Today, I'm prepared to delve into the emotional side of writing. It's my homage to the holiday. Valentine's Day, at least in our culture, has been dedicated to red paper hearts, flowers, creme-filled chocolates, expensive dinners and anything else you can put a Hallmark icon on. Then there's the flip side of Valentine's Day for all those singles out there--and though that's not me anymore, I've been there…
Not writing is good for your writing. I mean it. This weekend I dropped my normal writing routine and got out of town for a two night escape with a bunch of friends. We stayed in a cabin surrounded by snow, mountains, and sweet-smelling, air. A drastic change in routine can work like pure magic. It reminds my body that it exists to live fully, not simply to fulfill…
Book Launch. Def. a very personal and monumental event in which a writer gets something of his/her own published and then invites everyone he/she knows to commemorate the occasion. I attended the book launch for the novel Blood, by Jack Remick last week. Jack is among the horde of writers who gather together at a cafe in Seattle to write and share their creations, fresh off the page. He invited me…
Give a song lyric and a one sentence pitch for what your story is about. This was the prompt that lead me to enter the writing contest hosted by Larry Brooks at www.Storyfix.com The idea inspired me. Writing contests are great practice for presenting yourself, but it's even better when they stir something inside you. A week later I was in for a delightful surprise. I sifted through the words…
You have reached the level of competency where you need another pair of eyes to look at your writing and honestly tell you what works and what doesn't. You need a critique group. Critique groups for writers are one of the best things you can use to improve your own writing. A good critique group should: 1. Be a safe place for all levels of writers. 2. Give constructive feedback. 3.…
"We are all the same." This is the core principle of Brian McDonald's second book, The Golden Theme, and a fascinating exploration into why certain stories resonate with us as human beings. This book reads differently than his first book Invisible Ink, which at first surprised me. Invisible Ink feels much like a teaching handbook with insightful exercises and examples. The Golden Theme spoke on a literary level…
Universal wisdom should apply universally, thus good advice should (most of the time) apply to good writing. I stumbled upon this idea in a previous post as I considered the importance of keeping my word when I say I will do something. Not only does the phrase "keeping my word" include "word" in its phrase and thus hint toward the occupation of weaving and crafting words, but it underlines…