Review by Rico- -- The Writer's Roadmap by Leigh Shulman
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- Latest Review: The Writer's Roadmap by Leigh Shulman
Review by Rico- -- The Writer's Roadmap by Leigh Shulman
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Writer's Roadmap" by Leigh Shulman.]
Becoming a writer is a dream shared by many but realized by few. While a limited number of aspiring scriveners make the transition to full-time writer each year, for most, making a living from their writings remains a distant dream. The path to authorship is unmarked, obscured by a forest of possibilities, and obstructed by family and work obligations, not to mention the need to pay the bills. How is one to find a way through such a labyrinth to this elusive goal? This is the problem Leigh Shulman attempts to solve in The Writer’s Roadmap: Paving the Way to Your Ideal Writing Life.
Drawing heavily on her own experience, Shulman provides a down to earth approach about how to get from point A to point B, i.e., from where you are to where you want to be. Using the analogy of the roadmap, this, of course, requires you to define where, exactly, you want to go (because if you don’t know where you want to go, any road will get you there). The roadmap that Shulman uses is a strategic planning model called OGSM (Objectives, Goals, Strategies, Measures), brought to corporate America from Japan in the 1950s and used by many Fortune 500 companies as a flexible, concise management tool.
One of the strengths of this book is its brevity. Thankfully absent are padding, self-serving anecdotes, and wordy explanations. Indeed, the print version is listed at only 90 pages, and that includes the worksheet pages that Shulman provides for the reader to record answers to exercises designed to help bring the elements of the model into focus for each individual. The author also provides many examples of former students’ answers to the exercises to facilitate a more rapid understanding of the process. Another positive aspect of the book is that it is a useful guide for devising a plan for any long term project, not just writing.
Shulman states in a number of places in the book that her focus is on mentoring women writers; however, the book is marketed as a tool for writers of any gender. This tends to be confusing when the reader is trying to figure out if a passage is aimed at only women or at everyone. This may be understandable, however, considering that the book seems to be a supplement to her women's retreats and workshops. Also, while the many examples of her successful utilization of OGSM can be useful, some readers may suffer from an overdose of testimony.
Those looking for a nuts-and-bolts, how-to-string-words-together book should look elsewhere—that is not the stated purpose of this book. On the other hand, those looking for a clearer vision of their writing goals and an orderly and direct path to achieving those goals will likely find this adaptation of a business model most helpful. Well-structured, well-written, and well-edited, I would rate this book at 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Writer's Roadmap
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Becoming a writer is a dream shared by many but realized by few. While a limited number of aspiring scriveners make the transition to full-time writer each year, for most, making a living from their writings remains a distant dream. The path to authorship is unmarked, obscured by a forest of possibilities, and obstructed by family and work obligations, not to mention the need to pay the bills. How is one to find a way through such a labyrinth to this elusive goal? This is the problem Leigh Shulman attempts to solve in The Writer’s Roadmap: Paving the Way to Your Ideal Writing Life.
Drawing heavily on her own experience, Shulman provides a down to earth approach about how to get from point A to point B, i.e., from where you are to where you want to be. Using the analogy of the roadmap, this, of course, requires you to define where, exactly, you want to go (because if you don’t know where you want to go, any road will get you there). The roadmap that Shulman uses is a strategic planning model called OGSM (Objectives, Goals, Strategies, Measures), brought to corporate America from Japan in the 1950s and used by many Fortune 500 companies as a flexible, concise management tool.
One of the strengths of this book is its brevity. Thankfully absent are padding, self-serving anecdotes, and wordy explanations. Indeed, the print version is listed at only 90 pages, and that includes the worksheet pages that Shulman provides for the reader to record answers to exercises designed to help bring the elements of the model into focus for each individual. The author also provides many examples of former students’ answers to the exercises to facilitate a more rapid understanding of the process. Another positive aspect of the book is that it is a useful guide for devising a plan for any long term project, not just writing.
Shulman states in a number of places in the book that her focus is on mentoring women writers; however, the book is marketed as a tool for writers of any gender. This tends to be confusing when the reader is trying to figure out if a passage is aimed at only women or at everyone. This may be understandable, however, considering that the book seems to be a supplement to her women's retreats and workshops. Also, while the many examples of her successful utilization of OGSM can be useful, some readers may suffer from an overdose of testimony.
Those looking for a nuts-and-bolts, how-to-string-words-together book should look elsewhere—that is not the stated purpose of this book. On the other hand, those looking for a clearer vision of their writing goals and an orderly and direct path to achieving those goals will likely find this adaptation of a business model most helpful. Well-structured, well-written, and well-edited, I would rate this book at 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Writer's Roadmap
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Writer's Roadmap by Leigh Shulman
