Writers are supposed to write. That’s just how it works. But should you ever take a break from writing? Is that just code for quitting? Is it a sign you’re copping to your own laziness or fear? Or that you’re really not a disciplined, “serious” writer? The short answer: Who knows? Only you know. The more […]
January 24, 2022 by 64 Comments Editing Your NovelThe Writer’s Inner Critic: 11 Ways to Tell if Yours Is Healthy
Ah, the writer’s inner critic. It’s that wily inner editor who has such a way of getting in the last word (and first and middle words) on any writing session or project. Most of the time when writers speak of the inner critic, there’s a fair amount of self-deprecating exaggeration of how ruthless that little […]
January 10, 2022 by 77 Comments PodcastA Writer’s New Year Reflections: The 6 Gifts I Gave Myself in 2021
Another new year brings another new opportunity for reflection and re-centering. As I talk about nearly every year, my preference for the New Year is to focus less on resolutions for the year ahead and more on reflections of what I experienced and gained in the year past. For me, as I think for many […]
December 27, 2021 by 87 Comments Writing LifeMy Top Books of 2021
Every year is a new reading adventure. This year, happily, was one of the best fiction-reading years I’ve had in a long time. I followed my heart a bit more than my head in choosing titles and ended up with some new favorites, as well as re-reading an old favorite that makes the list again […]
July 19, 2021 by 105 Comments Writer's HelpWhy Everyone Should Write (Even if You Think You Stink)
We often hear it said that “everyone wants to write a book.” Although we may find a certain amount of comforting inclusiveness in this idea, I think we also sometimes respond to it with at least a smidge of disdain. After all, the only people who should really be writing books are those who are […]
February 1, 2021 by 58 Comments PodcastAn Introduction to Archetypal Stories
All art is necessarily both reflective and generative of the human experience. And in that way, all art both reflects and generates archetype. Some stories do this more simply and obviously than others. Those stories that we recognize as myth or fable are most blatantly archetypal. But even hyper-realistic stories—when they are well done—offer up […]
January 25, 2021 by 86 Comments PodcastStory Theory and the Quest for Meaning
Story has been our constant companion throughout the journey of human existence. Why is that? Modern audiences are inundated and entranced by advanced storytelling. But stories have been with us from as far back as we can remember. Is it because they entertain us? Is it because they inform us? Because they distract us? Yes, […]
January 4, 2021 by 108 Comments Podcast7 Writing Lessons Learned in 2020
Happy New Year! For me, the turning of the year is certainly a time of examining habits, renewing intentions, and creating plans. But more than setting goals for the coming year, I prefer to think about the lessons I have learned from the year that has passed. In my experience, goals all but just happen […]
December 28, 2020 by 107 Comments Writing LifeMy Top Books of 2020
There’s a great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I love: I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me. And so each year’s tally of books read make up my year as well. I’m always excited to look back and remember what […]
December 18, 2020 by 18 Comments Writing LifeWriting Valuable Fiction: One Writer’s Reflections on Growing Up in Eastern Germany
Note From K.M.: A few weeks ago, after I shared the post “Are You Growing as a Writer? (Here’s the Only Way to Tell),” I received an email from reader Michael Albrecht. He talked about his experiences growing up in Communist East Germany, the evolution of the country’s literature during that time, and how it […]
