I’m currently reading Keep Going by Austin Kleon and it just seems so very applicable these days. Not only just to writing, but to everything! Keep Going by Austin Kleon Take this gem as the book opens for instance: “Whether you’re burned out, starting out, starting over, or wildly successful, the question is always the […]
How are you all doing these days? Are you doing okay? There have been some hard times recently. A lot of unknowns, a lot of heartache worldwide, and a lot of injustice and anger. Responding to Hard Times It’s hard to know what to do with all the emotions. It’s hard to process the information […]
Do you have anything on your summer book list? Something about summer makes me want to make plans involving taking piles of books to a beach somewhere or some secluded park where I can spread out a blanket and relax. Summer is definitely for reading. …So are fall, winter, and spring too, of course- but […]
Symbolism in stories is when symbols are used to represent something else. For instance, a red rose may signify love. A rainy day may signify sadness. Some authors and readers love symbolism. Plenty of books and college classes are devoted to the symbolism within famous books. Others think symbolism is too confusing and should be […]
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 […]
I’m in a weird place with my writing right now. I just finished up some revisions on a novel that I’m querying with agents and I haven’t started in on a new big project yet. It feels a bit odd to be between stories. There’s a bit of hesitation- I don’t want to jump into […]
Life has been hard for a lot of us lately. It isn’t always easy to find things to be happy about. And it can seem almost wrong to want to be happy when there is so much suffering in the world. But there is nothing wrong about searching for joy in the midst of suffering. […]
I’m thrilled and honored to be guest posting over at Fiction University this week talking about 5 Reasons Our Characters Need to Fail. I hope you’ll hop on over and check it out! (And be on the lookout for a meme featuring Uncle Iroh! He’s one of my favs.) Fiction University is a huge treasure […]
Story structure is the framework that keeps our novels strong and makes them as powerful as they can be. Today we’re looking at the very last element in our stories- the resolution. The resolution of our story is incredibly important. As Mickey Spillane put it, “Your first line sells the book. Your last line sells […]
Sometimes writing is really hard. If you can’t be writing right now, that’s okay. You may be in crisis mode and that comes first. There may not be any mental energy for anything besides caring for yourself and those you are with. And that’s okay. Let’s be gentle with ourselves. Let’s have grace and patience […]
I love reading quotes about art and creativity! They always makes me want to be more brave. They encourage me to keep trying. And they help me know I am not alone. May we be brave and keep trying today! For we are not alone <3 21 Creativity Quotes Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your […]
There is a lot going on in the world today. Please be careful and stay safe! I hope we can all take some time to evaluate how we’re doing today and maybe practice some activities that make us feel healthy both physically and emotionally. And if you don’t have time and you’re overwhelmed with other […]
Being a writer doesn’t mean you necessarily need to write books. There are an abundance of writing career options out there to choose from! My personal experience is limited with many of these options but these resources can provide some info and a place to get started. Everyone has different interests, talents, and life situations, […]
It’s been a crazy few weeks! Like something out of a book or a board game but definitely not something we expect to ever experience in real life. And for us writers it raises the question of what does creativity during coronavirus look like? First things first- I hope everyone is staying safe and being careful […]
Slow writing versus fast writing is an interesting comparison. Some authors write famously (and ridiculously) fast, writing books in a matter of days or weeks. And others take years and years (I’m looking at you, George R. R. Martin) to complete their work. So which is better? Should we push ourselves to write our novels […]