With a fairly diverse and contemporary cast of writers, Virginia Ann Byrd’s I’m Still Writing offers a series of inspirational quotes and accompanying thought/writing exercises for readers to consider. This book showcases a wide range of topics, from the value of writing for the market to the role of real people in our writing to the way memory shifts over time. Interesting book for a fellow writer of any background to help beat writer’s block.

I'm Still Writing features advice/reflections on writing from 52 brilliant women. The book makes each piece of advice accessible with a "listen" section analyzing the advice and a writing prompt to help you put the advice into action.

This was an inspiring read - you can take the prompts that speak to you and practice. Or you can simply enjoy the thoughtful collection of quotes and rumination from a range of impressive authors including Octavia Butler, Joan Didion, Ann Patchett, and more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

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

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was so great to have advice from a wide variety of writers all in one place.

This is another great craft-of-writing book, albeit somewhat different than other ones I've been reading recently. I'm Still Writing includes 52 thoughtful quotes on writing from prominent female writers, past and present, and associated writing prompts, meant to be tackled one per week for a year. I think this would be a great supplement to other writing exercises and prompts you might be using to spark your creativity. I will definitely recommend to other writers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

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

"You have full permission to cheerfully ignore any piece of advice that doesn't work for you, no matter how illustrious the writer who shared it."

"I'm Still Writing is" a quick, easy read that focuses on writing advice from a diverse panel of women writers. I don't mean diverse in the usual sense - though they are - but rather in the authorial sense, IE, the types of writers included. There are poets, literary authors, SFF authors, etc., as well as a wide range of time periods represented, and it was nice to see that variety included. While I recognized most of the authors, even if I hadn't read from them, I also learned a lot of new names.

Each entry is about a page long, and broken into three sections: the advice, "Listen," and "Write." The advice section, as I'm sure you can figure out, is the actual piece of advice from the author in question. The type of advice is widespread, from super practical to sort of meta, and some of the pieces of advice directly contradict each other. I really loved this aspect of the book, because there is no "correct" or "incorrect" way to write. The "Listen" section kind of explains the advice and builds on the ideas, though this is the section I found the last value in. The "Write" section provides an actual writing prompt based on the entry.

I enjoyed this and found a ton of ideas to try out in my own writing! It's certainly not the most in-depth guide I've encountered, and I wouldn't say it really offers anything new, but the structure is super friendly and the prompts actually make you want to write.

This books is busting at the seams with inspiration. Perfect for seasoned creators or those just looking to add a little inspirational practice to their everyday. I loved how thoughtfully curated each writer’s section was and how easy to interact with the short exercises were.

Are you a writer? Or, like me, do you like to read about writing? I’m Still Writing by Virginia Ann Byrd is an inspiring tool for either person. Designed to kickstart creativity, this book is a collection of words and wisdom of some of the world’s best women writers. I love the format of the book even though I read straight through instead of savoring the weekly samplings.

Each of the 52 chapters includes a vignette from a successful writer on some aspect of the art of writing. Isabel Allende speaks of the value of leisure activities. Louisa May Alcott shares her disappointment and her success. Virginia Woolf challenges writers to strive for their own rhythm. Following the quotation are two more sections to engage the reader/writer: Listen and Write. With a series of questions, the reader is challenged to dig deeper and practice the material offered by the author. At the end is a pen-to-paper assignment.

Of course, not every chapter was personally exciting or inspiring, but I found most of the excerpts to be motivating. This book will be an asset to writers who need to read about, to learn, and to practice their craft. Ms. Byrd offers the perfect guide. So grab this book and then sharpen your pencils and write! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a great book for inspiration for writers or to use in a writing classroom. There are vignettes for different authors along with writing prompts. Recommended for teachers of writing and writers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.