Inkslinger is a well written, humorous, encouraging, and truly accessible guide with tips for solidifying ideas into written words, and editing them into a usable (possibly marketable) finished product. Released 5th Nov 2020 by Night River Press, it's a compact 150 pages and available in electronic format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Every year when NaNoWriMo rolls around, I intend to sit down and get words on paper. Every year until now it's turned into a somewhat stress filled NaNoWriNO-WAY for me personally. The author, Kimberly Cooper Griffin, gives me some hope that I can manage to get some words down and at least begin to understand the mechanics behind getting them into a readable form. After all, I've managed hundreds of thousands of words over my years on my blog (so how hard can it be, right? *haha*).

The guided course is set up like a workshop (without the group therapy aspects) in a logical and progressive format. The introduction and preparatory sections provide an overview of the course: background information (including tips on genre, target audience, text elements and overviews for both fiction and non-fiction writing and moving through a realistic and (sorry) brutal examination of the self-editing and revision process).

The second part of the material includes the actual timeline calendar (99 days). The author has broken it down into four main sections: inspiration, perspiration, celebration, transformation. This is a very concise guide and well laid out. I never found myself searching fruitlessly for needed information. The voice is very positive and upbeat and full of humorous camaraderie - we're all in this together.

The appendices include a good insider's overview of what happens after the newly born work is finished and edited - to publish (or not), how to publish (the options), and insightful no-nonsense info about the writerly life. This would be a good selection for a would-be writer, and I can also see it being a solid choice for a more formal writing class or writing instruction in a classroom setting.

Whether or not I ever manage to get through NaNoWriMo with something approaching a book/story/WordyThing - this book certainly provided both inspiration and reflection. It's very good at what it does. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a good solid book for beginners that want some guidance when attempting a long-form writing project - like a novel. I'll certainly be recommending it to anyone that is interested in attempting NaNoWriMo for the first time.

There is always a demand for quality books that guide people through the process of writing a book. This is a great one to recommend, because it is accessible and has an upbeat, compassionate tone which is encouraging for newbie authors. It is general enough to encompass fiction and nonfiction, and offers a practical 99 day plan as well.

Inkslinger — 99-Day Guided Writing Experience is a brilliant book for writers, especially those just beginning. I loved they way the book was so easy to read, straight to the point and so full of lightness and humour. Often books on writing are heavy and longwinded so this was very refreshing. I think the author has struck a really good balance because you feel inspired after reading it. The structure for jumping in and starting the challenge of writing is very good, and the additional worksheets are a huge bonus. Overall one of the best short books on writing I have read. Thank you

I have read my fair share of self-help books and writing advice. But this one... This one was actually funny and helpful. I don't think I am actually going to be able to a my book in 99 days, but that's not because this book didn't provide me with the necessary advice. I think it's one of the few self-help books that's actually been helpful. I am going to come back on those tips eventually over time, but since I am currently swamped with university work, I won't be able to stick to a constant routine. The day only has 24 hours after all and right now, these hours are filled with university and reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me a free copy!

I’m a writer so I was really excited to see a new book on the writing published. Even if I don’t always agree with a particular method, I usually can take something from it that is valuable. I think this book might be best for beginners who don’t have much experience in writing a full novel. But honestly? I felt like this book was kind of lacking. It reads more like a basic website that can be found for free online. It went over basic definitions in the same way a high school class would, then gave a “schedule” and skipped over the nitty gritty. I would not purchase this book.

I should start with the caveat that I am clearly not the audience for this book.

This might be a helpful book if you have never tried to write anything long-form, and if you have somehow never heard of National Novel Writing Month. The first part of this book is fairly standard advice on writing long-form work, and the "99 day plan" section was...disappointing. There's nothing in this book that can't be found on the NaNoWriMo site. Maybe it's a helpful text for community centers that serve populations with limited computer access/ability?

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An amazingly good course on writing, that beginners and experienced writers alike may learn something from. It is written in an easy style, but takes in a lot of material. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.