Recent social isolation has left us in our own bubbles with much less contact with other writers as sounding boards for our work. Living in an echo chamber, while it may make us productive in terms of word count (or not), may also have allowed us to drift back into bad habits we thought we…
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Writers and coffee and filters
There’s nothing like a cup of coffee to get the writing juices flowing. Ever the optimist, Albert Camus once posed the burning (or should I say, brewing) question: “Should I kill myself, or have a cup of coffee?” What the oft-quoted prolific writer, who denied he was a philosopher, seemed to say has been the…
Tips for completing my novel this year
I’m a writer who can’t seem to stay with a project long enough to complete a whole novel. I’ve determined to finish at least one of my languishing projects before 2022; to that end, I composed a list of 20 tips for getting it done. Develop a writing routine—even a loose and flexible writing routine…
To MFA or Not To MFA?
I love school. Always have, always will. I’d hazard a guess that most writers do; after all, what is school if not an excuse to spend hours reading and writing? We may not always appreciate the deadlines and assessments, but let’s be honest, most of us could use a little external pressure when it comes…
Say What? Part 3: WIPing It Into Shape
How to get your WIP (Work In Progress) in shape… or, you aren’t done when your think you’re done! Too many new independent authors finish their first draft and immediately publish it on KDP or Smashwords. That’s not a great idea. Books typically go through multiple levels of review and revision before they’re ready to…