It’s amazing to realize how writers occupy completely different modes of existence. We all share the same reality, but at a deeper level, we dwell in creative worlds dictated by our routines. There are larks among us who strike their keyboards in the early morning. Then, there are nocturnals, for whom nightfall portends creative output…. Read more »
The world is a mess right now. The United States is a mess right now. And we cannot pretend like what has been happening and what’s continuing to happen isn’t happening. And I just wanted to name that here before going any further. Everyone has the right to engage in social justice in different ways,… Read more »
Beating writer’s block can seem impossible when you’re lost in the weeds. It’s frustrating to feel like you’re completely stuck and all the good ideas you had have just checked out. In fact, some authors even feel anxious when they sit down in front of their computers to write. But getting past the writer’s block… Read more »
We’ve all heard that writers write and that writing is re-writing. Yet, there are many other aspects to the creative writing process that do not involve putting pen to paper or moving your fingers across the keyboard. Assuming you already know your craft–you’ve studied your lit terms and are well acquainted with them–and you are… Read more »
Microsoft Word has officially drawn a line in the sand—a squiggly red one, that is. And depending on your typing training (and how recently you’ve updated your software), you may have started seeing a lot more of those squiggly lines pop up recently. That’s because Microsoft Word is now flagging two spaces after a sentence… Read more »
Description is one of those magical elements of prose. Whether it’s “good” or not is entirely subjective. One author’s Mozart is another’s Metallica. But, regardless of your preferences, there are some techniques and literary tools you can use to tighten your sentences and sharpen your description. Here are just five tricks you can use. 1)… Read more »
There are over six million Kindle books published on Amazon. Only a small percentage will be bestsellers. As an author, it’s up to you to make your book stand out. Sure, marketing and branding help you sell more books, but the best way to sell books is to write the best one possible. In this… Read more »
There’s a secret that most published, self-published and otherwise noteworthy writers know. If all first-time authors knew this secret, the collective blood pressure of the writing industry would go down by about 20 percent. Here it is. Even the best writers in the world still get off track. From time to time, legitimate, professional writers… Read more »
We’re T-minus two days from Thanksgiving. If the holiday hustle and bustle hasn’t started already, it’s about to. Writing time is about to get as scarce as a flat-screen on black Friday. If you’re not taking the next six weeks off from writing, but you still want to make time for family, friends and celebrating,… Read more »
It’s hard to find time to write. It’s hard to clear your mind, sit down, sit still and focus. It’s hard to tell family, friends and co-workers, “No. I can’t go to that party, no I can’t have another round, no I can’t marathon Orange is the New Black all weekend. I have to write.” And with the… Read more »
