So last month I took on a new challenge– I signed up for February Album Writing Month (FAWM) and committed to writing 14 songs in 29 days. It was a whirlwind month with its ups and downs, complete with school vacation for my kindergartner which made things extra exciting. Some days were good writing days, […]
Writing can be hard sometimes. But it doesn’t ALWAYS need to be hard. And that’s okay. Do writers need to suffer? The stereotypes of starving artists and writers who go mad seems to be the most common representation of writers and creators. Sometimes we buy into this. It feels like in order to be a […]
Story structure provides us with a time-tested road map of elements to include in our stories to help them connect with readers and satisfy expectations. This structure gives us a framework to make our stories as powerful as possible. We’ve looked at many components that make up a strong story previously. Today we’ll be looking […]
Every few months I like to do a roundup of some of the best things I’ve been reading and doing to share with you all. Wherever you’re at today, I hope you’re finding things you love and enjoy as well! Feel free to share your favs in the comments below so I can give them […]
So this month I’m trying something new with my writing. I’m not really very good at it and I very much expect to fail. But… I’m doing it anyway! Who here has heard of FAWM? FAWM stands for February Album Writing Month. It’s a lot like Nanowrimo (which I love) only for music. The challenge […]
Today I am thrilled and honored to be guest posting over at Fiction University. In case you haven’t yet discovered this gem of a resource, please take some time to browse and learn from the *huge* amount of writing knowledge available on this site. My post is titled Input for Writers: 6 Ways to Feed […]
Whether you’re a writer or not, taking care of ourselves is important. Wintertime self-care is especially important as studies show many people may experience an increase in depressed mood over the winter months. This is especially true for those of us who live in places where snow and darkness surround much of our days! And […]
As the new year has been starting there’s been a lot of buzz (as always) about resolutions and setting goals. And in a lot of ways, that’s awesome! I love goals. I love setting them, thinking about them, evaluating them. (Yeah, I’m a bit of a geek.) I talk about goals a lot on this […]
Story structure doesn’t have to be boring or legalistic. In fact, it’s vital for maximum reader engagement and emotional involvement. Story structure makes stories stronger. Story elements we’ve covered in this series so far include the novel’s hook, inciting incident, key event, midpoint, and crossroads. All of these elements help with building tension, raising stakes, […]
Happy New Year! No matter what upcoming challenges you’re looking at, here are some great quotes for us as writers and creatives as we enter the year ahead. Quotes for Writers and Creatives To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it. Kurt […]
Setting goals for the New Year is a great thing to do! First things first, though. Before we set new goals we should intentionally reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re at. Both the reflecting and the goal setting are equally important. Let’s start with goals for a second. Goals are vital for accomplishing […]
Tis the most wonderful time of the year! Today we’re all about sitting back and enjoying some of the best the season has to offer. Here are a few of my favorite holiday things. Feel free to chime in and share some of your favorites below! BTW, there are no affiliate links or products here, […]
Many writers put the pro in procrastination. But is that always a bad thing? Procrastination for Writers Procrastination and I are old friends. My house is never so clean as when I have other things I really should be doing. Phone calls to make? Suddenly I’m organizing the house and clearing out old stuff I […]
Strong story structure is what holds our stories together. It doesn’t need to lead to formulaic or weak stories, instead gives our stories the strength and emotional resonance with our readers to be even more powerful. So far in this series we’ve looked at the hook, inciting incident, key event, and midpoint of our novel. […]
High five, writers! It’s time to celebrate your work! Celebrating our accomplishments as writers isn’t just fun, it’s vital. Celebrating Accomplishments as Writers Writing can often be a solitary and critique filled journey. It doesn’t always lend itself to praise from others, we do crazy things like specifically ask others to criticize our work, and […]