Escape the Writer’s Web
Colleen M. Story
Midchannel Press (2025)
ISBN: 979-8992617245
Reviewed by A. Crimin for Reader Views, 12/2025
Escape the Writer’s Web is a self-help book written by longtime freelance writer and award-winning novelist Colleen M. Story. This book focuses on the many difficulties writers may have in overcoming procrastination in all of its insidious forms. It serves a dual purpose as a wake-up call and guide to unearth the writer buried inside of you, beneath all the guilt and excuses. It comes from a place of experience and care for both people and the craft, and is full of advice, strategies and exercises to change your way of thinking and break free from procrastination.
Do not put off your dreams for another day. Take the first step to living as your most authentic self and relearning to enjoy your creative work. This book takes you back to the good times, when writing was low-stakes and done for sheer love of the work itself. While reality is harsh, it is still possible to rekindle that love and creativity and learn to find joy in writing once again.
The book divides procrastination into thirteen distinct types and includes an in-depth quiz to show which types you personally struggle with the most. It also shows how different types can affect each other, stifling your creativity and energy. It is clearly written by someone who has been through this struggle and deeply cares for her fellow creatives.
While there is an accompanying workbook for sale to go along with this book, it is optional and depends on your own type of learning. I learned a lot from just reading the book and taking the advice within to heart. And it is good advice. I was genuinely surprised to find out how much I’d been giving in to fear and blame and allowing that to stymie my own writing. This book helped me become more mindful, and I found the advice inside to be highly personalized — that is, it is easily customized to fit each and every reader.
As with all self-help books, you will get out of this book what you are willing to put into it. The techniques will only help you if you commit to them, which is something the book reiterates throughout. If you buy the physical edition, note that there are some minor formatting issues: some headers are placed at the bottom of each page and continue onto the next. Nothing major, but it leads me to think that the physical copy was formatted after the e-book edition.
Escape the Writer’s Web by Colleen M. Story helped me learn a lot about myself as a person and as a writer. It delved into my fears (because what is procrastination if not avoidance) and flaws and helped me come out the other side more hopeful and willing to work towards my own future as a writer. The idea that you should try to make today’s tasks simpler instead of putting off those tasks until tomorrow was honestly revolutionary for me.
At a Glance: A writing self-help guide about recognizing and overcoming procrastination through practical exercises and mindset shifts. It focuses on creative fear, stalled motivation, and rebuilding a healthier relationship with writing.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: writing advice, self-help for writers, overcoming procrastination, creative blocks, productivity for authors, mindset coaching, writing exercises, books for freelance writers