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See what reviewers and bloggers are saying about More Writer's First Aid!

We share with fellow writers stories of writing through stress and dealing with writing issues like procrastination or writer’s block, but when we’re not with our writers group or enjoying daily coffee breaks or visits with writing friends, what do we do? I have a suggestion: we should all go to Kristi Holl’s website and download her More Writers First Aid in pdf form or for your Kindle. It is one of the few practical how-to books on dealing with the emotions, stress and issues in our personal life that prevent us from doing our best writing and enjoying the process more than ever. 

Kristi also offers practical how-to-write booklets at her site, such as Writing Mysteries for Young People and 50 Tension Techniques. Her years of experience and teaching allow her to give her readers simple, direct, easy-to-follow writing tips in these booklets. But the best writing tips are useless if you’re strung so tight, or such a perfectionist, or a perpetual procrastinator, or someone who clings unknowingly to poor writing habits. Kristi’s More Writers First Aid helps the writer, whether that writer has published many books or is only just getting started, recognize how she’s sabotaging herself and shows her how to make wiser decisions about balancing life and writing. 

I admit, I was predisposed to like this book because of the teddy bear on the cover - I know I write better when I’ve got a teddy bear for company. But I wasn’t prepared to love it until I began dipping into the book and recognized so many of my own problems in her practical advice in dealing with burn-out, rejections, facing fears, writing in pain, and derailing our own writing. What is so helpful about the book is that Kristi doesn’t write from way above us lowly mortals, telling us how to solve our problems; she generously writes as if she has experienced every problem we face, and shares how she has lived through it, or triumphed over it. Reading this book is like having a terrific visit with a friend. Even if all your friends are busy, you know that Kristi isn’t too busy to spend some time with you, and help you through that rough spot so you can balance the ups and downs of life with your writing to give yourself write better than you ever thought you could, and to be happier doing it than you’ve ever been. ~~Elaine Marie Alphin, author of Counterfeit Son (winner of the Edgar Award), Ghost Soldier (winner of the Young Hoosier Book Award), Ghost Cadet, and Unspeakable Crime

Keeping Kristi’s wise words nearby means always having the best writer friend possible immediately within reach. As the song goes, “When the dog bites, when the bee stings . . . ,” simply pick up this book and realize once again that Kristi Holl knows what you’re up against, has given the problem serious consideration, and is on your side in getting it solved. More Writer’s First Aid is a book to relish bit by refreshing bit, in good times and in times of need. ~~Sandy Asher, author of Writing It Right: How Successful Children’s Authors Revise and Sell Their Stories

Author Kristi Holl knows what counts and what works when it comes to ‘getting the writing done!’ She not only provides action steps but she is also sensitive to a writer’s emotions, family obligations, and personal challenges. Written in a conversational style as though she is sitting across from you over a cup of tea, Holl encourages all writers to honor themselves as artists and to live in a place of mindfulness—taking our lives and our writing one day at time. I'm inspired and know you will be too. ~~Karen O’Connor: “opening hearts and connecting lives through writing and speaking”

Whether you’re a starting-out writer or well down the published road, you’ll find a ton of value in Kristi Holl’s book. Her wisdom, born of long experience as a writer, is like a guiding light. This is the book you need for good and bad writing days! ~~Sherryl Clark

More Writer’s First Aid should be within easy reach on every writer’s desktop. Kristi’s insight and advice guide us around the subtle traps of our 21st century life that can derail even the most talented writer’s dreams.~~Patricia Curtis Pfitsch, author of Riding the Flume (Simon & Schuster 2002) and other historical novels and picture books

In a conversational, writer-to-writer style and short-chapter format, Kristi discusses many aspects of enjoying the writing life, good work habits, a writer's emotions, and home and family concerns. For example: Did you know that procrastination is a cycle? I never thought of it that way, but the good news is that cycles can be broken! Kristi shows how. And though it may be no surprise that lots of time gets eaten up online, if we can control even one aspect, such as compulsive email checking, we'll gain not only time but sustained concentration. “If the average e-mail checker takes 64 seconds to recover her train of thought," Kristi writes, "I'm guessing that the average creative writer takes longer than that. For fiction especially, you have to take time to re-enter your pretend world. You have to re-immerse yourself in your characters, the setting, the problem, and the emotional place in the current scene.” Italics mine, as I couldn't agree more! 

Do you need "permission" to write what you love, what you're passionate about, instead of what you think will sell and bring in an income to "justify" your writing? You'll receive that encouragement here. Do you need to make time to write with preschoolers underfoot--or college kids home on break? There's a whole chapter on writing during the various stages of parenthood. And, sometimes, we all need to weather things much tougher than mountains of laundry, phone calls bugging us to chair this or that committee, or friends who don't get why we don't just quit already. For those hard times, there are chapters titled "Writing Through the Storms of Life" and "Writing After Major Losses." Having this book at hand is like having a good writer friend right in your own office. ~~Marcia Hoehne 

I just finished reading More Writers First Aid: Getting the Writing Done by Kristi Holl. The timing is perfect. The end of February (and “February’s Writing Blues”) couldn’t be shrugged off faster than with this motivating book. It’s March now – spring is just around the corner and I’ve started the month off on the right foot, thanks to Kristi’s book filled to the brim with helpful tips on getting the most out of a writing life. I’m working on developing some of the good habits discussed in the book. For example, I’m practicing ‘mindfulness’ in my approach to my work. I’m using Kristi’s tips on time management, organization, prioritizing, and goal-setting. Kristi also covers the emotional side of writing, focusing on how to tap into positive thinking in response to dealing with fear and guilt. She offers practical strategies to deal with rejections and setbacks. Kristi is like a writer’s very own life coach. Through More Writers First Aid, Kristi offers loads of wisdom based on her years of experience as a successful author who has also faced many of the same career and life challenges that all writers face in one way or another. ~~ Sheri Doyle

Kristi has now published her second writing book, More Writer's First Aid. In this latest book, she helps writers focus on "getting the writing done" (certainly something I can use help with from time to time).  Chapter titles include "Honoring the Writing Process", "Breaking the Procrastination Cycle", "Perfectionist Writers" and "Silent Sabotage".  She delves into issues holding writers back and offers suggestions for habits that will help a writer to focus and to move forward. If you've ever read Kristi's blog, A Writer’s First Aid, you know she takes a straightforward, compassionate approach.  Her blog's subtitle is "A Medicine Chest of Hope".  As is true for medicines, some of Kristi's advice goes down easily and some not so much, but all is designed to help you get better.  Even as she dispenses advice born of experience, Kristi bares her own challenges and limitations and invites you, the writer, to join her on the journey to becoming a better, more productive writer. ~~Blogger PatriciaWoodside

Kristi has written an excellent book about overcoming excuses, and becoming a Writer. She tackles many topics, including procrastination, time management, writing with family around, etc. The chapters are short & sweet, which makes this book easy to pick up, even if you have only 5 minutes. You can read a chapter and get inspiration to keep you writing. I love how Kristi frequently quotes other authors or books (but that’s probably  just the bookworm in me). I also enjoyed how this book can be useful even for non-writers. The advice inside can be applied to any area of life, not just to Writing ~~MizB

I have been following Kristi Holl's blog, Writer’s First Aid, for the past few months. She has a so many practical tips for writers.  So, when I heard that she was finishing up More Writer's First Aid, I was eager to get a copy. I loved the short chapters. I have young children, so to be able to sit and read a chapter or two at random times of the day were great for me. I also loved that at the end of many of the chapters she has some "homework" to help push you towards better writing. All very practical.  The best part about this book is that she takes these tips not just from other articles or books, but from her own personal life. She gives examples, good ones, from her 30 years of writing and 25 years of teaching writing.  I felt encouraged by reading this book. I feel like I've gotten a kick-start back into writing again.  I needed some "first aid" and got it. I really believe that it doesn't matter what stage of life you are in or what stage of writing you are in, either way you will get so much out of this book.~~MaDonna Maurer

In her newly released More Writer’s First Aid, Kristi gives writers tips on how to enjoy the writing life, how to learn some helpful habits, how to deal with a multitude of emotions while working on a writing career and how to work your writing around your family. After reading through the book, I highly recommend it to both new and experienced writers. Here’s just a few of the helpful tips you will learn from Kristi:

1. How to Honor the Writing Process: Kristi shows writers ways they both dishonor and honor the writing process, and gives tips and exercises to help turn the dishonors into honors.

2. Breaking the Procrastination Cycle: Kristi gives real tips on how you can break out of your procrastination, no matter how bad it is, and avoid going back into the harmful pattern.

3. Writing through Physical Pain: As a writer who deals with pain herself, Kristi understands what it’s like to deal with it, and push your way through it to write without harming yourself. Kristi shows you how to find the balance between the two. As a disabled writer myself, I can’t get enough of this section of the book.

4. Learning Writing Habits that help you: In this section of the book, Kristi provides very helpful tips for learning different habits that can help writers no matter what type they are. Read through the section, and decide which habits will work for you, and which one won’t. When you find the ones that will, you can follow the steps Kristi offers to start implementing your new writing habits.

5. Dealing with different Emotions: In this section, Kristi talks about different emotions we all face at one time or another, such as depression, fear, jealousy and anger. She explains how to identify your emotions, how to work through them and how to become a better writer by dealing with them.

6. Dealing with Family: In this section, Kristi discusses the difficulties of writing when you have family around, specifically children at different stages of their life, and how you can work your writing around them.

The book is a wonderful source for any writer to have. You can flip to a particular section, or even a particular page, when you are experiencing the topic Kristi is discussing. She provides real exercises to help you discover where your weaknesses lie and what you can do to overcome them and become a better writer. As a writer myself, I highly recommend Kristi’s book to help you through the emotional, mental and physical hardships writing can put you through. ~~ Andrea Buginsky

Just like her blog, Kristi consistently delivers hope "to ease the pains of the writing life and help make your writing dreams come true." If you struggle with consistency, focus, time, fear, setbacks, inspiration, or family commitments, then this is definitely the book for you. It is divided into four main sections with twelve short articles, or chapters, in each section. My favorite chapter is "Breaking the Procrastination Cycle." I never knew that procrastination happened in stages and that they were predictable. I'm still trying to identify my own specific problems and the root causes. More Writers First Aid is a book to read and re-read year after year. Encouragement goes a long way to help us persevere until we're published. If that's your goal, then you definitely need this book. And if you're already published, Kristi's advice will provide the encouragement and inspiration you need to get published again and again.~~Christie Wright Wild

Kristi Holl’s More Writer’s First Aid: Getting the Writing Done is the perfect resource for writers who want to carve a writing career out of a life that seems already full of family, work, and just the “stuff” of living. This is a book that gives you permission to be human—to be confused, frightened, crazy-busy, in pain, and a first class procrastinator. Kristi offers accessible solutions to the challenges of a writer’s life without being trite or condescending. She writes with a voice that has “been there, done that” and has sought solutions in the work of other writers as well as from her own instincts. She shares her solutions and the struggles to find them and make them work, without a smidge of “holier than thou.” She speaks as a fellow traveler and survivor who has worn all of life’s hats, along with that of writer. Reading the book is like having a special writer friend give you a hug and a nod of complete understanding—just when you need it.

This is not a how-to-write guide. There are no tricks for writing great dialogue or creating a compelling story arc. Chapters are grouped under these headings:  ENJOYING THE WRITING LIFE—EVERY DAY!, WRITING HABITS THAT HELP YOU, A WRITER’S EMOTIONS, FAMILY MATTERS. She deals with the hard stuff. How to work after a loss, while working the day job and juggling family, when serious illness hits you or a family member. And the practical: how to stop procrastinating, the realities of finding writing time—and equally essential—thinking time, in a life full of demands on your time and attention. I’ve read a lot of books about writing over the years. (I even wrote one!) Only three have made my annual reread list. Now there are four! ~~Heather Wright