Every so often, I will hear someone say, “It’s just a story.” Most often, I hear this said in situations in which a story is being critiqued. In response to comments that a story failed to reach its potential because it lacked theme or plot structure or strong characterization, a person might insist, “Well, it’s […]
January 30, 2023 by 63 Comments Podcast5 Tips for How to Return to Writing After a Long Break
Making a return to writing after a long time away can feel overwhelming or even bewildering. Depending on the reasons for your break, you may be confronting a wide array of emotions—everything from anticipation and excitement to trepidation and confusion. If you find yourself worried or uncertain about how to proceed, the first step is […]
January 16, 2023 by 91 Comments Podcast6 Lessons Learned From 4 Years of Writer’s Block
To be a writer, one must do two things: write and, perhaps surprisingly, not write. Usually, we champion the first and demonize the second with much fear and trembling, giving it dread labels such as “writer’s block.” The implication is that, for a writer, not writing is about as bad as it gets. The truth, […]
September 5, 2022 by 59 Comments PodcastDo You Need Personal Experience to Write About Something?
We writers like think of ourselves as metaphoric magicians—sitting at our desks, spinning worlds out of nothing but words and imagination. Pour a little research into the recipe, and our alchemy is complete. Yet an ongoing question among writers is the evergreen quandary about whether or not we must “write what we know.” In short, […]
May 16, 2022 by 53 Comments Podcast6 Ways to Find Your Best Ideas Before You Start Writing
For writers, ideas are the primal matter. No ideas, no stories. But sometimes trying to figure out how to find your best ideas is like catching butterflies. They flit in; they flit out. If we aren’t paying attention, sometimes we don’t even recognize that they’ve been there. Even when we do stop short in awe […]
April 25, 2022 by 59 Comments PodcastDo You Have to Write Every Day? 10 Pros and Cons
Should writers make it a habit to write every day? Is that the secret to success? Is that what distinguishes “real” writers? I used to think so. Often, when someone would ask me for my single recommendation for other writers, my go-to response was to reiterate some form of the advice from Peter de Vries […]
April 18, 2022 by 51 Comments PodcastThe 6 Challenges of Writing a Second Novel
Writing your first story is a special experience. It brings many difficulties and challenges, but it also tends to carry itself (and you) along with a sense of passion, fun, and discovery. When we finish it, we may think, Well, it can only get easier from here, right? But as many sophomore writers can attest, writing […]
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 […]
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 […]
