Keiko O'Leary

As a writer, I am always interested in books on writing although I have become increasingly skeptical of their usefulness.

Feeling this way, I began Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired (by Keiko O'Leary) with some reservation.

O'Leary quickly won me over with her warmth and friendliness. Here is a sympathetic companion to have beside you during the lonely or discouraged periods of your writing career (and published or not, everyone who writes and considers show more themself a writer, is one in my opinion).

These essays offer support as well as some very helpful suggestions. I especially liked the two ingredients to help finish a piece: 1. have a deadline and 2. have an audience.

O'Leary talks passionately about why literature is important--we learn how to live, we feel understood when discovering characters who are kindred spirits, we develop meaningful relationships with writers and their characters.

There is an excellent suggested reading list at the end of the book but O'Leary uses examples of books and stories throughout her book. I have put together quite a list of works to check out!

I loved the essay, "Watson Loves Me" having been obsessed with Sherlock Holmes as an adolescent. It was touching how O'Leary drew from it a sense of being acceptable, even lovable, by the example of Watson's unwavering love for the difficult Sherlock Holmes. It threw a different light on those stories and made me want to reread them.

Indeed, O'Leary's passion for literature reinvigorated my own love of reading and her deeply held belief in the importance of writing for the world and in our own lives helped me return to a piece I am currently working on.

She believes that no one should be dismissed; that creativity is a positive value no matter how it manifests or how successful or unsuccessful a piece may seem. As proof of her stance that no writer should be discouraged, she uses the songwriter Don McClean as an example: creator of two brilliant songs (favorites of mine: one for Vincent van Gogh and then of course American Pie), none of his work is successful. But surely those two songs alone justify his lifework.

I could go on quoting O'Leary's book endlessly I think (I took copious notes in preparation for writing this review only to realize I had basically copied the entire book!) but it would be better for anyone reading this to go read the book instead.

O'Leary is an endearing and supportive writer and this book a lovely companion for anyone engaged in the creative process.

I won this book from LibraryThing and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. A copy of this review will also be posted in Goodreads. show less

The act of writing is a very solitary one, and as one that leads to a near endless string of rejections, it can make you rethink all your decisions to do it.
Keiko O'Leary's Your Writing Matters is like reading a lovely letter from your most trusted writing partner--it's full of positivity and affirmations that make you want to pick that pen back up (or get back in front of your word document). One of the biggest things it has going for it is that it's so friendly and unassuming actually. show more There are many books on writing out there, a lot that are helpful, yes, but there are also many that drip with sanctimony and condescension. Your Writing Matters isn't like that at all. It's got that "hey, we're all in this together, let's put some words down," which is much more palatable than "advice" from certain writers that reads more like self-aggrandizement than anything else.
Thank you so much to ThinkingInkPress for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review. show less

"Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired" is a readable, relatable, motivating collection. On a personal level, as I was engaged in the Sisyphusian process of pushing myself to finish the first draft of a short drama, I read "Get Results Faster by Using Bright Spots." O'Leary's "Bright Spot 1: Serving Dinner" reminded me that not only did I have a deadline, but I also had others "counting on me to deliver." Yay for me and YAY for Keiko O'Leary who helped me show more push that boulder up the hill. Her essays are extremely useful and if one doesn't work, another will. Like a good educator, she employs different approaches and perspectives to reach her readers wherever they are at the moment . Also, the essays are not only motivating for writing, they are also applicable to life in general. It's a book to go back to from time to time--whenever you get stuck or need someone in your head saying "You can do it!"

One thing I did hope to find that I didn't, though, deals with publishing: how do my words/ideas live on after me if they never get published? Perhaps a sequel will pursue that question! show less

This is a wonderful book that I would one hundred percent recommend to all writers, whatever you write and wherever you are in your publishing journey.

As a writer who has had short stories published and is now struggling to complete edits on my first full novel, I felt supported, encouraged, cheered on, uplifted and inspired. If ever you need encouragement or to get unstuck or to find new inspiration and energy for your writing, you will find an essay in this book.

I felt that Keiko really show more cares about supporting and encouraging writers to keep going and get to the end of their projects. I'd even go further and say i felt her love shining through every page. Maybe that sounds too much, but if you've ever suffered from imposter syndrome, or depression after yet another rejection, you will be glad of love, support, warmth and practical suggestions coming your way. Keiko is now my inner cheerleader. :)

A lovely book. show less