Chuck Wendig in the art of writing, is like a bearing wall in a grand old house. When you are looking for sound advice when building out your house of tales, he's the go to guy. The amount of wisdom and experience he's gathered and developed over time is legendary and I'm glad to share a writing world with a sage, madman such as he. This book is flexible enough to apply to both aspiring and established writers. This is a book that should remain on your desk, next to your dictionary and thesaurus. An excellent read and highly recommended.

"Writing is hard. Even when it's easy. Even when you love it."

Received in exchange for honest review.

I really enjoyed the tone of this book! It felt <i> honest </i>. It was funny, it was truthful, and it was kind. I guess the title is accurate. It's a gentle book.

It takes a nuanced look at the writing life that I really appreciate. I wear a lot of writing hats, myself, and found something for every aspect of this writing life that I live. Something for my freelancing work, something for my journalism work, something for my artistic work, something for my scholarly work. I think the beauty of this book is that it gives writers permission to figure out who they are and what they need to do.

Here are some quotes from this book that I especially enjoyed:

"Different people are suited to different paths."

How I wish more people knew this, in general. Not just in the writing world.

"The truth is that writing is a squiggly, fiddly, wiggly thing. It's not IKEA furniture."

"I'll feed you, my baby possums."

"[...] my mind is housed in this floppy, gloppy meat-soup skin-sack that is called my 'body'[...]"

I loved this book.

I am not a big fan of non-fiction or self-help books (sorry, I feel like this falls under that category) and I had never read a book on writing advice, but I think this is going to be my favorite for a while.

I must confess that I did not know of Chuck Wendig, I decided to read this because I want to be a writer and it was available on NetGalley, but boy oh boy when I tell you that I am going to run and find his many many books.

Now, there are many things to highlight from this book, the hilarious footnotes and "gentle advice" full of expletives among them, but one of the main things I loved was how the author approaches the matter of originality, because this is a concept that has haunted (in a good way) me since I took a class in intellectual property for book editors. Why? Because ideas aren’t protected by law. And why is that? Because a million people can have the same “original” idea, but not one of them will execute it in the same exact way.

For writers (or at least for me) I think this is such a liberating concept because you don’t have to come up with a whole ass new concept or story, you only have to write it very specifically, very dearly from your own perspective. If you do that, not one other person in this world will write the same book you have. Because there are universal experiences, and that’s how you get your readers to relate to your story; but then there is your own experience of life. And that one will never be the same as anyone else’s. Even identical twins do not have the same experience in life, the same perspective; so this man’s advice, to know yourself as a writer and be selfish with what you want to write seems to me the best piece of advice for any artist.

Just do you, and absolutely no one else will do exactly as you do.

As he put it: “You are a particular confluence of ideas, experiences, anxieties, and emotions that doesn’t exist anywhere but inside the wobbly flesh vessel that is your body(…) Point is, you’re you. Nobody else is you.”

There are a million little tidbits of very useful information that Wendig gives his readers, but another thing I loved was that he recognized that in the publishing industry there is no possible set of steps to help you make it. He recognized that he was a straight white man with very different experiences from more "diverse" people, but he still wanted to give his two cents on what has worked for him, and what might work for others.

In short, this book was fun, entertaining, helpful, and very well made and I would recommend it to all writers, but also to all artists struggling with imposter syndrome or simply struggling with their art, because it’s simply comforting and it will at least distract you from overthinking and feeling like you won’t make it in a difficult industry.

I'm a long-time fan of Chuck Wendig's blisteringly smart and essential thoughts about writing, writers, and where we go wrong. GENTLE WRITING ADVICE is an all-cylinders-charging, full force marvel of a motivational force wreaking havoc of myths and useless guidance, anything and everything that gets in the way of someone creating and sharing their words with the world. While the format of the e-book was bizarre and extremely challenging, I enjoyed every moment of his common sense, hard-won, always powerful advice, the best kind of straight talk in an art rife with wannabes and self-appointed experts. Powerful. Highly recommended! I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Gentle Writing Advice provides advice to new or aspiring writers and comfort to veterans. He offers some good reminders, like If you write, you’re a writer. Ignore the gatekeepers. They’re not the boss of you.

He talks a lot about having a day job. A lot of young writers don’t realize the importance of having a job that will support them, so they are free to create what they want instead of writing to the market. I’ve always called that being your own patron of the arts. Not knowing where your next meal is coming from or if you can make rent can really put a damper on your creativity.

I recommend it for writers at any stage of their careers or writers who enjoy Chuck Wendig’s work and want to get a peek behind the curtain to see how his mind works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House, Writer's Digest Books for providing a review copy of Gentle Writing Advice. All opinions are my own. I'll be purchasing a physical copy to add to my library.

I stumbled across Wendig's blog a while ago and took to reading it regularly. Part of that was that I loved his brand of writing advice and I always love his tone which veers into feral squirrel territory. What can I say? I have strange taste.

Over the years I have seen the writing advice fade from his blog more and more and the advice that has come out has changed in tone. Wendig has never been shy about his feelings around politics and the general fuckery of the world and I appreciate that he has pulled that into his writing advice. It used to be easier to put your butt in the chair and write but we're all a little shell-shocked and traumatized right now.

I found this book to be very, well, soothing. And inspiring, really. Wendig spends some time on reminding us that writing isn't supposed to be that serious. We do it because it is fun and we enjoy it and that is really what I needed to hear in the moment. I also needed the reminding that not every day is a day for writing, that sometimes it's best to just go for a walk and let things ruminate. Most importantly, you have to write the story that you want to write, not something that checks boxes.

I would suggest this book for the writer who is feeling discouraged. It really helped me feel excited to write again.

This book took me a while to get through. Not because there was anything wrong with it but because I wanted to take time to process what I was reading. This isn’t a how to book with formulas and charts that go over the mechanics of writing. There isn't going to be a test at the end of each chapter. Instead, Gentle Writing Advice reads more like having a conversation with Wendig. He deconstructs all the typical advice books of this kind give. Then, he tells you why you should and shouldn’t follow that advice. Plus, the footnotes are hilarious. Seriously, they are the best part of the book. I hope Wendig got as much out of writing this book as I got from reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random house for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book.

This book introduces the reader to each chapter with a gentle yet comedic tone that any writer can relate to when they are feeling frustrated or discouraged with their work/progress. I really enjoyed reading the footnotes and interjections, which added to the casual tone of the book. Overall, this was great book on a rough topic, and I encourage any writer to check it out when they need a boost

Not only do I love this book, I needed it. And it arrived at a moment where I very much needed it. I think it may be a book with a fairly limited audience, but I am definitely that audience. The epilogue made me cry. The rest of it is advice I'm trying very hard to ink onto my heart.

Gentle Writing Advice is a perfect book for anyone looking to foster and care for the writer inside of them. This book has a gentle yet comedic tone that would be a great book for any writer to pick up when they are feeling frustrated or discouraged with their own writing. I really enjoy the footnotes and interjections that are included as well as the casual nature of this read.

Sometimes, you need a book that just spells the writing business and craft out so you don't drive yourself mad with the industry and process. Gentle Writing Advice is that book. I read it in one day. I'm not quite in a writing slump, but I'm not working with the same enthusiasm. Writing, for as much as an author loves the final product--perhaps, can be draining. And I was getting to that point before I read this book by Chuck Wendig, who is so giving with his craft and publishing advice. If you follow him on Twitter, you will get snippets of his industry advice for free, and it's nice when he gives a compilation of his thoughts. This is definitely a book to refer to when you need a boost.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the Book of Accidents and seeing Chuck Wendig had written a book about writing, I knew I had to read it. His approach to nonfiction and about writing in particular is the same as his fiction- snarky and irreverent like his blog, Terribleminds.

Going through some tough days in the past 5-6 years taught Wendig that harsh writing advice wasn’t working for him anymore. His new advice about writing can me summed up in one sentence. That no writing advice should be taken as gospel truth.

Writing during the height of the pandemic was difficult for him. He went a year without writing. That year taught him that emotions are something you can’t force. They're bound up in the creation of art and telling of stories. I loved how he said that creativity is limitless, and we're in no danger of losing it no matter how we feel. Not only is every book different, but, as a writer, you are different when you start a new book and are different still when you end it. The way we do things will change with us.

He talked about how writers sometimes harm themselves when they give out advice and treat it as gospel not only for the people receiving their advice but for themselves, too. They take a process and make it rule and law for all subsequent books they write. Wendig did this up until he wrote Wanderers where he broke the mold and used a completely different writing process and it sold more than any of his other books up until that point.

Some of my favorite parts of the book was when Wendig went through a list of common “writing rules” such as show not tell, not using adverbs, write what you know, and kill your darlings, and dispelled those myths, or at least showed how they had obvious flaws. He also has a section near the end of the book that compares writing with birding that I found especially memorable.

Wendig’s distinct voice comes out in his writing, which was mostly a positive for me. It’s a style that I don’t think everyone will click with, and at times I found myself rolling my eyes a little too much, but I mostly was entertained.

My biggest struggle with the book was the numerous side tangents he took. He’d start off talking about one subject and a few pages later we were completely somewhere else. It was like, what are we talking about now? I’m a much more linear, analytic reader of nonfiction, so this did frustrate me a bit at times.

If you’ve read a lot of books about writing, I don’t think you’ll find anything new here, but I still think it’s worth a read. I always see writing a new way every time I spend time with a different writer and learn about their outlook on the writing life.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Writer's Digest Books for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

This book is exactly what it advertises to be—gentle writing advice. It is the best and most motivational book about writing that I’ve ever read and strangely, the writing advice is also great life advice—practice self care, wait it out, quit since you can always unquit, be observant of the world around you. I loved every part of this book.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the chance to read Gentle Writing Advice by Chuck Wendig in exchange for my honest review.

Chuck Wendig is trully a master when it comes to giving advice as proven by this book. As the title suggests the gentle writing advice he had to offer gave me -and to every aspiring writer and reader out there- a soft push to the write direction (pun intended). He showed real care in deconstructing some of the most classic writing advice and gave the spotlight to the writer's wellbeing, showing how the writer need not to follow the norm but instead put themselves and their ideas first in order to have a possible success with their story, since it's not the story that makes the writer but the other way around.
The book's overflowing with kind advice and a lot of explanations regarding the writing process (from brainstorming all the way to publishing) as well as personal stories and hilarious footnotes which left a lasting impression to me as a reader and a writer.The fact that he uses the term "advice" instead of "rules", gives the reader/writer the margin to make their own choice to follow them or not, without second-guessing themselves if they have not complied to the rules and thus brace for the consequences- aka failure.
Reading this book from the perspective of an aspiring writer, it gave me a lot of affirmation and reassurance for every step of the way. It's a trully great book to use as reference for writing since it inspires the writer to take their space and time in order to create the best of their stories on their own terms.

This is one of those books that you get an e-arc but know you'll be buying a physical copy, too! Chuck Wendig provides so much solid writing advice from his years of experience and being around the block, while maintaining an ability to feel humble and real. Also, he's hilarious, and I laughed out loud more than once. I have a huge collection of craft books on writing, and I'm so excited to add this one to my shelf!

I had to DNF this pretty early because the writing style was incredibly annoying. I think this is just not for me, but I'm sure some folks will really love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chuck knows how deliver a message - fun and relatable! He goes through the common questions writers ask, such as “Should you write every day.” His shortest chapter and response, “no.” Yet, in his good natured way, in the next chapter, he expands on the importance of - to just keep going. I found myself cruising though his advice smiling and nodding, very practical and entertaining. A must have for any writer’s bookshelf.

This helpful guide will give you the right amount of self-care and self-love but also ensure that the fire within you doesn’t stop burning. This is not, however, a step by step guide on how to write a book; because there is no right way to write a book. Wendig recounts his experience as an author in his youth and what worked for him and what didn’t. He also instills that most writing advice is B.S and not really worth your while because everyone has their own way to flourish and flounder. The essence of this book is to find what works for you and keep working at it. I thought this had just enough compassion and the right amount of ‘Just do it.’

If you are a writer and just need someone to tell you that everything will be fine, take a walk, and come back when you’re ready; this is the book for you.

When I first started Chuck Wendig’s GENTLE WRITING ADVICE I was not impressed. It felt meandering, self indulgent and redundant. However, as I got further into the book, I began to appreciate his advice and humor. I would compare the book to Stephen King’s On Writing, which I adore.

Wendig picks apart some writing “rules” (the only dialogue tag you should ever use is ‘said,’ don’t use adverbs, don’t use prologues, show don’t tell, write what you know, etc.) He gives good, supportive advice, such as reward yourself for writing and don’t allow negative reviews to affect you too much.

A few golden nuggets:

“Writing advice is bullshit, but bullshit fertilizes.”

“Writing is a river, and sometimes you have to let it take you away. Sometimes you move the waters, but other times, the waters move you.”

“Every book is its own beast and will be tamed in whatever way it so requires.”

“You are the one original thing that you can bring to the page. You’re it. You’re the fingerprint, the snowflake, the unique cryptid no one has ever seen before and will never see again.”

“We’re all using the same colors. There’s not going to be a new color. You can’t suddenly whit out a crayon no one’s ever seen before and say, “this is the color Fripple. It’s new on the spectrum. It’s somewhere between Charred Prown and Bleak Mordow.”

This will have no bearing on the final product, but this eARC was nearly unreadable, with the words NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION scattered around haphazardly, footnotes inserted randomly and different texts and colors.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC of GENTLE WRITING ADVICE and the opportunity to give my honest feedback.

This was a very informative book and I really enjoyed it. I was not expecting to learn as much as I did but this book gave great advice. I will be using this book a lot and I know I will enjoy thoroughly. Great Book!