Book Review: Pen and Ink by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
“Think about what you wish for and imagine how you’d like your life to be in six months, a year, five years from now…Now set your timer for fifteen minutes and write down your ideal scenario…If you can’t see yourself as a writer, how will you ever find your way there?”
-Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Loved this Set Your Timer exercise early on in the book.
Throughout the book, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett urges writers to set aside tiny blocks of time to devote to their passion. Despite all our responsibilities, we can eke out just 15 minutes for ourselves.
Like other books, Pen covers listening to our surroundings for inspiration and dialogue, creating a writing space, applying writing craft, revising, etc., but it also gives specific direction if you need ideas to fill the daily 15-minute window, which will hopefully grow to more.
This book is a great start for people who want to write but feel they don’t have the time. For people who don’t know what to write about. For those who aren’t sure they have what it takes.
Every journey starts with a few steps, and then a few more. DeMarco-Barrett encourages readers to expose bits of their writing soul a little at a time. A reader/writer will increase the time as she takes ownership of her writing and frees the writer within.
Thought Ripples by Wendi 
It’s hard to write. Or at least get into the mindset of writing.
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It’s a habit. Getting out the paper or keyboard at the same time every day and jiggling out a few thoughts. The reward is often time travel, gratitude, and revelation.
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