November is almost here and with it comes pumpkin spice everything, splashy fall colors and a chance to show off the sweaters I knit over the summer. But even better November brings one of my favorite writing events of the year: NaNoWriMo. Full disclosure: I’ve never actually done NaNoWriMo, at least in a way that would qualify… Read more »
Lately at DIY MFA, we’ve been talking about goal-setting. Now, I’m going to round out the week with a bit of goal-keeping. Writing can sometimes feel a lot like goal-tending in a hockey game. Ken Dryden – former goalie for the Montreal Canadiens – said, “Because the demands on the goalies are mostly mental, for… Read more »
Hello everyone! Today’s Write It! Wednesday isn’t so much a prompt as it is a freebie download. I’ve put together a set of worksheets to help you map out your goals for next year. To download your free Writing Goals Sheet, just click the link. In the next few weeks we’ll have a couple more… Read more »
Pavlov was onto something. The cliché says that writing is its own reward. And the cliché is true. However, a system of physical rewards for your literary triumphs can be a powerful motivator in helping you reach the goals you set yourself. Ideally, these rewards are a celebration, an inspiration and a motivation. They’ll not… Read more »
Yesterday we talked about measuring success as a writer and later in the week, we’ll have a guest article on celebrating success, but today I wanted to get you all thinking about the various things you accomplished this year. Many of us live in a culture where it’s not polite to talk about our own… Read more »
Welcome back to Write It! Wednesday, where we ask a question and you answer either in the comments or on your own blog. Today I’m interested in hearing about your experiences with writing challenges like NaNoWriMo. For those of you who aren’t familiar with NaNo, it stands for National Novel Writing Month and it’s a… Read more »
This week, as the build-up to Valentine’s Day saturates the world with candy hearts and long-stemmed roses, I thought it might be fun to think about how we found our love for writing. I became a writer at this little school pictured on the left–The Caedmon School in New York City–and this is how it… Read more »
These past few posts, we’ve been talking about making writing resolutions and putting them into action. As we start the new year, I thought I’d add one last post on this topic, only this time with words of wisdom I’ve collected over the years from various creative people. We can make big plans and dream… Read more »
Every so often, it’s important to pause for a moment and take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. I like to do this around holiday time, particularly around Thanksgiving, because it reminds me of all the things I have to be thankful for… things I’ve overcome in my writing journey as well… Read more »
