“‘It is only half an hour’—‘it is only an afternoon’—‘it is only an evening’—people say to me over and over again—but they don’t know that it is impossible to command oneself sometimes to any stipulated and set disposal of five minutes—or that the mere consciousness of an engagement will sometimes worry a whole day. These […]
May 25, 2008 by 26 Comments Writing LifeHow a Writing Warm-Up Routine Can Help You Write Better
Writers are, in a sense, athletes. We hurdle the high walls of writer’s block, we tackle mountains of research, we sprint through rapid-fire action scenes, and sometimes we even manage to hit a home run or two. So what makes us think that, unlike physical athletes, we can force our brains into action without taking […]
April 27, 2008 by 20 Comments Writing LifeIs Art Important to the World?
What is art? Why is this seemingly random act of creation found in every society? Why is it cherished, lauded, idolized? Is art important? For me, as someone who dares claim the lofty title of “artist,” that last question rings the loudest. Why is my writing important? Or perhaps more truthfully phrased: Is it important? […]
March 30, 2008 by 25 Comments Writing LifeWhy Writers (Should) Have a God Complex
“You come upon the person the author put there. … beside the small running river where a boy is weeping and no one comes… and you have to watch without saying anything he can hear. …”—Marie Howe Every author is the god of his own little world. No story is the same; each is a […]
March 9, 2008 by 24 Comments Writing LifeAre You Emptying Yourself Into Your Writing?
Writing is treacherous business, fraught with fear and doubt on every side. Am I any good? Will I get published? Will I get good reviews? Will I sell any books? But perhaps the most inherent danger of the writing life is the necessary baring of our souls to the world. Writing, at its most basic […]
February 29, 2008 by 14 Comments Writing LifeWhy Journaling Conquers Writing Monsters
“…I write … [in my Journal of a Novel] consistently because I know that later on, it will help me through whatever bad time I may encounter in the process.”—Elizabeth George in Write Away Over the course of the last ten years, I’ve written six novels, two novellas, and hundreds of short stories. Even considering […]
February 22, 2008 by 7 Comments Writing LifeCatharsis and the Written Word
Pop quiz! Anybody gone through one of those days when you just want to throw the telephone into the toilet, crawl under the bed, and solace yourself with chocolate and Kleenex? Or maybe you know the kind of day (or week, or month, or year) I’m talking about, but your chosen response involves throwing large […]
