Writers are no strangers to uncertain times. Living in a constant state of creation means living with at least one foot in chaos all the time. More than that, trying to earn a living or even just enough to give us a few spare hours to keep writing, is tricky even in the best of […]
July 27, 2020 by 76 Comments Podcast7 Misconceptions About Being a Writer
Like any good story, the writing life is a tale of deceptive depth. At first glance, it offers up a shiny, artsy, fun cover. Become a Writer! its title beckons, and its first chapters lure us in by fulfilling all these initial promises. But the deeper we get, the further we go, the more we realize […]
July 6, 2020 by 78 Comments Writing InspirationHow to Get Stuff Done as a Writer (or How This INTJ Leverages Her Te)
Most days as a writer, I wake up excited to tackle everything on my to-do list. My big plans always include ROCKING my daily writing session. I’m always like, “Today is the day I’m going to write 5,000 words in one sitting! Rawr!” Then writing time rolls around. And… I’m still futzing around the house, […]
June 29, 2020 by 126 Comments Writing LifeThe 3 Acts of a Writer’s Life–Or How Your Age Affects Your Writing
I’ve been writing consistently since I was twelve, which means I’ve now been writing for the (amazingly long very short?) period of twenty-two years. In that time, almost as much about my writing has changed as has remained the same. This is something I’ve been casually pondering for a while now. Then, last week, I […]
June 22, 2020 by 78 Comments Writing InspirationUsing All Four Cognitive Functions as a Writer
My heart is so full as I write this. So many things going on in the world right now—both good and bad. It makes me reflect, not for the first time, on the tremendous gift given to writers in the simple fact that we have a place to put not just our feelings, but every […]
June 8, 2020 by 70 Comments Writer's Help6 Writing Excuses Busted (Or How an 11-Year-Old Published Her First Novel)
Writing excuses are easy to come up with. Easy to justify. But to publish, you’ll need to learn how to avoid using at least six of them—maybe more. My goal is to help you avoid using these six writing excuses by showing you how I overcame them to publish my first novel shortly after my […]
May 18, 2020 by 74 Comments Writing LifeCreativity vs. Distraction: 13 Tips for Writers in the Age of the Internet
I was twelve when I learned how to use my first hand-me-down computer. It ran Windows for Workgroups and played games like Crystal Caves and Commander Keen. Getting that computer was a life-changing experience. In some ways, it was probably the event that truly fated me to be a writer. Although I had written stories […]
April 27, 2020 by 68 Comments Writing Life15 Productive Tasks You Can Still Do Even When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
Don’t feel like writing right now? Or maybe you don’t have the time? Or maybe you’re just blocked as all get out at the moment? Whatever the case, there’s no reason you can’t still use what time and motivation you do have to feel productive about your writing—because “writing” is really about a whole lot […]
April 20, 2020 by 54 Comments Writing Life4 Ways Writing Improves Your Relationship With Yourself
Writing—especially the writing of stories—is ultimately a relationship with oneself. It is true that we write to communicate with others. Perhaps that is even the foremost conscious motivation sometimes. But communication itself necessitates a relationship, and what we are trying to communicate is ourselves—that unfolding inner dialogue between the Self and the self, the observer and […]
April 13, 2020 by 64 Comments Writing InspirationHow to Get Some Writing Done: Discipline vs. Enthusiasm
Sooner or later, most writers discover that the most difficult part of writing isn’t dreaming up characters or perfecting our sentences or learning story structure. No, the hardest part of getting some writing done is just… doing it. Procrastination is a hot topic (and a self-deprecating joke) among writers for the very reason that almost […]
