Good morning, bookworm, what a lovely surprise. Come in and have some breakfast with me. Watch you don’t trip over the old typewriter on the floor; I’m still trying to find a home for it where I can use it easily but where the Modern Technology books won’t interfere with it. They’ve been rather scathing about it but when I found it in the old storage room, I couldn’t resist bringing it up as inspiration with my writing.

Speaking of writing, have you heard about 52 Weeks of Writing by Mariëlle S. Smith? Let me pour you a cup of tea and get you a bowl for your yoghurt and granola while I tell you all about it.

Firstly, here’s the blurb:

‘With this book by your side, anything feels possible.’ Jacqueline Brown

Tired of not having a sustainable writing practice? You, too, can get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be!

52 Weeks of Writing:

• makes you plan, track, reflect on, and improve your progress and goals for an entire year;
• helps you unravel the truth about why you aren’t where you want to be; and
• keeps you writing through weekly thought-provoking quotes and prompts.

With this second volume of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, writing coach and writer Mariëlle S. Smith brings you the same successful strategies to craft the perfect writing practice as she did in the first journal. The only difference? Fifty-three different writing quotes and prompts and a brand-new look!

Now, here’s a little about the author: Mariëlle S. Smith is a coach for writers and other creatives, an editor, and a writer. Early 2019, she moved to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, where she organises private writers retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

And here’s my review: With the latest events in real life negatively affecting my motivation to progress the novel I’m writing, this blog tour couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been using the journal for nearly a month and I’m impressed with how it’s helping me push through the general malaise and get back to being creative again.

After an inspiring introduction, the journal is split into weekly chapters of prompts to ponder and complete. The beginning challenges the reader to think about what success would look like and where they’d like to be in 10 years. The prompt is repeated for decreasing timescales until the aims feel much more tangible. I reread my goals before I start each week’s prompts to help me get in the mindset of achievement and motivation.

It’s become my relaxing Saturday morning routine to consider the prompts set, which encourage a review of the previous week’s achievements to identify what went well and what might need to be done differently. Then it’s times to set the week’s goals and this includes a reality check prompt of “is this realistic?” Inevitably I always realise that with juggling family life, home schooling, work, book reviews and art, I’ve been a little over-enthusiastic so I take stock and try again. Splitting the goals up into sub-goals and tasks follows before plotting them into a weekly timetable split into morning, afternoon and evening.

I find plotting in other commitments which will take up time in those slots on the timetable really helps me see where best to fit my writing goals in. I mentioned that each week there is a review of how you’ve done with your previous week’s goals; the wording used feels positive and encouraging so I find I’m more honest with myself about what may have gotten in the way of I didn’t achieve everything I set out to do.

There’s also encouragement of identifying an accountability partner to help you stay on track but I must admit my inner introvert gets the better of me here and I haven’t identified anyone. There is a Facebook group set up for those who have purchased the journal to join if they would prefer virtual accountability partners. Maybe I should add “get involved with The Accountable Wordsmiths” to my goals for the coming week…

And finally each week there is an optional prompt to consider a particular aspect of your writing. I tend to ponder these throughout the week and return to them when I’ve done enough soul searching before committing them to paper. It’s a thought-provoking and surprisingly cathartic process which is helping me understand myself as a writer.

Since starting to use this journal I’ve found myself more motivated to write than I have been in a considerable amount of time and I have a refreshed determination to get my book finished. And then one day I’ll read a review about my novel in a blog tour like this…

I’m giving this journal a full ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and highly recommend it to any author in progress. Thanks to the author and Rachel’s Random Resources for the digital copy in return for my honest opinion. A printable PDF is available through https://payhip.com/b/0YgJ Get 50% off until 30th March 2021 by using the coupon code 52WOW during checkout.

Well bookworm, if you’ll excuse me I set myself an alarm to let me know when my writing slot is about to begin. I think I’ll leave the typewriter for now in case it wakes the dragons as I’ll never get anything done once they’re zooming about chaotically. Until next time, bookworm, farewell!