Between 2006 and 2008, I sent queries for my novel The Essential Path to 27 agents. I got 26 letters declining the opportunity to represent me; one didn’t bother to reply. In the middle of this exercise in rejection, I started work on what is now Around the Writer’s Block, perhaps unconsciously looking for a … More How the Desire to Be “Rejection-Proof” Blocked My Novel
JMDragonfly’s “London” wins the first drawing in the Where’s Your Creative Brain photo contest! A complete set of Brainy Pencils and Brainy Erasers will be on their way to JMDragonfly as soon as I get her address. Wednesday, October 2, the next winner receive a mandala coloring book — perfect for your Process practice. All … More And the Winner Is…
In answer to the questions raised in the previous post, you move from close enough to excellence with discerning, observant practice where you change what you do based on the results you get. Indiscriminate practice only reinforces what’s already there. There’s no point in polishing and repeating mistakes. Make your mistakes new ones. Recognizing failure … More From Close Enough to Excellence Through Failure
Wednesday September 18 someone will win a complete set of brainy pencils and brain erasers! Make sure you email your entries (up to 5) before noon on September 18 so you’ll be included in all the drawings! (contest description and rules) Entries received after September 18 will be eligible for later drawings. Let yourself be … More First Winner in Where’s Your Creative Brain Photo Contest Announced Soon
My previous post clarified that writers need places to practice being okay with being less than perfect. We need safe places to take writing risks. My practice place is a dog agility game called Chances. (I learn so much about writing, coaching and teaching from agility – just one of the reasons writers need hobbies.) … More ‘Close Enough’ Cures Writer’s Block
“Perfect is the enemy of good.” – Voltaire “‘Close enough’ is the olive branch.” – Bane Striving to do our best and challenging ourselves to keep developing our skills is vital for writers, but perfectionism only leads to resistance. When we recognize that perfection is an asymptote – a mathematical term for a point you can get … More Perfection Causes Writer’s Block; ‘Close Enough’ Cures It
Where is your creative brain – either literally or figuratively? Send a photo of your Pink Brain in: its usual place (on your desk, on a table at a coffee shop, or on a bookshelf) an unexpected, metaphorical or otherwise creative pose an exotic, beautiful or distant location – show … More Where’s Your Brain Photo Contest
Bane of Your Resistance 