Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life And The Book You’ve Been Wanting To Write

Author coach Anita Rochelle has written a new book for aspiring authors drawn to the memoir, autobiography and how-to genres. Rochelle grew up in a journaling-rich home environment. Her book, “Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life And The Book You’ve Been Wanting To Write,” paints a passionate and compelling portrait of journaling as an ideal way for writers to move their life and their writing forward in productive and gratifying ways.

The book’s content is presented in three parts. The first part offers a thorough explanation of journaling, how to define a journal’s objectives, and how to realize the role of journaling in the processes of self-discovery, self-improvement and preparation for the development of the framework and writing skills one needs to create their book. The second part of the book, the most engaging part for me, focuses on the in-depth exercise of reflection and self-discovery, which is at the core or the journaling process. The final part of the book reflects Rochelle’s thoughts on both the near and long-term benefits of journaling and makes the case for the value of incorporating journaling into one’s life as a never ending process.

The book’s “weight” is somewhat puffed up by the inclusion of a substantial number of blank, lined pages in the middle part. However, each of these pages presents a question/step in the reflection process at the top of the page that is relevant. For some readers, these blank pages may “jump start” their engagement with the process and help to dispel their real or perceived writer’s block.

Anita Rochelle does not try to conceal that this book is a plank in her own marketing platform. The writing in part one comes close, on a few occasions, to marketing hype. But her passion for journaling is so seemingly genuine that I did not find this a distraction. In fact, on balance, I found “Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life And The Book You’ve Been Wanting To Write” to be a positive example of an “expert giving back book.” Even if you don’t aspire to writing a book, Rochelle still might turn you into an enthusiastic journaling fan.


Write Your Life: Create Your Ideal Life And The Book You’ve Been Wanting To Write
Anita Rochelle
The Write Image (2011)
ISBN 9781610050623
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (11/11)