Life is difficult in our world right now. We’re dealing with a global pandemic. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Parents are juggling work with homeschooling. And many of us are stuck at home more than we’d like to be. Amidst it all, we have the opportunity to write. TheContinue Reading
by Leah Roper In the world of creativity, nothing is worse than hitting that dreaded wall. You know the one I mean…bloc de l’auteur. Though that’s only one way of saying it. You may be more familiar with other descriptions for writer’s block—burnout, work paralysis, brain strike, or creative constipation.Continue Reading
We writers rely on our emotions. They propel our stories. They help us empathize with our characters. They pave the way to story themes. Our emotions keep us dreaming big. They provide the rich tapestry from which our creativity emerges. Without emotion, a writer is no more than a wordsmith.Continue Reading
During tough times, it can be hard to stay motivated to write. All the bad news can drag you down, and if your routine’s been upended, it can be difficult to find or maintain any sort of writing rhythm. You don’t feel like writing, even when you have the time.Continue Reading
How do you keep writing when other family members are home, potentially interrupting you? It takes a lot of discipline to maintain a regular writing routine. Yet most writers manage it. We have to. In the end, it’s the only way to get the words on the page. Sometimes, however,Continue Reading
Feeling anxious these days? We’re living in anxiety-inducing times, so if you’re also experiencing a few more sleepless nights than usual, don’t worry—you’re not alone. It can be challenging, though, to get your thoughts to turn peaceful again. The next time you’re experiencing a sleepless night, or anytime you’re feelingContinue Reading
Are you battling the self-doubt monster right now? Is it trying to bring you down and destroy your writing dreams? It’s a common theme in a writer’s life. You go along doing well for a while, and then something happens to cause you to doubt yourself. You get a rejectionContinue Reading
Talk to any writer, and you’ll hear stories of fear. “We’re all scared,” writes historical romance author, Brandy Vallance. “Let’s just start there. No matter what stage of writing you find yourself in, fear is the constant adversary that will track your every move and hunt you down….As a writer,Continue Reading
by Susan L. Urasky Writing with emotion is what I was taught. Scenes that are well-written include character’s emotions that touch the reader viscerally. My biggest challenge was unexpected. I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath after layering strong feelings and emotions that came from deep within myself. I created specificContinue Reading
Writers often feel powerless. We must compete in an increasingly saturated marketplace, and the challenges of marketing our work and building strong platforms can often feel overwhelming as we try to maintain regular writing routines. After coming up against a defeat or two—which is bound to happen—we can start toContinue Reading
If you’ve been a writer for any time at all, you’ve suffered from a painful experience. Perhaps several. You’ve had your work rejected. You’ve gotten a bad review (or two). You’ve had your story ignored by agents, editors, and contest judges. You’ve heard from your family that you’re wasting yourContinue Reading
Creativity and depression seem to go together. In a 2017 review involving 36 studies and thousands of participants, researchers found a clear relationship between being creative and having a diagnosis of a mood disorder, like depression. They did not find, however, that people diagnosed with a mood disorder were moreContinue Reading