Today I’m outlining a case for making bad art and why that’s so important. Now I can be kind of a perfectionist by nature so this goes a bit against the grain- if you’re a perfectionist as well, just hang in there with me! It may seem silly to make bad art on purpose, but […]
Goals are great. They push us in the direction we want to go and they help us achieve more than we could otherwise. I am a huge advocate for setting and using goals. However. Sometimes we need to give up on our goals. Cue *gasp* I know, right? Giving up just seems so… icky. Clearly […]
It’s summer and it’s time to practice some creativity play! Sometimes writing is work. Art can be work. There’s a myth about the creative person who is “living the dream” and always enjoying every moment of what they do- but in real life there is always some measure of toil involved. There are mindless tasks, […]
Having too many story ideas seems like a weird problem to have. Yet it can sometimes be just as difficult as having no ideas at all! The Problem of Too Many Story Ideas Having too many story ideas is distracting. Every new idea is shiny. It’s interesting to explore new things and soon we’ve lose […]
Sometimes we don’t want to write. Sometimes we really can’t write- whether we don’t have the time, small gremlins are attacking us, or because we’re just completely exhausted. I’ve had trouble focusing lately and sometimes it seems like my brain isn’t quite working at full speed. (Or even half speed!) So what do we do […]
Have you ever sat at your keyboard and struggled to think of a single thing to write? (I know I have for sure!!) That’s an experience many people call writer’s block. Some say writer’s block is a myth, others say it’s real and causing problems for writers everywhere. Regardless of what we call it, the […]
The last few chapters of my drafts consistently take me way way longer than they should. Is it because the exciting conclusion is just so exciting I don’t want to leave? (That can’t be a bad thing, right?) But there’s more to it than that. A lot of why I struggle to finish my drafts […]
Let’s be real. We’re not always going to “feel” like writing. We’re going to be tired. We’ll be busy and have other things to do. If you’re like me, you’ll realize it’s suddenly really important to wash the dishes and maybe reorganize something while you’re at it. (I’m never so motivated to do housework than […]
People may argue over whether “writer’s block” is a real thing, but there is no denying that writing can be hard work. While being a writer is often glamorized, glorified, and sought after, writing can also be a challenging, messy, and downright miserable business. As Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith is credited with saying, “You simply […]
I am afraid. I am afraid my writing will fail. I am afraid people will judge my work and find me lacking. I am afraid I am not good enough. Fear is real. Do you have the same doubts? Do you wonder what you are doing calling yourself a writer? Are you afraid the words […]