Who doesn’t love the daring feats of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley? And most of the time they’re acting independently, without a parent in sight. That being said, this independent action gets them in all sorts of trouble with not only parents, but their teachers and school headmaster, Dumbledore. That’s the thing with… Read more »
The 6 Creativity Killers lurk around every corner. They steal your time, drain your energy, and stop your writing cold. What follows is a reconnaissance report on these enemies. Read with caution, write with bravery, and arm yourself with these little-known defenses against the 6 Creativity Killers. Killer #1: Self-Criticism Defense: Conquer your inner critic… Read more »
One of the most frequent things that writers complain about is finding time to write. And then when we do find time to write, all of these distractions are calling us away from our writing. Today, guest poster Sarah Van Arsdale shares her advice for how to resist and get some work done. 1. Shut… Read more »
Too many novels go unfinished. Writers give up in frustration because they run out of ideas, they get stuck, or they become overwhelmed by self-doubt. This often happens because writers have unrealistic expectations about the novel-writing process. Through my own struggles with writing a novel, as well as my work with other writers, I’ve seen… Read more »
In June 2016, I was at a crossroads. I felt behind everyone I knew in terms of my career and life experience. I was sick with money worries, constantly anxious, and when I would glance ruefully at the dust on my writing desk, the specter of “real adult life” sounded a lot like my father…. Read more »
When people ask me to talk about my book, The Devil Makes Three, the question of genre always comes up. Now, it’s somewhat obvious simply because it’s practiced: I write horror. This book is horror. That’s not quite how it started, though, and it was a long road to get there. When pitching books, we… Read more »
Well, it’s August, and that means we’ve passed the halfway mark for the year of 2021, and boy, am I looking for ways to revitalize my practice after losing writing steam. Those new year’s goals are far behind me, plenty laying littered and broken along my yearly writing journey. I’d love to say my passion… Read more »
As writers, I think we can all agree that copyediting is an important part of the publishing process. We know that if a reader notices an error, it will probably take him out of the lucid dream of reading. Do that enough times, and he’ll sigh with disgust and toss the book/article/essay aside for good…. Read more »
Incorporating the full range of senses into your fiction can transform it from flat to multi-dimensional, impenetrable to immersive. Writers who set their stories in contemporary locations are often able to experience the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations of their setting firsthand simply by visiting the location. But what about those of us… Read more »
Have You Accepted the Challenge? I challenged you in April to embark on a 2021 Virtual Writers Sabbatical, which is a build your own adventure focused on you and your writing craft. If you’ve already joined, I’m glad to have you along for the tour. If not, it’s never too late to break out of… Read more »
