The internet is full of craft advice for writers. Some of it is even good advice. All of it purports to make your writing better, more readable, more relatable, more salable. I’m not talking about grammar advice, like how to punctuate dialogue. That’s a mechanical skill. It’s mostly objective, at least within its specific context … Continue reading Don’t Let Craft Advice Silence Your Authorial Voice
Tag: creativity
Growth Is a Spiral: Repetition and Return in Practice
The more things stay the same, the more they change. What? No, I didn't accidentally write that backwards. Because the thing about growth, about learning, is that it doesn’t travel in a straight line. It often doesn’t feel like growth in the moment. It often feels circular, like repetition, like return. It can feel like … Continue reading Growth Is a Spiral: Repetition and Return in Practice
The Publishing Industry Is Not Okay. Now What?
This is the house that oligopoly built... When I originally set out to blog on this topic two weeks ago, I intended to write an explainer of WHY publishing is not okay. My first draft focused on professional burnout, the oligopoly of the Big Four, disruptive technology, and how labor exploitation lines the pockets of … Continue reading The Publishing Industry Is Not Okay. Now What?
Here Be Dragons: Outlining for Discovery Writers
If the prospect of outlining a new project make you want to run away to sea, you’re not alone. While some writers swear by extensive planning, others despise it. And some aspire to plan ahead, but find themselves uninspired by the process. The age-old split between plotters and pantsers may leave many in the latter … Continue reading Here Be Dragons: Outlining for Discovery Writers
Relearning My Mind: ADHD and My Writing Journey
Welcome to my brain circus! It’s Disability Awareness Month, and I’m a writer with Attention Deficit Disorder. That makes this as good a time as any to share my experience of learning late in life that I'm neurodivergent, how my diagnosis has shifted my self-image, and how adjusting my brain chemicals has brought new ease … Continue reading Relearning My Mind: ADHD and My Writing Journey
Try a Little Tenderness: 7 Self-Love Ideas for Writers
Love is in the air... When we think of Valentine’s Day, of course, we naturally think of romance, partnerships, and sharing love with a special someone. Today, though, I want to talk about a different kind of relationship for a minute. Not everyone is partnered up nor wants to be, but everyone is worthy of … Continue reading Try a Little Tenderness: 7 Self-Love Ideas for Writers
Time in the Belly: Imbolc Season and Creative Waiting
I've been thinking about time a lot lately. In part, this is because I've been editing a book that centers around a time loop. I also had my birthday this week, which has me reflecting on how time pushes us forward whether we like it or not. In my fourth decade on this earth, the … Continue reading Time in the Belly: Imbolc Season and Creative Waiting
Life Outside the Comfort Zone: Five Debut Year Lessons
Fair warning: I am a big year-in-reviewer. I love December's energy of reflection and processing. I spend time each holiday season curating a playlist to commemorate the past twelve months and I am an absolute sucker for retrospective journaling and blogging. New Year's is probably my favorite holiday. It's a whole thing. As part of … Continue reading Life Outside the Comfort Zone: Five Debut Year Lessons
Writing While the World Burns
Lately, I’ve had apocalypse on the brain. A strange duality exists between my near-daily practice of creating, i.e. writing and revising, while chaos and catastrophe swirls as a near-daily occurrence in the world at large. This is not an upbeat advice post, so I apologize in advance. Feel free to skip this if it’s not … Continue reading Writing While the World Burns