For Christmas this year, one of the gifts I had the pleasure of unwrapping was "The Write-Brain Workbook" by Bonnie Neubauer. Ms. Neubauer had hosted a workshop at the local Barnes & Noble where my friend works. Impressed with the workshop, my friend had picked up several copies as gifts, and I was the delighted recipient of a signed copy.

"The Write-Brain Workbook" is a series of 366 writing exercises, one for every day of the year, even if it happens to be Leap Year. The purpose of this book is to get you writing, keep you writing, and keep you entertained with your writing.

I'm a big fan of prompts, and I have several books of writing starters and prompts on my writing reference bookshelf. "The Write-Brain Workbook" is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. In general, prompts are wonderful because they often take a writer to places he or she would never even have imagined on his or her own. This is especially true of "The Write-Brain Workbook," since its very design encourages creativity and adventure in writing.

This is an extremely visual book. Every page is a different color. There are photographs and graphics, shapes, varying fonts, writing that requires you to turn the book sideways or upside down to read. The look of this book alone inspires creativity, engaging the mind and imagination.

Unlike many books, "The Write-Brain Workbook" is truly a workbook, its pages meant to be scribbled on, filled with frenziedly-written prose. The shapes are meant to be filled in. Some pages are lined, with specific words or letters at intervals for you to incorporate into the day's writing.

The other thing that's different about "The Write-Brain Workbook" is the prompts themselves. Many are complex, involving not one but several elements: words to include, story starters, settings, things to imagine. Many engage the senses. Others appeal to a writer's sense of whimsy.

Ultimately, the true measure of a book of prompts is whether or not it gets you writing. In the two weeks I've had "The Write-Brain Workbook," I've finished one story based on the first prompt and I'm halfway through another story based on another prompt. I feel my creativity sparking each time I pick up the book and leaf through its pages. For me, if that isn't the mark of a great writing book, then I don't know what is. Pick up a copy. You won't be sorry.

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Lisa is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.