In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey calls it “sharpening the saw.” In the vernacular of the origin story, “We’re too busy writing to get better at writing.” I think it’s not just the writing that’s the problem, just like it’s not the erstwhile lumberjack’s saw that’s the problem. It’s his perspective….
Author: Nathan Lowell
More Notes on Discoverability
Last month I attended the Nebula Awards for the second time in my life. Last year I discovered that I had no idea who most of the nominees were. This year, while I knew more of them, I still didn’t know a significant number. My personal relationship with storytelling explains a great deal, most notably…
Exit Stage Left
One of the tricky bits of being an artist is getting feedback and advice. In the beginning, fledgling artists need help finding their wings. It’s a common problem with novices in any field—not knowing what they don’t know and not knowing what to ask. Asking “How do you do it?” without adequate antecedent for that…
One Is the Loneliest Number
We often talk about writing as being a solitary pursuit. We celebrate the lonely artist in a garret, poring over the work. The image of the scribe using their own blood as ink features prominently in the mythos. Then there’s NovelRama. If you missed it, you missed a four-day party of people at all stages…
Reformation
No, not that one. But they’re related. Part of my semi-regular practice as a professional is a periodic marketing scan. I try to remember to do it at least once a year, but I sometimes forget. I tend to discount changes that challenge my assumptions, until I get clubbed upside the head with a clue-by-four….