Writing exercises are a favorite playground for many, many professional writers. Why? Because writing exercises do for your writing skills what physical exercises do for your body. A muscular build isn’t a “talent” you’re born with. It’s the result of dedication to a routine of exercises that focus on building up every part of your…
There’s nothing like writing to expose all your personality quirks. And by quirks, of course, I mean all those precious little neuroses, psychoses, proclivities, and the flat-out whack-a-doodleness that make you… you. Or is that just me? I’m going to assume I’m in good company. Humor me. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. (I’ll just…
“If music be the food of love, play on,” wrote Shakespeare. But it’s not just love that’s fueled by music. Moods, memories, energy level, motivation (or lack of it), desires, fears—all of these can be influenced by an inspired lyric or a well-crafted melody. And let’s not forget music’s effect on creativity. Many of the…
It seems there are two types of bloggers—those who focus on words to tell their story, and those who focus on pictures to tell their story. I’m definitely in the first camp. That doesn’t mean I don’t love images, photos, and artwork. I do, very much. I just usually think in words first, and then…
Every January, many writers—including me—list their writing resolutions for the New Year. These goals often focus on publication and productivity, such as: “Submit my completed novel to 15 agents.” “Write 3 short stories.” “Enter 2 speculative fiction contests.” “Write a new blog post twice a month.” “Finish the first draft of my new novel about…