The Joy of Mindful Writing

I would like to thank NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group - Leaping Hare Press and Joy Kenward for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review.

The book approaches writing from a spiritual and mindful approach so would not be appropriate as a guide to writing a novel for a beginner.  However, I found it intriguing and engaging and as somebody who is writing a first novel I enjoyed the approach and it left me feeling more serene.

The book is structured well and follows a logical journey and the chapter about mindfulness and imagination was especially useful for me.

Recommended.

A serene read, merging both of the elements of being in the moment and writing through close observation.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Opening line:
"When I was ten years old, my class teacher, Mr. Lewis, signed my little autograph album, adding the words, "When you write that book, I want a copy!"

There are a lot of great exercises and prompts to help with writing through a mindful approach. I think this book would be great when a writer has a mental block or needs a different approach to their writing and writing schedule. There is a lot in this book that writer will find in other books but used in a different way. 

Thanks to netgalley for the early read.

This is an interesting book on mindfulness and writing.  Anyone who does any writing has, at some stage, has experienced writers block and/or procrastination in writing.  Sitting down at a desk, pen poised in hand, and nothing comes to mind.  This book is full of ways to use mindfulness to overcome writers block and develop passion, emotion and character to books and make characters more real.  Probably best for someone who already meditates or practices mindfulness.

I enjoyed reading this book.  I am always looking for good books to encourage one to write.

This is a good book for dipping into for a bit of inspiration and encouragement.  It is not instructional but provides guidance of a spiritual kind.  It is well structured and well thought out. Some of the prompts and writing ideas were really good too.  It is a good one to pick up if you are feeling a bit stuck on your own writing journey.  Thank You

This is a short (144 pages) but surprisingly deep treatise of conscious creativity and mindfulness as they relate to the writing process.  It's not so much an instruction book as a philosophical examination of writing and how to open a conduit and tap into one's inherent ability.

The text is accompanied by sidebars with various mindfulness exercises to lead and inspire the writer's creativity.  They focus on diverse goals such as breathing, awareness, dealing with a block, stream of consciousness and others.

The book is not so much a treatise on writing craft or mindfulness, but the intersection of the two.  The included exercises could well be adapted to mindfulness and meditation without the intention to write, and can be used to bring more awareness and meditation to our everyday lives.

For people who are interested in incorporating more organic and philosophical working methods into their writing process, this book could be a useful tool.

Basic info:
Author: Joy Kenward
Publisher: Quarto Publishing - Leaping Hare Press
Release date:15 Oct, 2017
144 pages, ebook and hardcover formats

Four stars

Although I liked this book from the beginning, the more I read, the more I really got out of it. It is a gentle hug of encouragement to not only write but to enjoy the experience. Combining the practice of meditation with simple practices in writing, this book allows writers at any stage, from I want to write to I am a repeat published author, to become more connected to their work and thoughts. It teaches adding every sense to your writing, to touch readers more completely. 
It has exercises to help overcome writer drought or to add depth and color to your tales. 
It is a brief book but felt like a personal lesson from Joy Kenward.

Very interesting topic and an informative book. One you can dip in and out of as required. Mindfullness is an excellent daily routine that can be used in so many ways. Truly helps get you through sometimes. Excellent stuff.

When I first came across the words 'Harum-scarum' I remember feeling a recognition with it as a description of how my brain worked. Pulled in multiple directions, and the only way to go forward is to divide my time between all my varied interests (as I do now on a daily basis). Without a nine to five job, I thought this might be an interesting book to add to the ones I have been reviewing lately and might actually help me further compartmentalize the work I am doing.

This book has a very serene approach. If the actual book looks like my advance readers' copy did, then its very presence on a bookshelf might actually help. It systematically lists out things to try, slowly increasing the complexity of the exercises involved to try to write the best that we can. The writing is simple and straightforward. Even without seriously considering writing as a career, it gave me ideas on how to effectively use the time that I do spend writing any small thing ( even these reviews). It does involve a lot of reflection, and suggestions meant to turn thoughts inwards.I might even take the author's suggestions on other authors to pursue for inspiration, both in the mindful and the normal inspirational category.It is a good book for people trying to work out kinks in their writing lives.

Another lovely book for writers and helps you tackle the all important issue of sitting down and writing without getting distracted. Mindfulness and creative awareness practices for the writer which aim to help you clear your head and get creative. A great book to help you get inspired and get those creative juices flowing. I liked this book because it combines Mindfulness and Writing both of which I'm interested in and this is what makes this book different.

We live in a world of constant multi-tasking.  I, personally, listen to audiobooks while I'm cooking, cleaning, driving, eating and sometimes even showering, depending on how hooked I am to the audiobook.  Thanks to e-readers, I've found I can knit and crochet while reading, because all I need my hands for is to tap for a page flip.  While I'm watching TV shows, I am also catching up on my Facebook games.

Sadly, when I sit down to write, this same multi-tasking mentality takes over my process, and I find myself looking up information on one topic, that leads me to a different topic and suddenly I've forgotten that I was going "to use this 90 minutes to write without any distractions whatsoever".

THE JOY OF MINDFUL WRITING was a great reminder that if I want to be a productive writer, I need to re-focus my energy and attention.  It offered mindfulness exercises to help quiet my mind, as well as to guide me through more useful writing techniques.  I already KNEW that handwriting was often more productive than trying to write on my laptop for a first draft, but I had justified it away over time, and just the distraction of notifications alone has cost me valuable writing time.  The book reminded me of that, among other things.

This is a great book for writers of all levels.  It offers guides to novice writers, and reminders to well established writers.  Sometimes we need to be reminded to slow down and take our time on the things that are most important, and give them our full attention.

A brief guidebook on how meditation and mindfulness improved the author's writing. Kenward explains what mindful writing is and how one can practice it.

I read this book twice and will read it again. It's one of those books you can look back on and use as a basis for writing mindfully and what that means. Joy does a great job combining both instructive and exercises into the book which I really appreciated. If you've ever written, even something for yourself such as journalling and felt stuck this is a great book to get you going, giving you the nudge needed to move you along.
I felt like she did a great job using mindfulness for those not acquainted with it and starting in the present. Using different techniques without overdoing things was key in this book and what puts this book ahead of some of the others out there. Keeping it simple it the key.
I ordered a copy of the book as with books like these I prefer the book in my hand.
Excellent book and I highly recommend for anyone who wants to deepen their personal writing.


**arc from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The Joy of Mindful Writing gave me a lot to think about. Not a huge book, it still was able to deliver useful insight in every chapter, sometimes in unexpected areas. Mindfulness as a concept is becoming quite a buzz word these days. That does not dilute its utility in many avenues of life. As a writer of mystery, fantasy and memoir I found good substance here to inform all my areas of endeavor. A good book for the writing toolbox.

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

The Joy of Mindful Writing by Joy Kenward was a most delightful read. Through several meditations, and writing exercises, Joy teaches baby writers, and seasoned ones alike, how to apply mindfulness to improve their writing. There are six chapters, detailing different writing aspects, such as fostering imagination, finding your voice, overcoming blocks, and playing with colour and description.

The earlier sections cover choosing the right materials, and the right writing space with a mindful attitude, really paying attention to what our intuitions, minds, and bodies are trying to tell us. If we listen, we’ll find the answers we need. Stream of consciousness writing is encouraged.

With the techniques and tricks presented in The Joy of Mindful Writing, Joy shows how we can calm ourselves and settle within. Being mindful, we can engage and interact with our characters in more dynamic ways, possibly even through meeting them in meditation and asking questions on paper, using different coloured pencils to record the responses. Doing so will give you deeper insight into your characters. 

I quite enjoyed the sensory, and colour exercises! I play with paints, and woodcarving. I love playing with colour so much. Now I can make better use of that love in my writing, and not just with my physical paints.

Overall, the book is well-structured. It’s easy to read, and easy to follow the meditations. The exercises are clear and simple to follow. This is a book for any writer's bookshelf!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Really, really enjoyed this. The tone was helpful without being pompous and it was a very easy and informative read!

This is a very useful, easy to absorb, guide to adding the practice of mindfulness to your writer's toolkit.  I found it very helpful in offering ways to just slow down and 'be' with my writing.  It's a book you can read through to get a sense of everything on offer and then return to, dipping in for exercises as needed.  I would definitely keep an eye out for anything else by this author.  Many thanks!

This was a very useful guide for writing. It made me think differently about my own writing process and there were lots of useful tips.

if you want to be a mindful writer, this book is for you. It gives great insight for novice writers. I like the meditation and writing exercises.