Improv for Writers: 10 Secrets to Help Novelists and Screenwriters Bypass Writer's Block and Generate Infinite Ideas

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 64 ratings

Price: 11.81

Last update: 09-12-2024


About this item

Improv instructor and writer Jorjeana Marie presents the first book to harness the creative power of improvisation exercises to help both aspiring and seasoned authors defeat writer's block and generate new ideas.

Suffering from writer's block and inner critics? Having trouble generating ideas for plots, settings, and characters? Introducing the rules and techniques of improvisation as they apply to fiction writing, improv instructor and writer Jorjeana Marie addresses each major element of storytelling by applying writer's-block-busting games and inner-critic-quieting exercises to get the creative ideas flowing. Armed with the power of improv - and freeing exercises like Ad Agency, Your Local Library, and Family Portraits - you'll soon be an idea machine. With Improv for Writers, your creative storytelling well will never run dry again.

Features a PDF of Lists to Assist with Games and Exercises. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

KTD
5.0 out of 5 stars The boost we all need
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2024
This is a great resource. You can skip around at random when your creativity needs a little boost, or work (play!) through it chapter by chapter. It’s a great teaching tool. I’ve gifted this book to writers, teachers and creative friends.
manhattos
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book that connects you to the joy of writing
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023
Loved this book! You can dip in anywhere and find useful exercises that go well beyond any "how to" craft stuff - or struggle to overcome the misery of the writer's life. Remember why you wanted to write in the first place.
Phillip
5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to get the ball rolling.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2019
This is a great way to generate ideas and a must-have , especially at the beginning stages of any project.
The games have a way of bypassing your normal blocks to free your brain up. I've come up with some unique and quirky ideas from playing with the improv principles explained in this book.
It's also fascinating to generate original characters in ways that are quick and stress free.
We all have imaginative ideas when we aren't trying to force it. We do it every time we dream. I think this book is tapping into that side of the mind that doesn't judge and lets it all flow.
I think you'll surprise yourself, as I have, with how quickly you'll generate results.
It's a book that works really well with a small group, too. If you have a writer's group that gets together, try a couple of exercises and see what happens. It's pretty amazing.
I'm hoping there will be a follow up with other games to play and maybe go even more in depth on some of the improv concepts.
G. L my name
4.0 out of 5 stars Fine
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2020
It's fine. Uneven...
The audiobook is so hard to listen to that I bought the book to see if I was missing something...
Peter Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to generate new ideas and get your writing flowing
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2020
I just bought this book and have only gotten to chapter 5 so far, but I already now this is one of the most valuable writing books, ever. I just finished a major project I’d been working on for the last year, and have been staring at the blank page as I decide what to work on next. I love the idea of improv, so this title appealed to me. After doing a handful of the exercises I am amazed at how quickly new ideas form and new characters are conjured up out of thin air. The techniques here are fun and they work and the lists at the back are worth the price by themselves. I Have a tendency to skim through most writing books, taking in the concepts and moving on. With this I am reading and doing the exercises and I can already see how well they work at getting my imagination firing in new directions.
C. Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars Practical & Playful Ways to Boost Creativity as a Writer
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022
This is such a wonderful hands on book, or sort of a workbook or workshop, in improv games to move you forward as a writer and as a person. I enjoyed it and plan to refer to it often. I will never worry about writer’s block with this resource at hand.
PJM
5.0 out of 5 stars Improv as philosophy, applied to writing
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2019
The prospect of improvisation on-stage has always intimidated me, and I enjoy, admire, and respect the flow that dedicated creatives find in that natural headspace of agreement. Marie takes tools from improvisation, breaks down their usefulness, then challenges readers with "games" that can be accomplished in 2 - 20 minutes.

I've been carrying Improv for Writers in my backpack and working through it on breaks. With other books that involve reader participation, I skim and skip aplenty, but between Marie's lighthearted approach and the accessibility of each game, I find the tasks inviting and segues encouraging when I put my own hands to the keyboard. I'll be working through this one for a while and recommend it for any writer's study-shelf.
Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Writers
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2021
The games in the book are perfect for helping me get the ideas out of my head and onto the page. Once they're out it becomes much easier to work with them and mold them into the proper shape for my stories. I've also found the games help open me up so I can get into flow state easier. Once I start writing it's harder to stop.

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