Okay, that’s a bit dramatic; let’s make that the stress spiral of creative death. What Do Writers Have to Stress About? As writers, we have plenty to stress about: the craft challenges of writing effectively, our fears of rejection, the vulnerability writing requires, accepting the uncertainty that is a necessary part of creativity. As if … More Are You Spinning In a Stress Spiral of Death?
I’m fascinated by how we go from not knowing to knowing. Think about it. Everything you’ve ever written, everything anyone has ever written came from we-don’t-know-exactly-where. There was a time when those words, ideas, images, those characters didn’t exist. Then someone made scratches on a page or tapped out letters on a keyboard and entire … More Don’t Know Where to Go Next With Your Writing? Congratulations! You’re on the Verge of a Breakthrough!
Sometimes you have to pick your priorities. Correction: you ALWAYS have to choose your priorities. This week, my new novel was a higher priority than this blog. At first, I felt guilty about not being able to work on both the novel and this blog, then I realized that choosing to put my primary writing … More Sorry, My Novel Nudged Out My Blog This Week
One year ago today, I said goodbye to Blue, aka Boo Boo Blue, Princess Abooboo, Bluester and so many more silly names. Grief fades, love endures. And yet, all I have to give you in a post today is a reminder (repost) of why opening yourself to this kind of grief is essential for writers. … More Why Dogs Make Us Better Writers
I love a good paradox and this is one of my favorites: the best way to set your creativity free is to impose creative constraints. Poets do it all the time. The sonnet, haiku, sestina, villanelle, quatrains, even the common limerick are all examples of the structures and constraints poets use to keep their writing … More Free Your Writing With Limits
Publishing is business; writing is art. Writers must attend to both the business side and the art side of their lives, but in what ratios? Challenging as it is, creating art is where we find joy. Publishing is where we hope to find satisfaction and success, but where we’re far more likely to find disappointment. … More How Recommitting to the Art Side of Writing Eased My Resistance
I met Eileen Peterson in a Loft class more than ten years ago. Eileen has a delightfully pragmatic approach to making life work as a working mom who writes and a writer who works and parents. Writers with or without children can benefit from Eileen’s insight into how to make time for writing. She’s honest … More How I Make Time for Writing: Guest Post by Eileen Peterson
Transitions are tricky. Even when you know you’re headed into one, the ramifications and reverberations can surprise you. Tricky and tough as they are, transitions are essential – we don’t move through the creative process without them. Writers face transitions as we go: from nowhere-in-particular to the out-of-the-blue glimmer of a new idea, character or … More Are Transisitons About to Derail Your Writing?
Who would want to read what I write? Does that question fill you with curiosity and anticipation? Or with self-doubt and despair? Is this a stopper question for you or a starter? It really can go either way, although it can be difficult to imagine feeling the opposite of your original reaction. This kind of … More Writing Stoppers or Starters? Transform Your Inner Critic to Your Inner Coach
If you’re a regular reader, it’s your turn. If you ever wanted to write, needed to write and struggled to write, you’re qualified. If you found your way, even just once, around writer’s block, through distractions and past procrastination, we want to know how you did it. This Is Our Blog This isn’t a blog … More It’s Your Turn to Write About Resistance
Bane of Your Resistance 