Dealing with rejection is something that every writer has to go through at some point in their lives. Even if publishing is never an end goal and the only reason you write is to entertain yourself. Eventually someone is going to reject your writing because they think it is terrible, even if it is prize…
Recently, a friend of mine told me that I need to work on making writer friends because “writer friends will help push you past your limitations”. This is, truly, a lovely thought; however, I found that through the years writer friends come and go and rarely am I able to find a niche. This is…
Recently I have been obsessed with dialogue and how to create good dialogue. When I say “good” I mean creating dialogue that moves the story ahead, that has a purpose rather than just taking up space. Part of this new found obsession is because I have dived back into graphic novels. I really enjoy reading…
Like most people, I started out January with a lengthy list of goals. The list included, at the very top, finish editing my novel, read two novels a month at minimum, participate each month in a book-in-a-week challenge, and write in my journal every day. There was a lot of writing and reading involved. Unfortunately…
Gift ideas for writers can be a tricky thing as all of us have different likes and dislikes. But whether or not you are the writer putting together last minute ideas for others, or you are buying for a writer, here are some ideas. Writing References What is better than having a stack of reference…
I struggle with my commitment to writing. When I worked as a journalist it was easier. I would walk through my day on the look out for good stories, for juicy tidbits, for possible leads, gather all those pieces and head to my desk for some mad writing. As a fiction writer, the habit of…
November is just around the corner. In the writers world, that means NaNoWriMo. Yep, National Novel Writing Month, when a bunch of crazy writers decide this is the month they are going to write the novel that has been languishing about in their brains or hard drives. This is the month that writers take on…
Part of being a constant writer is being an expert on getting around writing roadblocks. Roadblocks can come in any form. Sometimes it is lack of time. Sometimes it is lack of ideas. And sometimes it has everything to do with an inability to see where you are going next. You, no doubt, know exactly…