I am subscribed to Jami Attenberg’s Substack, Craft Talk, and have followed her #1000WordsofSummer almost since its inception, writing good chunks of my new memoir and my current WIP during those two week stretches each summer since 2020. So I pretty much knew what this book was going to be: a lively collection of essays about writing craft, motivation, and inspiration by Jami and other talented and exciting writers. It is all that but it is much more; the book, 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round available for pre-order now, was a revelation.

The pieces written by the other authors are quite excellent, but it is the interplay between those essays and those by Jami herself that make the book such a valuable resource. This is a book for beginning writers, sure, but also for those of us who know all the practical advice (some of us even write that advice!) but who need to hear it from different points of view, using different metaphors and imagery. As with all the best “how-to” writing, it is the way someone writes something tried and true that can make it resonate anew.

I also appreciated the book’s diversity of voices, not just the spectrum of emerging writers to more well-known authors, but people of so many different identities and races that make this book feel so much like the wider artistic community I dream of existing within. I belong to a writers’ group whose members come in a wide variety of skin colors, are gay and straight, married and not, and who range from very religious to atheistic. We not only get along, we love and support each other like family. That caring family of writers is what this book feels like.

This is a book to have on your bookshelf for life, one you will pick up to get that boost for beginning your day’s proposed writing, or to propel your work to new heights during revisions and rewrites. It’s a book chock-full of reminders: of why you have chosen this path in life, how you can live the life you chose in new and brave ways, and why writing—and all art—is important to the world. Yes, community can save us. It will save us. It must.

As a writer, I have a very nice collection of references books, ideas and musings. I will be adding the hard copy of this to my library.

Ms. Attenburg is the voice you want to hear when you need motivation and creativity maybe some encouragement. When writer is right books on writing and they write them this good It's absolutely thrilling. I will be researching more of her books She has a new fan for life.

Fantastic book recommend it for any writers of any kinds.

I have been a fan of Jami Attenburg's 1000 Words of Summer for a while so when I saw she had this book out I jumped at the chance to read and review it. It's everything that my writer's heart desired. Each chapter is encouraging and motivating and honestly, is the pep talk that I need- I cant wait to get a hard copy and bookmark the pages to turn to during those tough hours. I enjoyed reading about the writing life from all the different writers - it's nice to have this unified support. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A unique how to writing guide to add to your writing manual collection. Taking advice from some of the best writers and condensing into an easy to read guide. 1000 words is a simple concept of writing 1000 words a day while seeking out creativity and motivation to do so. A great how to for any serious writer.

This book was fun and inspirational. Starting with the story behind the 1000 Word challenge, the author goes on to share practical encouragement for how we can all move past whatever is in the way of our writing goals.

This book can be recommended for writers of all kinds, whether you write a book, blog, or anything else. Whether it's 1,000 words or not, it's a collection of essays about writing. I couldn't put down this book. I love to write and this book is like a guide to writing more. Thanks to Simon Element and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and review it.

There is no one-size-fits-all in the writing world, and this book does a stellar job of allowing every reader to find their own path through the inevitable thickets of self doubt. I loved the multitude of voices from current writers, and the acknowledgment that the experience of writing is different for everyone. As a long time writer and educator, I think the most important message this book imparts is that if you keep trying and learning and DOING, you can successfully complete a project. The book doesn't pretend to offer easy solutions (to the challenge of publishing, for example), instead revealing that what it really takes is heart - an unending desire to create in spite of it all. We all need encouragement as well as tough love, and this book is the perfect way to get them both.

Are you a writer looking for encouragement? Look no further! 1000 Words will be the perfect antidote. Designed to get you writing, this compendium of anecdotes and advise is lovingly crafted and should appeal to writers working in (or hoping to work in) any genre. I love how there's no snobbishness here, no gate keepers. All are welcome. The word "inspiring" gets tossed around a lot, but this book truly is inspiring in the best possible way.

(Yes, I had already been a longtime subscriber of Jami Attenberg's newsletter. And yes, this book has earned a place on my forever shelf. If you, like me, already follow Jami, don't fret that this is recycled content. You want this book, I promise!)

It took me awhile to get through Jami's new book, because it really is a book of suggestions, ideas, and inspirations for one's own writing. I remember when Natalie Goldberg first published Writing Down The Bones, and this one seems to pick up from there.

So many nudges when one is uninspired: places to start, ideas to continue a thought, write it even if it makes no sense.

Jami's inspirational book isn't really a book, as in read it and it's done. It's a playbook for continuing one's creative visions, even in the space of the hopelessness of the world.

Many writers contribute their own thoughts, on writing, and on the creative process. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the eARC.

1000 Words is a collection of inspirational advice to root for you to write more, at its core. If the reason you aren't writing is because you are doubting yourself, this book can help you get over that. There's a lot of inspiration here from a diverse collection of viewpoints. The writing and presentation are very well-crafted.

However, there isn't a lot of actionable information, and a lot of the advice is written more as limited anecdotes rather than actual advice. If you're wanting help figuring out how to write on a busy schedule, or guidance on finding ideas, or anything else that's directly applicable to improving your writing, this book is not what you're looking for.

For me specifically, this is a book that was great for helping me procrastinate doing actual writing and feel ok about it. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'll ever refer back to it.

The deal: It’s a writer’s guide with tons of bite-sized pieces of framing, advice, and inspiration from Attenberg and other authors like Roxane Gay, Sara Novic, Rumaan Alam, Alexander Chee, Jasmine Guillory, Melissa Febos, etc. It’s also a continuation of Attenberg’s newsletter and annual literary movement #1000WordsofSummer.

Is it worth it?: You could probably get a ton of this from Attenberg’s newsletter, but if you’re the kind of writer who likes advice from acclaimed writers, this is definitely one to grab for in-a-rut inspo. There’s something for everyone, and I appreciate how a lot of the advice is contradicting—one secret formula to writing well for an entire lifetime does not exist. The one thing I didn’t love is how many of the other writers’ notes were clearly written in early COVID mania. It doesn’t necessarily invalidate those pieces of advice, but I found them off-putting to read.

Pairs well with: ultimately putting down the advice book and typing out your words, one after the next, until you hit your little daily goal

This book is awesome. As an aspiring memoir writer I loved how Attenberg shared her 1000 words writing challenge and how it led to an entire movement. It was inspiring to read and I felt the energy from the contributors through their quotes and essays that were included. Well done! I will be purchasing a copy for my home library. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.