Robot Coconut Trees: Break Through Writer's Block, Unleash Your Creative Voice, and Become the Writer You Already Are

by Kelsey Horton

Are your writing dreams buried under the weight of "Real Life"? Have you promised yourself that Someday you will write a novel, start a blog, or publish a book? Your Someday has arrived.

Kelsey Horton helps readers jump-start their creative writing practice through stories, exercises, inspiration, and writing prompts. You'll discover how to:

• Unleash your creativity
• Daydream, journal, and freewrite your way to fresh new writing ideas
• Break through limiting beliefs of guilt, doubt, perfectionism, and writer's block
• Finish your writing pieces and unapologetically share them with the world

You are capable of moving from hiding to shining, from apathetic to empowered, from "Maybe I could write someday..." to "I am a writer." The world needs your light, your heartbreak, your dazzling stories, and your unprecedented self-expression. Now is the time to begin.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Self Help, How To

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2016

About the author

Kelsey Horton is the author of "Robot Coconut Trees: Break Through Writer's Block, Unleash Your Creative Voice, and Become the Writer You Already Are."

After neglecting her creative dreams for years, she started the blog KelseyHorton.com that has helped thousands of readers around the world break through stuckness and write their hearts out. Kelsey is lit-up and passionate about helping others share their voices, and she believes the creative journey begins with personal empowerment.

Kelsey has been listed in Gynuine Magazine's "7 Websites with Blogs Worth Visiting" and described as "a young, up and coming blogger whose focus is inspiring people to be their best, offering a refreshing and hopeful perspective in this sometimes callous universe of writing."

Reviews

[Amor y otras ficciones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always considered myself a potential writer (and I hope someday I'll have the guts to have my writings self-published *fingers crossed*), so this book was super useful for me.



Robot Coconut Trees is not a regular book about learning how to write or how to become a writer once and for all; it's about daydreaming, being creative, dealing with writer's block... It includes a lot of tips and tricks for writers, but also personal stories and fun freewriting exercises that will be very handy if you're dealing with writer's block.

I 100% recommend this book to anyone who has always loved writting but doesn't know where to start. Being in college, in high school and not knowing what you're going to do with your life after that, can be very stressful. If you have always had a passion for writting, but never knew what to write about, or where to start, this is the perfect choice for you

[Robin Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I decided to begin my career as a romance author I had already become quite astute at writing; however the writing had been of the non-fiction variety, it had been articles for a community newspaper several years. Becoming successful did not happen overnight. I knew what I wanted to write about, but it took a while to learn how to express my thoughts into words on the computer in front of me. By the time I wrote my last article I thought easily write what I wanted [1,000 word limit] in less than 90 minutes.

The writing bug had gotten into my blood and I dreamt about being an author of fiction. Too bad I didn’t have a book like this when I started. While this book doesn’t teach its readers anything about grammar or any of the rules related to the genre you’re interested in writing in, it does help them with accessing their untapped well of creativity and break free of the world they’ve created for themselves.

Luckily I never really had suffered from any mental limitations such: as being perfect in what I’m writing, that’s why there’s a delete key on the keyboard of your computer, erasers at the end of a pencil, and an editor once you’ve finished your writing endeavor. Nor did really have any doubt in my writing fiction, I already knew it would have to take time, just as it did when I started writing the non-fiction items I did, I knew I would have to be patient as it wouldn’t happen immediately.

The worst affliction any author/writer, even the most experienced one, can have is Writer’s Block; a condition in which one doesn’t know what to write next to complete their intended writing endeavor. I quickly learned I needed a prompt, a topic to write something about, a topic totally different from what I had been writing about.

What Ms. Kelsey Horton does in her book is to guide her readers through the maze of obstacles/hurdles, many of which I feel is self-inflicted, moving from the “I WISH” mode to that of “I AM,” and the empowerment of being anything you want as it pertains to writing. The ideas and prompts she gives act as a seed from which one can move on from their creativity stoppage, and even develop their own ideas to increase their creativity.

Since I’ve already been down this road, I know this book should be able to help its readers to begin to breaking out of the shell they’re currently in, and to begin their dream; which is why I’ve given this book 5 STARS

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robot Coconut Trees by Kelsey Horton is a great for helping new writers overcome the initial hurdles they encounter when thinking about being a writer.

Like so many endeavors, the first few obstacles are usually internally based. Horton does a phenomenal job of highlighting these issues and then helping the reader to overcome them. This is less about the nuts and bolts of writing and more about helping get to where one can actually use those nuts and bolts.

I am a big advocate of freewriting, dating back to my days teaching freshman comp, and the exercises in this book are interesting and worthwhile. If you don't do them or put off doing them then you haven't been fair to either this book or yourself.

I would highly recommend this to new writers as well as experienced writers who may need to remind themselves that writing can and should be creative fun, no matter the genre.

Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads' First Reads.

[Sergey Lenkevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads
Thank You, Kelsey Horton, for sending me the free copy of the book
****
OK, I'm going to write about the book on writing and I don't know where I should begin
The total blankness, the pristine whiteness of the field for review are so depressing....
But wait.... Have I read the book in vain???? I must wake the Inner Writer in me....
THE INNER WRITER: Stop kicking me!!!! What????
ME: I need to write a review
THE INNER WRITER: About what???? I just fell asleep after that awful book.... Exercises, exercises.... Write this, write that.... Let me sleep for another several decades, my muscles are screaming at me
ME: Didn't you like it???? To feel yourself alive and free, to get your blood pumping
THE INNER WRITER: OK, there was something pleasant in it, I suppose.... But do you really think it was worth it.... I'm too imperfect, nobody needs my stories
ME: You can do it for yourself, just to keep yourself in form and then time will show
THE INNER WRITER: You've convinced me, I'll practice.... Let me help you with your review.... What's it about????
ME: Robot Coco....
THE INNER WRITER: I get it.... You know what????
ME: What????
THE INNER WRITER: Why should only we, the Inner Writers, suffer???? This is the universal book.... You can wake any other talent with the same practises with the little corrections.... The Inner Painter, for example....
THE INNER PAINTER: Shut up, please
THE INNER WRITER: Or The Inner Whoever.... Just have a dream and book give you an inspiration to become the _______ (Your Word) you already are
ME: Maybe you're right....
****
OK, maybe it's the bad review and looks like a severe fit of schizophrenia, but I really tried to write something creative despite the frightening vastness of free space to fill
Thank you, Kelsey Horton, for that
And maybe in time every blank page will look not like the scary unknown, but like an opportunity to lay characters, one by one, like the footprints in the snow from heart to heart, from mind to mind

[StarMan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It finally happened: a 5-star self-published book!

1-Word Review: Awesome

Do you have a story rattling around in your head? Do you need motivation/inspiration/ass kicking to actually start, finish, and maybe even publish your writing? Then read ROBOT COCONUT TREES. It's a book I'll re-read when I need to remember Why I Write (one of the topics in the book, by the way).

Are you a WRITER... or a DANCING MONKEY? Some great inspiration here. No psych tests, no surveys, no bull -- just some heartfelt wisdom and advice from a young woman who is wise beyond her years.

Horton acknowledges what many of us face: it's NOT easy holding down a job, living a life, making time to write, finding some purpose among chaos, embracing our destiny, and finishing what we start. The key is nothing we haven't heard before (write something every day, even if it's just a journal entry, and always believe in yourself), but Horton's honest take on all this is somehow both beautiful and different.

Here's a random passage:

    So much of our writing journey is about giving ourselves permission to speak, to share, to write beautiful things and mediocre things and question whether we have any talent at all (hint: we do). Every time we edge out onto the page, every time we seek out opportunites to share our work, we flex our vulnerability muscles and remember what it feels like to be truly seen and acknowledged.
    And we must also give ourselves permission to live the life of our dreams....
    When was the last time you gave yourself permission to do what you love with your life?

Why "ROBOT COCONUT TREES" as a title? Read and see for yourself. There's a free 12-page preview available, if you're not sure this is a book for you. Kelsey Horton also has an interesting website/blog (click her 'Author Information' here on GR for links).

Hint: This book would make an excellent Christmas or birthday present for your writer/creative friends (or yourself).

I won this one in a giveaway here on GR, which has NO sway on my rating. Most of the free books I've received this way have only gotten 2 or 3 stars from me (here's proof). ROBOT COCONUT TREES is the first to deserve 5 suns! I thank Kelsey Horton, GoodReads.com, and CreateSpace Independent Publishing for sending this book to me.

PS: Fun cover design, good editing. A nice book to hold and look at -- and even more rewarding to read. It also came in a sturdy cardboard mailer, which I really appreciated; it shows these folks care about their hard work, and know how to defeat the ravages of the USPS.

Also consider:

     

[Kateřina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robot Coconut Trees is one of the better self-help books I have read - it's funny, inspirational, it has the right amount of pep-talk. Some of the exercises suggested are interesting and I find them helpful (really enjoyed the "I remember..." one). It is focused on freewriting and deals with writing more on the general level - and simultaneously with the fears and roadblocks connected with being a writer. It follows a rather simple rhetoric of I can Write - You can Write - We are Writing. The cover is amazing, I loved the title and the story around its origin. Did I feel the book was a bit narcissistic? Yes. But some of the images from the life of the author were beautiful (the sitting under trees talking to the dead, all the little things of everyday living). I was expecting more concrete advice - about blogging, about editing your work - but RCT is not concerned with specifics. I feel that the book reinforces some stereotypical ideas about writing - for instance, the idea that we are all somehow hindered from writing by our fears. Some people are, and I would recommend them this book with all my heart, but I feel that the majority of writers are dealing with more concrete and aching problems (for instance, the economy of writing, matters of style). The book reads easily, which is great. (I wouldn't exactly include in the "About the Author" section that the author's style has not changed since she was nine years old - I understand the sentiment but it still sounds a bit clumsy to me.) Overall, very nice. Great for writers lacking inspiration. Many thanks for the giveaway copy, it was a joy to read!

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Robot Coconut Trees: Break Through Writer's Block, Unleash Your Creative Voice, And Become the Writer You Already Are by Kelsey Horton from Goodreads.
Kelsey Horton is an instigator: expect more writers to actually write! In her book, Robot Coconut Trees: Break Through Writer's Block, Unleash Your Creative Voice, And Become The Writer You Already Are, Horton takes on every excuse writers conjure to keep themselves from writing. From the daydreamer who rarely puts pen to paper, to the struggling writer who taps away at a keyboard late at night, to the professional writer, those with a desire to write often lack the will. Horton blasts through every issue writers face from other commitments, to lack of time, to fear.
I suggest writers take Robot Coconut Trees, a notebook, and a pen to a park or beautiful vista or even a favorite chair, and then allow Horton's nudges and ideas, challenges and exercises, to excite and ignite their writing. There are lots of books that address writing techniques; this is not one of those books. Robot Coconut Trees will remind you of who you are: a writer.

[Monique Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this through a Goodreads Giveaway. I'd actually entered for one probably 5 times and finally got a copy. I was excited to see it in my mailbox and jumped into reading it right away.
You get a sense of the author's age right away since there's many writing tips and exercises included that I remember from high school. However; in between the pages of those early education repeats there are some bits of wisdom and encouragement writers may or may not already know but it never hurts to hear again. The best part of the book, in my opinion is A Prayer For Writers. It's not exactly a prayer in the religious way but more of a wish or mantra. It's beautifully written and something I will go back to time and time again.

[Rut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway and it actually took me quite a while to read even though it's only 135 pages. I must admit I expected something else, e.g. more specific advice. The books focuses on inner barriers that make it difficult/ impossible for us to write (like us telling ourselves that we don't have the time to write). There is a writing exercise for every topic which I haven't done yet but probably will. I think some of these exercises could also be useful for not writing related problems.

[Zed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable book to read! I felt that this was not your typical 'how to' kind of book. It's full of relatable and inspiring stories, thoughts, and advice on writing. There's writing exercises throughout to help get your creative voice out there. Highly recommended!

*I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways*

[Willow Redd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway win, and it's also one of the best books for writers I've ever read. Alongside Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing, Robot Coconut Trees will be a book I return to often when I begin to doubt myself and my writing abilities.

Along with her wonderful words of encouragement and stories of her own struggles, Horton includes several exercises that involve freewriting, journaling, and others to get your head out of the tall grass and back into your writing. This is a place I find myself often, so it's nice to have some ideas of how to break myself out of it and get back to what's important.

I highly recommend this book to any and all writers, whether you've been writing for years or haven't actually picked up a pen since grade school but have all these ideas, Robot Coconut Trees is for you.

And if you're wondering why on Earth she called her book Robot Coconut Trees, well... you'll just have to pick up a copy and find out.

Oh, Kelsey also sent a very nice Thank You card with my copy of the book, which was very sweet of her.

[Kasandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to read advice from a self-published writer who didn't want to read Shakespeare and classic novels as a Creative Writing major, and who uses, frequently, the word "anyways", go for it. (Note to the editor: why did you let that stand? It's incredibly annoying and makes the work *sound* self-published). On the plus side, this book is as positive and encouraging as they come. On the minus side, the book is both repetitive and derivative. Pick a book from the list of recommended reading in the back (only 4 to choose from). They're all better than this.

The biggest tip a writer can take away from this: just because you CAN self-publish a book, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

[Demoness Tenebrae · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I have received this book through Goodreads Giveaways and I will be leaving my honest and heartfelt opinion on it.

** Note: I apologise for the delay in posting my review but I didn't wish to do it in a hurry so I took my time, re-read some chapters, put a lot of sticky notes throughout and focused on some exercises so I can fully grasp and appreciate this work that I so kindly received from its author.


I will start by saying that 'Robot Coconut Trees' is the perfect title for this book. Everyone who has read it will appreciate it tremendously. And I love the cover, it is full of colour, full of inspiration... full of life.

This book is an inspirational, spiritual, self-help type of a book in which the writer, Kelsey Horton, helps all of us, her readers, to unleash our creative voices and to become Writers that we already are. But this book is not just that, it's very difficult to put books like this in strictly labelled boxes because this book grows and expands from chapter to chapter and teaches us not just how to become writers but also how to love and accept ourselves as we are, to get involved in our communities more, to put our hearts out there and to be ready to receive all the good and bad that could come from it.

When it comes to helping us in our becoming a writer process, despite having exercises and advices, this book focuses more on breaking through our inner restraints and learning how to accept that we already are writers rather than giving us more technical advice on the process itself. In my opinion, this doesn't take away anything from the book itself because there are plenty of people out there - myself included- who do need to hear this and who do need help with unleashing ourselves because we think that the world doesn't need our boring stories or our uninteresting mundane books. This is the book which I would recommend to people to start with so they can be in a right state of mind before they set out on that journey which will not only make them better writers but better and more fulfilled people in general.


"We read and write to cling to a flickering hope that someone out there feels the same clatter of discordant emotions that we do. We toss our words out to the sea and beg for someone to identify with what we are saying and break through the isolation."


And this, along with many other thoughts and statements like this one, is something that has helped me see, really see. I am a very realistic type of a person, with somewhat of a negative outlook on the world and mankind and the future before us. But seeing so many of my doubts and negative thoughts clearly reflected and dealt with in this book has helped me realise... I am not alone. I am not the only one who thinks like that or who feels this way. There is someone out there who understands that part of me and who has been in the same spot on this journey of self-realisation that I am right now. And I felt - liberated. Because I see this isn't the end, this isn't how I will always be like if I dare to step out of my little dark corner and share my thoughts and fears and desires with the world.

I have been on the similar path that the author has been on. I was a creative child, my work has been published in magazines for children, I wrote poems, I loved seeing my thoughts take solid form as I wrote them down on a piece of paper. But the world has a knack for keeping us down, confining us all in the same safe little fake lives that others expect from us to have (like adults saying that writing isn't a real job right before you need to choose your college and direction in life) and smothering our creativity until it all becomes acceptably grey and unnoticeable. And many people will stay safe in those little bubbles going through life without even noticing the change of colours around them. But there are those who at some point in their lives realise that basic truth that they are different, that they are unique, that they are colourful and that they don't want quiet and safe, they want exciting and heartfelt and unruly and amazing and heartbreaking and tearful... but real, emotional, ever-changing path that will lead them to greatness.

The only problem I could see some people having with this book is that it is fairly repetitive. And I do admit that sometimes it is. But I will argue that it needs to be. Because the author is doing her best to reach our inner writers, our inner shining marvels, and she can't do that if she lets her words fall flat saying them once just for the sake of having it in there. She needs to repeat her convictions and encouragements and advices and positive thoughts so it will get through to us, so that it will break down our walls and touch our hearts.

On a final note, I will leave you all with a beautiful thought from our dear author which I have read many times over and which has made me a much happier me.


"This Universe is not a withholding universe: we can't 'blow it', we can't 'miss our chance' or 'throw that opportunity away' or fall prey to any other slew of imaginary failure stories. If we miss the boat once, a new boat will come around again - our boat this time, the boat that is a little more perfect for us. The boat we should have taken all along."


* This review has also been posted on my Booklikes page:
http://yvana.booklikes.com/post/15223...

[Kathryn Bigelow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why, but this book just didn't work for me. I couldn't tell if it didn't live up to expectations or the silly story about how the title was chosen turned me off, but I just didn't get into this book. I am not the kind of person who looks deep into my inner psyche to interview my three year old self. I gave up reading shortly after that suggestion.

[Chantel DaCosta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short writers' self-help book. I really enjoyed it, yes it is heavy on fluff but I needed some fluff and feel good energy. I actually did all the recommended exercises.

[Lori Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for anyone who has ever wanted to write a book. Great tips and knowledge.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice little piece of advice.

[James Piss · Rating 1 out of 5]

if you need someone to tell you how be creative, don't.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

(...)
In my opinion, this is also a useful book for bloggers (like me) and those who have writing as an important mean of communication. Sometimes we want to write something down but we lack of ideas; this book really helps us to unblock our brain and heart!

I loved reading this book because I felt like Kelsey Horton was by my side encouraging me to do what I love! (...)

Read more here: http://momentosliterariosml.blogspot....

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I wanted to know about this book is where in the world the title had come from. Kelsey quickly answered that with a story. Her five-year-old nephews who enjoy writing books and stories, asked what the name of her book was going to be. Since she was meditating about that question at the time, she asked her mom to summarize the book for them and tell them it was an inspirational book for other writers. The two boys consulted and proposed "Robot Coconut Trees." She kept the title as a reminder of the childhood whimsy and freedom that is part of a creative life.

I read the book today while on a van traveling to an appointment. It's a quick read, about 160 pages. The whole time I was reading, I was kicking myself for not bringing a pen and paper (no matter that I can't write on a moving vehicle!) because all I wanted to do was WRITE! It was one thing to read about her writing, but this book made me want to write myself!

There was no "how-to," right-brain skills teaching in this book, and that was okay. It didn't bother me one bit. The prompts she used were effective in diving deep. She talked about writing as service and the guilt she felt sometimes because she wasn't out doing something more CONCRETE to make the world a better place when she was writing. (Her day job gives her an opportunity to do that.)

[Ilaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping to get a copy of this book through one of the numerous giveaways that involved it, but since I wasn't able to do that, I decided to buy a copy of it, which is extraordinarily weird for me, since I probably only ever bought ten or maybe twenty books in my life. Both the title and the cover triggered my curiosity, and my expectations were not disappointed: this book is written in a refreshing and inspiring way, with some practical tips and tricks I always knew but needed somebody to remind me of. One of the lessons I will treasure the most is support: genuinely support your friends, family and the people that inspire you in all their projects, their life achievements, whatever it is that they're doing right now, whatever milestone they just reached. Just support and love and be caring and support, love and care will come back to you.
Robot Coconut Trees is really good for someone who needs to take that one more steps that separates them from doing the things they love; although it focuses on writing (telling the author's personal experience), it can be helpful for all sorts of situations. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be open and honest with themselves, because there's no time nor place for excuses in our lives.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to the author, Kelsey Horton and publisher.

This is a compact, positive book that encourages writers to work through their doubts, fears, and the negative critics who ruin dreams. For anyone who has considered writing, this book strives to light the fire to help you put your words on paper. The author, herself, speaks of not feeling like her authentic self until she expressed herself in written words.

[Scott Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

well done

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already recommended this book to friends who are trying to start something creative (opening a cafe, becoming a woodworker, painting more) because this book has a lot of truths that transcend the writing theme.

The author is somewhere between life coach, teacher and best friend, guiding you to see the best in yourself, the most potential, and the inner child required of any creative endeavor.

Her stories are effortlessly relatable in ways that most authors are, honestly, not down to earth enough to achieve. It's clear that in writing this book, she was practicing what she preaches--being yourself and being damn good at it.

[Дени ★ Проданова · Rating 2 out of 5]

Пууу, голяма мъка. Искате ли да ви спестя четенето на книгата и да събера нейната мъдрост в едно изречение? Да? Ето: като ти се пише - пиши, като не ти се пише - недей. Това е. Всичко останало е празни приказки и самохвалство то страна на авторката (Дали Опра и тя си я спомня?) И това "meandering" из пределите на човешката отегчителност и неимоверните трудности и удовлетворение от създаването на фермерски пазар направо ми бръкна в здравето. Добре, че я спечелих тая книга, че ако си я бях купила щях да ходя да си искам парите! Давам втората звезда само заради включените упражнения за начинаещи, които евентуално имат някаква стойност и значимост за зеления писател, който по някаква причина не може сам да се сети за тях.

[Carmen Kingsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Robot Coconut Trees and I am so happy I did. As a writer there are times when nothing comes to mind. This book was a huge help to me and I am once again set up at the kitchen table, pen and paper writing my heart out. I learned so much, things I already knew but was afraid to admit to.
I feel so inspired and excited about my writing. Thank you so much, Kelsey. I loved this book. I have read it twice already and intend to purchase a few books for my writer friends. And Kelsey, I am a writer.

[Deanna Cabinian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read that all writers should add to their To Read pile. Every writer has felt they will run out of ideas, chronic guilt, and like their writing might not be worth reading. Ms. Horton helps writers get out of this funk and hold onto their dreams and continue writing, even though it might seem hard sometimes. An excellent pick-me-up for writers who doubt themselves from time to time (I think we all do)!

[Laura Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved hearing Kelsey's voice throughout the book and the activities to do along the way