The Writing Life Writing is Not a Solitary Pursuit Recently, a member of my writer’s group died. It was unexpected, and the three of us who remain don’t know very much about it. He lived alone, and another member raised the alarm when he didn’t respond to the emails about an upcoming meeting in his usual
Authorquest The Only Cure for Writer's Block? Writing. When I teach writing, I always tell people that the only cure for writer’s block is writing. Now it’s time for me to buck up and follow my own advice. I’ve read all the Dark Crystal books I can get my hands on, cover-to-cover, poring over the
authors Don't Write Until You're Excited? The September 2012 issue of Writer’s Digest features an interview with Chris Cleave, author of the best-selling Little Bee. When asked for his advice to writers, he says this: “Make sure you’re excited about your work. When you research a story, it should feel like life and death.
submissions Another Day, Another Rejection I received another rejection today for my young adult novel, and I have to say it’s my best rejection yet. Mary Kole’s response to my manuscript was both kind and encouraging — proof that agents are not heartless beasts searching for any reason to trash your work. (I never
NaPoWriMo NaPoWriMo Tips Despite my complaints, I’ve managed to write a poem a day for the first two days of N aPoWriMo. If you’re not so comfortable with outright cheating, here are a few ideas to help you break through writer’s block. 1. Use magnetic poetry. Magnetic poetry actually takes
fiction On Writing Spaces Last week, my friend Jenny wrote about the importance of writing spaces — how objects from her past held her back, and how a thorough clean and “upgrade” of her space brought her face to face with a slight fear of success. (My interpretation; you can draw your own conclusions by
Uncategorized WritingFix Saves the Day It’s just a few days before Christmas, and I’ve discovered a new writing toy. Check out this nifty prompt generator for those days when inspiration just won’t come. I don’t love it quite as much as write or die, but it’s still a good tool
Uncategorized Long Drives and Writing So I did have to forgo my writers’ group tonight (they’re meeting and eating as I speak, the agony!), but in its place I got a long drive, which is one of God’s gifts to writers, along with 1) lawn-mowing 2) showering 3) walks in the woods 4)
