Idea Development
Your idea is calling…pick up (or sit down)
This week in a writing circle, one of the topics we were discussing was perfectionism, an issue that most of us (all of us) writers deal with at some point or another. I shared this video of a short story I used to read to my high school creative writing students. It’s one of my favs. This…
Read MoreWriting for Clarity
I’ve spent much of my career teaching writing, whether it was in a formal classroom setting or working with clients on their writing. And, I write everyday, between journaling, blogs, podcast episodes, emails, novels, and a non-fiction project. Communicating with others (and myself) through the written word is what I do, who I am, and what I…
Read MoreThe Creative Gap
Here’s an encouraging video with Ira Glass’ wisdom to keep going on your creative work. I’ve recently begun painting, and this video absolutely speaks to me about continuing to be able to close the gap between what’s in my head and what I actually create because trust me when I say it’s two TOTALLY different…
Read MoreFinding Clarity
Let’s start this post with an easy question since your brain may be quaran-tired. Here goes: Have you ever had something come out of your mouth that you didn’t even know you thought or knew until you actually said the words during a conversation with someone else or yourself**? Or, have you ever been randomly…
Read MoreThe Power of Doing Nothing to Feed Your Soul (and creativity)
This spring, I started on my newest novel…and have made very little progress. My goal was to WRITE, to get words ON THE PAGE because that’s how progress is measured. Or is it? It’s been so long since I started a new novel project that I’d forgotten a key component. Rather than taking the time…
Read MoreBoost Your Creativity: Writing By Hand
‘Tis the holiday season and many of us wish for the latest in technology: a new laptop, a new computer, a new iPad or smartphone. As writers, our lives often revolve around this technology. We can write stories, send them off to writing buddies or post them online, and research on the internet. I’m the…
Read More5 Strategies to Find Great Ideas for Your Stories
Coming up with great “story worthy” ideas can be tough. In fact, it can stop people from writing at all. When I tell people that I write, they often tell me that they’d love to write but they don’t know what to write about. I also have more conferences on “what to write about” than…
Read MoreWhy do Writers use Writing Prompts?
Writers often use writing prompts allow them to find a way in. “In?” you might be asking. “What’s that mean?” It means that writers figure out what they want to write by writing. Unless I write something down or explore it in words, I often don’t know what I’m thinking., and having taught teens writing…
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