeches about finding life’s purpose, no long histories of pivotal moments in the author’s life. The book assumes everyone has a deep well of unique experiences to draw on, that people have the right tendencies to monitor and refresh their well-being.
Instead, The Productive Writer is a long list of vital to-dos to turn a beginning or middling writing life into one with more purpose and success.
Cohen keeps her advice short and to-the-point: “Writers are up against a lot when it comes to keeping our practice vital, engaging, and productive. We don’t have time. We don’t have energy. Blah, blah, blah.” With this kind of bluntness, the softer side of her message resonates: “…any living thing given attention thrives… Tend your satisfaction, and it will take root and flourish. This is fertile ground for your writing… Keep your inner editor too busy to interfere.”
One of the best angles the book takes concerns procrastination. Instead of trying to stomp it out, Cohen declares: be a better procrastinator. Waste time with activities that are at least semi-useful to the writing life: organize a room or a desk, listen to music, talk with friends, go on a bike ride, read an absorbing book. Switch junk food from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and SportsCenter to Facebook and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
At the same time, it’s up to the writer to carve out his or her writing time and business. No one will give the writer that space – it has to be taken. It has to be earned.
It’s been said many times, “you are not your mind”. Cohen adroitly references and describes “having a genius versus being a genius.” Being a genius involves too much pressure to be brilliant at all times. Having a genius means the writer gets to observe themselves from an outside, non-genius perspective. There is always an opportunity for one to pause, evaluate their own thinking and see what’s really working in any particular moment. This opens up more opportunities for creativity and the realignment of writing goals.
While The Productive Writer is full of suggestions for short and long-term goal-setting, it pulls on the reins regarding being productive for the sake of getting things done: it can kill quality and enjoyment. Award-winning essayist, novelist and poet Floyd Skloot has commented about how he used to have yearly writing goals. He felt that, in this early going as a writer, he could have been published a lot more had he concentrated less on getting out a certain number of submissions over a year and more on allowing poems and essays be done whenever they were actually ready and at their best. Of course, this sentiment often goes out the window in the case of deadlines.
What about feedback? How much is too much or too little? Cohen embraces feedback as a way to shrink the distance between ambition and results – and a healthier paycheck. The more, the better. Getting honest feedback fuels the only process that any author is totally in control of – the quality of their own writing. Focusing on the practice, the feedback and the learning required to get better is the surest way to achieve long-term goals and success in the field. It keeps the writer honed in on what offering quality and value really means – and not always needing recognition to continue the process. “Validation is good, trust in yourself is better,” Cohen writes.
The Productive Writer, by the end, earns the space to take on the common reputation of the writer as poor and disenfranchised. “There is a common assumption that writers are unhappy and unwell…. The Suffering Writer is giving way to a new archetype.... The Productive Writer…cultivates…possibility and [is] hard-wired for prosperity,” Cohen writes. “This is not to say that we Productive Writers are not without our struggles and challenges; only that they do not define us or our writing lives.” The book’s straightforward pronouncements on this issue may open opportunities for many writers, even though Cohen’s point here would have been stronger had she given more real-writing-life examples.
The Productive Writer ends with a statement unique to Cohen’s style: “Your writing life is a long-term commitment. It is a relationship with yourself… I invite you to think of productivity as the romance that keeps things spicy….” It is a perspective on a profession that deserves more financial and cultural support – and is positioned to earn it.
(Cohen offers free useful and fill-inable worksheets that go along with all the ideas and get the reader in an even more pro-active mindset. I found them very helpful. Click on "Free Productivity Power Tools" in middle column of www.pathofpossibility.com either before considering reading the book or during your reading of "The Productive Writer".)
Instead, The Productive Writer is a long list of vital to-dos to turn a beginning or middling writing life into one with more purpose and success.
Cohen keeps her advice short and to-the-point: “Writers are up against a lot when it comes to keeping our practice vital, engaging, and productive. We don’t have time. We don’t have energy. Blah, blah, blah.” With this kind of bluntness, the softer side of her message resonates: “…any living thing given attention thrives… Tend your satisfaction, and it will take root and flourish. This is fertile ground for your writing… Keep your inner editor too busy to interfere.”
One of the best angles the book takes concerns procrastination. Instead of trying to stomp it out, Cohen declares: be a better procrastinator. Waste time with activities that are at least semi-useful to the writing life: organize a room or a desk, listen to music, talk with friends, go on a bike ride, read an absorbing book. Switch junk food from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and SportsCenter to Facebook and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
At the same time, it’s up to the writer to carve out his or her writing time and business. No one will give the writer that space – it has to be taken. It has to be earned.
It’s been said many times, “you are not your mind”. Cohen adroitly references and describes “having a genius versus being a genius.” Being a genius involves too much pressure to be brilliant at all times. Having a genius means the writer gets to observe themselves from an outside, non-genius perspective. There is always an opportunity for one to pause, evaluate their own thinking and see what’s really working in any particular moment. This opens up more opportunities for creativity and the realignment of writing goals.
While The Productive Writer is full of suggestions for short and long-term goal-setting, it pulls on the reins regarding being productive for the sake of getting things done: it can kill quality and enjoyment. Award-winning essayist, novelist and poet Floyd Skloot has commented about how he used to have yearly writing goals. He felt that, in this early going as a writer, he could have been published a lot more had he concentrated less on getting out a certain number of submissions over a year and more on allowing poems and essays be done whenever they were actually ready and at their best. Of course, this sentiment often goes out the window in the case of deadlines.
What about feedback? How much is too much or too little? Cohen embraces feedback as a way to shrink the distance between ambition and results – and a healthier paycheck. The more, the better. Getting honest feedback fuels the only process that any author is totally in control of – the quality of their own writing. Focusing on the practice, the feedback and the learning required to get better is the surest way to achieve long-term goals and success in the field. It keeps the writer honed in on what offering quality and value really means – and not always needing recognition to continue the process. “Validation is good, trust in yourself is better,” Cohen writes.
The Productive Writer, by the end, earns the space to take on the common reputation of the writer as poor and disenfranchised. “There is a common assumption that writers are unhappy and unwell…. The Suffering Writer is giving way to a new archetype.... The Productive Writer…cultivates…possibility and [is] hard-wired for prosperity,” Cohen writes. “This is not to say that we Productive Writers are not without our struggles and challenges; only that they do not define us or our writing lives.” The book’s straightforward pronouncements on this issue may open opportunities for many writers, even though Cohen’s point here would have been stronger had she given more real-writing-life examples.
The Productive Writer ends with a statement unique to Cohen’s style: “Your writing life is a long-term commitment. It is a relationship with yourself… I invite you to think of productivity as the romance that keeps things spicy….” It is a perspective on a profession that deserves more financial and cultural support – and is positioned to earn it.
(Cohen offers free useful and fill-inable worksheets that go along with all the ideas and get the reader in an even more pro-active mindset. I found them very helpful. Click on "Free Productivity Power Tools" in middle column of www.pathofpossibility.com either before considering reading the book or during your reading of "The Productive Writer".)
August 11, 2019
This book must work for others (the 3- and 4- star reviews and almost 4-star average certainly indicate that.) For me... no.
Partially this is because the book is too non-specific: advice for if you want to write advertising copy, stories, poetry, web-pages, educational material, etc. isn't going to really be writing advice at all. The advice it does give seems reasonable, but on the level of "organize your time" and "organize your in-box" and so forth...
And in part it is because the book simply isn't about being a productive *writer* so much as it is about being a productive business-person (which you need to be if you want to, say, write all the time because it is your job, completely granted) who happens to write. Or, in particular, writes about writing and wants to sell books and classes on that subject...
As it is, 2-stars and DNF. Not sure it would have 2 stars if I did push through and finish it.
Partially this is because the book is too non-specific: advice for if you want to write advertising copy, stories, poetry, web-pages, educational material, etc. isn't going to really be writing advice at all. The advice it does give seems reasonable, but on the level of "organize your time" and "organize your in-box" and so forth...
And in part it is because the book simply isn't about being a productive *writer* so much as it is about being a productive business-person (which you need to be if you want to, say, write all the time because it is your job, completely granted) who happens to write. Or, in particular, writes about writing and wants to sell books and classes on that subject...
As it is, 2-stars and DNF. Not sure it would have 2 stars if I did push through and finish it.
January 7, 2011
I’ve wanted to be a writer since the day I learned to write, and 2010 was a good year, so I keep telling myself, “I am a writer!” I think Sage Cohen would approve. She reminds readers in her book, The Productive Writer, that what we tell ourselves matters. What others tell us matters too, and we need to work to make sure they give the right message. Then we should watch where we set our sights, as that too might make a difference to how much or well we write.
With a new year starting and new projects in the works, this was a great time for me to read The Productive Writer. I need to organize my social life on the internet. Sage Cohen has ideas for that. I need to set goals; she tells me to set them higher then praise myself for achieving less. Did you know people usually only achieve a quarter of what they aim for? So aim for four times what looks achievable, and see what happens.
The book comes with wonderful poetic language that makes it an intriguing read even while it educates. It comes with honest depictions of a real life writer that makes me feel like the author’s taking me seriously. And it comes with a valuable array of charts and examples that bring the impossibility of being productive down to the level of “Yes, I can.”
Indeed, Sage says it’s time we stopped overusing that mantra of “Just say no.” Stop saying “no” to ourselves and our dreams and try saying “yes” instead.
Yes I can. I will edit my novel. It will be good enough (though never perfect). I will organize my time. I will advertize. I will communicate. I will enjoy being a productive writer in 2011. Thank you Sage.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
With a new year starting and new projects in the works, this was a great time for me to read The Productive Writer. I need to organize my social life on the internet. Sage Cohen has ideas for that. I need to set goals; she tells me to set them higher then praise myself for achieving less. Did you know people usually only achieve a quarter of what they aim for? So aim for four times what looks achievable, and see what happens.
The book comes with wonderful poetic language that makes it an intriguing read even while it educates. It comes with honest depictions of a real life writer that makes me feel like the author’s taking me seriously. And it comes with a valuable array of charts and examples that bring the impossibility of being productive down to the level of “Yes, I can.”
Indeed, Sage says it’s time we stopped overusing that mantra of “Just say no.” Stop saying “no” to ourselves and our dreams and try saying “yes” instead.
Yes I can. I will edit my novel. It will be good enough (though never perfect). I will organize my time. I will advertize. I will communicate. I will enjoy being a productive writer in 2011. Thank you Sage.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2023
This book is encouraging. I read a library copy, then decided to buy my own as a reference. I write poetry and am working toward science writing. This book about becoming a productive creative writer is charmingly written and encouraging. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the nuts and bolts of a writing life.
While I am pretty good with time management and regular writing, I find that I start from scratch too often with poetry. I think the exertion holds me back from developing more as a poet. Cohen's chapter on keeping track of ideas ("acorns") and discarded sentences ("darlings" to be recycled) will be a great help.
While I am pretty good with time management and regular writing, I find that I start from scratch too often with poetry. I think the exertion holds me back from developing more as a poet. Cohen's chapter on keeping track of ideas ("acorns") and discarded sentences ("darlings" to be recycled) will be a great help.
April 11, 2023
A bit dated. Also, early on, the author introduces the concept of "Paradise x4" but doesn't explain it very well -- this derailed me completely and I struggled with some of the exercises that built on this idea. Overall, though, an okay read.
March 30, 2017
Lots of constructive ideas, thoughts, and suggestions on being more productive and allowing less distractions in your writing life.
May 27, 2011
In all her writing, Cohen has a way of first allaying our fears so we can open our minds to the unlimited possibilities before us. But, she doesn’t stop there! She follows up with great, detailed advice; clear steps for us to take towards success; along with examples from her own writing life. In The Productive Writer, she adds a new dimension with printable worksheets and checklists she’s made available on the web to serve as companions to The Productive Writer. One such worksheet is “Your Platform at a Glance.” After reading through her example, I finally understood what a platform entails. I’ve read so much about platform and how important it is to my writing success, but never have I seen it broken down into the simple steps Cohen presents in this book. I was able to follow the worksheet and develop my platform which gave me a whole new outlook on my writing.
What made the biggest impact on me was Cohen sharing her perfectionist tendencies and how it was hindering her success as a writer. Her solution: Do the best that you can and then send out your work. Let others decide if your writing is worthy of publication. Don’t sabotage yourself by requiring that everything you write be absolutely perfect before you release it to the world. Like what has happened to me, your writing will go nowhere. It will collect dust among the computer archives. Cohen doesn’t just say “Do the best that you can,” she tells you how. She provides editing advice, organizational tips, and suggestions on how to find time to write. She has an entire chapter devoted to “Publishing and Landing Gigs!”
Through her writing, Cohen encourages us to find our own writing rhythm. She tells us that it isn’t absolutely necessary to write first thing in the morning as is often suggested. It is important for us to find our own writing rhythm. Through debunking some of the common myths about writing, she gives us the freedom to become our own unique writer selves. Even as she offers suggestions, tips, and personal experiences, she tells us: “Find what works for you!”
The Productive Writer is structured in short chapters, usually about ten pages in length. The structure helps you find what you’re looking for easily and also makes it a great book to bring with you while waiting at the doctors, or at your kids’ soccer games, or wherever you have a little free time. This is another aspect of the book I love. It shows Cohen’s attention to detail and consideration for today’s busy writer.
Cohen provides information for writers of all levels. The Productive Writer will become your permanent writing companion. If you’re a beginner, Cohen provides the inspiration and knowledge you need to begin your journey as a writer. It is a book that will grow with you and you will return to again and again as you progress. If you are experienced, Cohen provides excellent suggestions on topics such as organization, social media, and the collection and storage of your random thoughts as well as the edited out portions of your writing so you can easily find and use them later. The information and inspiration she provides will be the fresh perspective you need to take your writing to the next level.
What made the biggest impact on me was Cohen sharing her perfectionist tendencies and how it was hindering her success as a writer. Her solution: Do the best that you can and then send out your work. Let others decide if your writing is worthy of publication. Don’t sabotage yourself by requiring that everything you write be absolutely perfect before you release it to the world. Like what has happened to me, your writing will go nowhere. It will collect dust among the computer archives. Cohen doesn’t just say “Do the best that you can,” she tells you how. She provides editing advice, organizational tips, and suggestions on how to find time to write. She has an entire chapter devoted to “Publishing and Landing Gigs!”
Through her writing, Cohen encourages us to find our own writing rhythm. She tells us that it isn’t absolutely necessary to write first thing in the morning as is often suggested. It is important for us to find our own writing rhythm. Through debunking some of the common myths about writing, she gives us the freedom to become our own unique writer selves. Even as she offers suggestions, tips, and personal experiences, she tells us: “Find what works for you!”
The Productive Writer is structured in short chapters, usually about ten pages in length. The structure helps you find what you’re looking for easily and also makes it a great book to bring with you while waiting at the doctors, or at your kids’ soccer games, or wherever you have a little free time. This is another aspect of the book I love. It shows Cohen’s attention to detail and consideration for today’s busy writer.
Cohen provides information for writers of all levels. The Productive Writer will become your permanent writing companion. If you’re a beginner, Cohen provides the inspiration and knowledge you need to begin your journey as a writer. It is a book that will grow with you and you will return to again and again as you progress. If you are experienced, Cohen provides excellent suggestions on topics such as organization, social media, and the collection and storage of your random thoughts as well as the edited out portions of your writing so you can easily find and use them later. The information and inspiration she provides will be the fresh perspective you need to take your writing to the next level.
December 23, 2010
I was delighted to win a review copy of this brilliant book! This is the best book I've read that offers general advice on writing (I've read some excellent books on how to write poetry, but most general writing advice books have left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed.)
The basic aim of this book is to help the reader (who is assumed to also be a writer!) to become more productive in their writing. It covers such topics as time management, identifying and developing your platform as a writer, thinking productive thoughts and developing your networks in real life and online.
All the way through we are given practical advice and exercises to work through. I haven't done the exercises yet, I read the book straight through from cover to cover and could hardly put it down. I aim to read it again early in the New Year and work through it slowly, doing all the exercises. To help me with this I'll use the "Free Productivity Power Tools" that can be found in the middle column of Sage's website www.pathofpossibility.com.
However already I feel as though my productivity has increased. In the week since starting to read this book, I've written two ghazals (both of which have been accepted for publication already!), a review (already published), half a short story and several haiku or similar short poems. I've also co-incidentally heard about a couple of successes for pieces of writing I'd already completed. Plus I've given a successful public reading! So I really do feel like a Productive Writer!
I would recommend this book to any writer who feels that they could achieve more. Unless you have bad eyesight. Yes my one criticism is that the text is small, that used in the exercises and highlighted case studies is tiny. My eyesight is fine for reading but I know people who would struggle to read this book, which is a shame.
The basic aim of this book is to help the reader (who is assumed to also be a writer!) to become more productive in their writing. It covers such topics as time management, identifying and developing your platform as a writer, thinking productive thoughts and developing your networks in real life and online.
All the way through we are given practical advice and exercises to work through. I haven't done the exercises yet, I read the book straight through from cover to cover and could hardly put it down. I aim to read it again early in the New Year and work through it slowly, doing all the exercises. To help me with this I'll use the "Free Productivity Power Tools" that can be found in the middle column of Sage's website www.pathofpossibility.com.
However already I feel as though my productivity has increased. In the week since starting to read this book, I've written two ghazals (both of which have been accepted for publication already!), a review (already published), half a short story and several haiku or similar short poems. I've also co-incidentally heard about a couple of successes for pieces of writing I'd already completed. Plus I've given a successful public reading! So I really do feel like a Productive Writer!
I would recommend this book to any writer who feels that they could achieve more. Unless you have bad eyesight. Yes my one criticism is that the text is small, that used in the exercises and highlighted case studies is tiny. My eyesight is fine for reading but I know people who would struggle to read this book, which is a shame.
July 22, 2015
Choose a single word that encapsulates your intentions for the year, and post it over your desk. "Think about what you want to feel, believe, accomplish, or become this year, and choose a word that is worthy of this goal. Then write it down somewhere visible, refer to it often, and let it remind you where you're headed." (p.11)
"When we ritualize our way of approaching our thoughts, our themes, and our work, we can establish a powerful way to connect with our genius. We train ourselves to quickly and easily enter the zone, then stay there for as long as we need to be successful... [Antiritual:] Flip that coin and you'll find that a groove traveled enough times has a tendency to become a rut. The time will likely come when the same old process yields the same old writing. That's when it's time to experiment with a new writing ritual." (p.71)
"When we ritualize our way of approaching our thoughts, our themes, and our work, we can establish a powerful way to connect with our genius. We train ourselves to quickly and easily enter the zone, then stay there for as long as we need to be successful... [Antiritual:] Flip that coin and you'll find that a groove traveled enough times has a tendency to become a rut. The time will likely come when the same old process yields the same old writing. That's when it's time to experiment with a new writing ritual." (p.71)
April 2, 2011
The Productive Writer bubbles over with brilliance, no-nonsense wisdom, and practical examples for how to manage oneself as a professional writer, yet its strategies could be broadened to include succeeding at any sort of creative endeavor (just replace the word 'writing' with, e.g., 'making clay pots'). Those who know Sage are familiar with her contagious optimism, which really does turn creative pursuits into gold... and I'm glad she chose full disclosure in sharing her alchemical recipe for effective action with us, her readers.
February 26, 2011
I actually bought this book for a friend who loaned it to me. I really enjoyed it and thought the advice was practical but inspiring. I actually changed a habit or two because of this book. Sage talks about writing to your own biorhythms, which was incredibly freeing because for years I've been trying to "force" myself to write in the morning (a hold over from my 9 to 5, I guess) and really I'm most creative in the afternoon.
I will be buying my own copy!
I will be buying my own copy!
February 13, 2012
This book has some very helpful tips in it. I'm still thinking through how some of it would translate to writing fiction, but definitely worth a read. If nothing else it has given me some ideas to try in attempting to fit writing into my life while still working a more than full-time job.
I believe I would have found a good portion of this book more helpful if I were closer to the point of trying to seek publication, so I will probably re-read this in the future.
I believe I would have found a good portion of this book more helpful if I were closer to the point of trying to seek publication, so I will probably re-read this in the future.
February 5, 2021
A lot of very positive, practical, and sound advice. Due to the author's use of her own areas of expertise and personal projects, a large percentage of the advice was geared towards poetry, speaking engagements and teaching, and somewhat older technologies and methods of organization. I found that much of it did not apply to me.
January 8, 2011
If you are a fiction writer some of the tips in this book will not apply. Many will, however, and the author provides the writer with organizational/motivational ideas that can help to create a productive writing space and work week.
Read
May 31, 2020The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen is packed with tips and ideas to help you prioritize, organize, and move ahead in your professional writing journey. The author is very realistic about building a writing life in the midst of "regular" life. It's a smooth read with easy-to-implement steps.
February 9, 2013
Excellent. Now I just need to do what it says.
April 30, 2022
I read this book for a class that I am taking online at Writer’s Digest University titled: Fitting Writing into Your Life, and the two takeaways that I received were: creating space in your life to sit down and write and facing your fears as they pertain to putting your work out there.
Author Sage Cohen asks readers to create a schedule of their daily lives and then figure out how they will fit three more hours into their already jam-packed day. That is not an easy feat by any stretch when you are raising two kids by yourself, working a full-time and part-time job. When she talks about putting down one word at a time, it somehow makes it feel less daunting. The analogy of the bricklayer, laying down one brick at a time until the road is finished, is something that pops into my head every day that I sit down to write. The other helpful section was creating a fear log. The reader is asked to create a spreadsheet with four rows listing your fear faced, your story facing the fear (excuses you tell yourself), action taken, and a new story released from the fear. Once you start filling in the columns with these prompts, things don’t seem so overwhelming anymore. At least they didn’t for me.
If I took only these two important things from this book, then it was worth the purchase and the time spent reading it.
Author Sage Cohen asks readers to create a schedule of their daily lives and then figure out how they will fit three more hours into their already jam-packed day. That is not an easy feat by any stretch when you are raising two kids by yourself, working a full-time and part-time job. When she talks about putting down one word at a time, it somehow makes it feel less daunting. The analogy of the bricklayer, laying down one brick at a time until the road is finished, is something that pops into my head every day that I sit down to write. The other helpful section was creating a fear log. The reader is asked to create a spreadsheet with four rows listing your fear faced, your story facing the fear (excuses you tell yourself), action taken, and a new story released from the fear. Once you start filling in the columns with these prompts, things don’t seem so overwhelming anymore. At least they didn’t for me.
If I took only these two important things from this book, then it was worth the purchase and the time spent reading it.
January 29, 2022
I've been trying to read more craft books, and this is one of many my editor recommended to me about three years ago. It was part of a pile I left to gather dust. Well, in 2022, I‘m dusting the pile off! Get ready! 😎📚📝Productivity means different things to people. For me, this book was a pep talk in paper form with a bunch of helpful info for new writers, mid-career writers, and those who have been at it for years and need an extra push. My highlighters continue to get a workout. Lots of wonderful quotes! But this one... whew 😥
”The math is magical: You can pile up lots of failures and still keep rolling, but you only need one juicy success to build a career.
The killer is the category called ‘neither.’ If you spend your days avoiding failure by doing not much worth criticizing, you'll never have a shot at success. Avoiding the thing that’s easy to survive keeps you from encountering the very thing you're after.
And yet we market and work and connect and create as if one failure might be the end of us.” -Seth Godin 👈🏾 Accurate. All authors have been here. Those bouts of imposter syndrome will paralyze you if you let them.
”The math is magical: You can pile up lots of failures and still keep rolling, but you only need one juicy success to build a career.
The killer is the category called ‘neither.’ If you spend your days avoiding failure by doing not much worth criticizing, you'll never have a shot at success. Avoiding the thing that’s easy to survive keeps you from encountering the very thing you're after.
And yet we market and work and connect and create as if one failure might be the end of us.” -Seth Godin 👈🏾 Accurate. All authors have been here. Those bouts of imposter syndrome will paralyze you if you let them.
July 2, 2023
The Productive Writer: Strategies and Systems for Greater Productivity, Profit and Pleasure by Sage Cohen has some interesting moments and some disappointing moments. She offers some timeless tips and inspiration alongside some others that are a bit outdated. I can't really fault her for the outdated tips as they were relevant at the time The Productive Writer was published, but I ended up skimming over those parts. She writes about many things I've done some version of at earlier points in my writing career but don't really do anymore. I like Cohen's work as a general rule, but I'm not really the target audience for this particular book. I think it could serve some people well as long as it's read with the full knowledge that some of the book isn't quite as applicable to today's writer as it was when the book was published. The Productive Writer is well-written and interesting and contains some fun, creative anecdotes that kept me reading or at least skimming sections even when it didn't feel like it really applied to my particular writing journey at the moment.
July 21, 2019
Okay, I finally decided that I would sit down and finish this book. It is a slim volume, but whenever I read something that I want to highlight and notate, I have to find uninterrupted blocks of time to dedicate to that activity. This book has been in "started but not finished" limbo for far too long.
Much of the book is dedicated to freelancers rather than fiction writers. If you hold seminars or classes or make presentations, you will find many nuggets of wisdom here. For those of us who write fiction, the first chapters hold more meaning than the last few. Her points on facing your fears and looking at perfectionism as procrastination aren't new, but they are presented in a positive and non-judgemental way.
I did enjoy sections on organizing and prioritizing your writing life and the heartfelt exhortations on believing in yourself and avoiding procrastination were--and will be again in the future--of great benefit.
Much of the book is dedicated to freelancers rather than fiction writers. If you hold seminars or classes or make presentations, you will find many nuggets of wisdom here. For those of us who write fiction, the first chapters hold more meaning than the last few. Her points on facing your fears and looking at perfectionism as procrastination aren't new, but they are presented in a positive and non-judgemental way.
I did enjoy sections on organizing and prioritizing your writing life and the heartfelt exhortations on believing in yourself and avoiding procrastination were--and will be again in the future--of great benefit.
August 1, 2018
This is a good little book. It's full of tips and guides on how to organize your space, life, and mind so that you can be the most productive version of yourself. It really affirmed for me that I am on the right track.
July 2, 2021
As an academic author of scientific publications, I didn’t think this book would offer a lot to me. However, I was really surprised at how many useful tips and insights I gained from this book that I am sure will help my writing and productivity (and probably my thought processes as well).
February 5, 2023
An eye opening guide to all the facets that can complete the picture of being the writer you strive to be. Honest, realistic and thought provoking, S. Cohen has created a reference to which I am happy to give a permanent spot on my bookshelf! Highly recommended!
January 5, 2019
A good, practical book with some solid tips on the writing process.
September 27, 2019
Some aspects are a little dated, but overall a good read.
November 11, 2019
Engaging, motivating, and enlightening. Keep a pen handy for taking notes and clear a space in your calendar for the writing you're going to want to do. Highly recommend.
March 27, 2021
This book offers great suggestions for being a more productive writer that I haven’t considered before. I’m excited to try a few techniques.
February 1, 2022
A great guide to getting your writing life back on track. Perfect start to the new year when I write my creative plan for the next twelve months.
January 24, 2023
I really like this little ten-year-old book. It's smart, cheerful, clear and loaded with "let's get going" advice and tips. It's a keeper on my writing craft shelf.
June 23, 2016
This book is aimed predominantly at the person who needs someone to kick them into action, to dare to write, rather than someone currently earning a living putting
words on a page (my status). That said, there are a handful of gems that I marked down, with the best probably being to ask myself what productive means to me.
At the same time, there was an air of...idk flakiness? that made me roll my eyes. The author suggested, for instance, that we envision the 'genius' outside ourselves, and redefine the muse. And I couldn't help but shake my head at the idea of browsing Facebook or Twitter, two notorious time sinks, when you get stuck. 'Just for five minutes,' she said. Yeah, that's what I said half a hour ago.
I also was a bit surprised at the last few chapters, which focused on public speaking and signing autographs. How many people are going to be rolling that out? I suppose if you're doing book signings, it's good to know, but it seems odd for a book on writing. To be honest, when combined with the frequent mention of the author's various blogs, it left me feeling as though she earned more from talking about how to write than she did actually writing.
Overall interesting, and helpful for new writers (make sure to organize your bookshelves!), with a few nuggets for more established folks, if you're willing to dig for them.
words on a page (my status). That said, there are a handful of gems that I marked down, with the best probably being to ask myself what productive means to me.
At the same time, there was an air of...idk flakiness? that made me roll my eyes. The author suggested, for instance, that we envision the 'genius' outside ourselves, and redefine the muse. And I couldn't help but shake my head at the idea of browsing Facebook or Twitter, two notorious time sinks, when you get stuck. 'Just for five minutes,' she said. Yeah, that's what I said half a hour ago.
I also was a bit surprised at the last few chapters, which focused on public speaking and signing autographs. How many people are going to be rolling that out? I suppose if you're doing book signings, it's good to know, but it seems odd for a book on writing. To be honest, when combined with the frequent mention of the author's various blogs, it left me feeling as though she earned more from talking about how to write than she did actually writing.
Overall interesting, and helpful for new writers (make sure to organize your bookshelves!), with a few nuggets for more established folks, if you're willing to dig for them.
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