Armed for WriMo with a New Survival Guide by Kevin S. Kaiser

Happy Monday! A very happy Monday actually, given that I’m on vacation until Wednesday AND as an added bonus I spent the weekend reading a couple of new books, one I’ll save for tomorrow, but today I’d like to introduce you to. . .

Kevin S. Kaiser’s @WriMo: A 30-Day Survival Guide for Writers!

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book after receiving an email from Becca J. Campbell who is also talking about the book this week on Inspiration for Creation. Kevin’s book includes a countdown with a bit dedicated to each day of WriMo. The bite-size pieces won’t take up the time you obviously need during NaNoWriMo (or any other WriMo) to write, but it will provide you with just enough to spur you onward. Segments consist of quotes, advice, and a different way of looking at the difficult situations you’ll eventually find yourself in while attempting to write a book in a month.

Having participated in JuNoWriMo last summer, I have experienced most of the dilemmas Kevin covers in the book, even before the month began, I questioned my sanity in signing up to write a novel in 30 days. The first week was fairly smooth sailing, I exceeded my goals for the first week. From there the word counts decreased as my stress level increased. Luckily, I had some wonderful word-sprinters to keep me going the final week as I rushed to make up for lost words.

There’s no replacement for the encouragement of your peers, but Kevin’s writing style makes this book come close. Reading it is like sitting down with a fellow author, swapping stories, and receiving a nudge to get to back work. He reminds us why we’re here typing away, why our individual voices are important as writers, and why, despite the setbacks, the best thing we can do is keep writing without looking back and without second guessing ourselves.

Not only will you find inspiration within the pages, often it’ll give you a good laugh which may be just the think you need to clear the muck out of your brain and set the cursor to blaze.

@WriMo: A 30-Day Survival Guide for Writers goes on sale today–October 1, 2012 and if you’ve ever considered a WriMo challenge (and even if you haven’t), this is a book well worth the investment. Plus, your investment will be going to support writing programs like NaNoWriMo because Kevin is donating 100% of the profits to such programs.

Even if you’re not considering a WriMo challenge, all writers could benefit from this book. I read through it in a single day, but it’s a book I look forward to picking up again when November rolls around, and anytime my writing-fatigued fingers and brain need a moment to recollect and rejuvenate.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.)