Writing for Bliss

A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life

By: Diana Raab

Narrated by: Lisa Michelle Negron

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Writing for Bliss is most fundamentally about reflection, truth, and freedom. With techniques and prompts for both the seasoned and novice writer, it will lead you to tap into your creativity through storytelling and poetry, examine how life-changing experiences can inspire writing, pursue self-examination and self-discovery through the written word, and understand how published writers have been transformed by writing.

"Writing for Bliss is about the profound ways in which we may be transformed in and through the act of writing. I am grateful to Diana Raab for sharing it, and I trust that you will feel the same as you read on. May you savor the journey." (From the foreword by Mark Freeman, PhD)

Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is an award-winning poet, memoirist, speaker, educator, and survivor. She's the author of nine books and more than one thousand articles and poems. She lives in southern California. Learn more at DianaRaab.com.

©2017 Diana Raab (P)2018 Diana Raab

Great tool, but not for everybody

As a writer myself, I am always looking for ways to improve my craft, but not only that, how to have my writing flow more easily. I was excited about listening to this when I came across it on Audiobook Boom (and I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review), but after getting about halfway through, I realized this was a title that might best serve the reader to read rather than listen.

For example, there are many exercises and moments of pause where the reader can take a moment to write out or journal what the author just discussed. Although in the audio there are moments where there's a sound effect/notification, I felt these moments work better in reading/writing, as I was often commuting or doing something else while listening and knew I would not go back and redo these exercises.

But the book delivers.
As a writer of several non-fiction works of my own, and a blogger for 15 years, I've learned repeatedly how transformative the writing experience can be to ME, the one writing. So this audiobook will serve both newbies and seasoned pros. That being said, I failed to realize going in that this book on writing would be more "holistic" and not mechanical necessarily, which, though jarring at first (due to my misunderstanding and mismatched expectations), that quickly became what I enjoyed most about it and came to appreciate.

If I were to gripe about anything, I'd do so with hesitation as I'm a fellow narrator and I never knock anybody else's work or delivery, but I felt like the narrator could have used more emotion and intonation. When I listen to samples of other books she's narrated on Audible, it's evident this may be her narrator style. I loved this narrator's voice, though.

Recommended.

Really helpful

I enjoyed this audiobook so much! It's full of good information and practical tips that are easy to put to use. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in writing. I found myself taking tons of notes. I will be recommending it to my friends!

This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Inspiring and helpful!

Great workbook for anyone wanting to tell their story! The exercises are very helpful in igniting creativity.

Worst Narration EVER

I am barely through this audio book and I plan to return it. It has nothing to do with the content of the book. The narration is like listening to a chipper fembot while being on hold with the doctors office or something. I think given the content of this book, it would have been better served being read by the author and WITH FEELING. Why waste the time making an audio book?
I will buy the printed book instead and will probably actually enjoy it.

Very well done

This is an honest review for a book I got from audiobook boom. Actually, I quite liked this book. I'm only a beginning author but I thought there's a lot of helpful information for me to continue my writing journey. It's really a great book to have in your collection and I'm thinking that I could use a printed copy of this book as well.

What got me off slightly - the narration. Seems like the narrator wasn't really into this book, as I didn't FEEL the material was delivered with the required level of author's emotion and passion, really. Perhaps it's just my subjective interpretation...... Still, it's a job well done.

My recommendations!

Writing for Bliss

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting message. I lack peace in my life, and while I don't think I can apply this plan directly in my life for various reasons, there were some nuggets and concepts that helped me see things differently.

Interesting

I got this story via audiobook boom and this is my voluntary review. There was some interesting information provided. I was expecting information that I could use as an author but it is geared more toward people who wish to write their own story, It still has a lot of information that any writer can use. It is told in a folksy manner so most people can relate to the information. The narrator was great.

Excellent Writers Guide for Journaling

This is an excellently produced audiobook. The reader has a pleasant and clear voice, and the content of the book is well-suited to the task of helping a serious student of journaling write their story. The author had herself been journaling from an early age, and you can see she loves to teach others to benefit from journaling to make order of their lives. There are dozens of exercises for students of writing who want to develop their writing skills, each indicated by a bell tone in the recording. It's hard to imagine how a book of this type can have been better written or produced!

I have received a free copy of this book and in return, agreed to write my honest opinion in this review. This is really my honest opinion! This book delivers on its promise and is well worth the "read".