Breathe! Handling Artistic Frustration Without Giving Up or Going Crazy

I’m a giant baby when it comes to air travel. Last May on the last leg of a trip with a colleague back home from a Web conference, we were … Continue Reading →

Believable Character Arcs, Villain Logic and Monologuing: What AGE OF ULTRON Can Teach About Fiction and Craft

Have you seen Avengers: Age of Ultron yet? ::grabs your shoulders through the Internet, shakes you::  GO SEE IT. The only people who should not see it are those people for whom The … Continue Reading →

Write This, Not That: Peak versus Pique

Do you know what happens if you send an email, or craft a piece of writing, that contains the phrase, “You’ve peaked my interest”? Nothing. Nothing happens. This makes me … Continue Reading →

Thoughts on Lent’s Significance for Creative People with Trust Issues

When I was about ten years old, I told my mother that I was giving up broccoli for Lent.

Typewriter keys

Urgent vs Important: Prioritizing Writing Time When You Have No Time

When you make time for what’s urgent, do you take time away from what’s important? I do. In the past two weeks, I’ve heard Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, … Continue Reading →

Writers, Make Your Doubt Your Mirror

If I told you that doubt could be a friend to your creative process, would you believe me? It’s true. Let me explain. 

4 Reasons We Should Stop Comparing Ourselves to Other Writers

If you’re reading this post, the odds that you have at least one social media account are pretty decent. And if you’re a questionable human being like me, you’ve probably … Continue Reading →

6 Thoughts About Writers and Word Counts: Frenemies Forever

NaNoWriMo is a distant-yet-traumatizing memory for most of us as we move further into January, but the subject of word counts never gets stale. As we prepare to make well-meaning … Continue Reading →

5 Steps to Making and Keeping a Writing Resolution in 2014

I’ve never made a New Year’s Resolution that I kept. That is, until last year. In 2012, I resolved to run a marathon. And on July 27, 2012, I fulfilled … Continue Reading →

Phrases on Friday: [Verb] ALL the [Nouns]

If you don’t know where it came from, this one can be a real head-scratcher. When someone on a forum says something like “Drink ALL the coffee!” or “Fix ALL … Continue Reading →

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