Thinky Thoughts

We live in some pretty amazing times right now – we have so much technology at our fingertips that we are barely scratching the surface with what we can do with it. That includes the use of technology in writing. I think that for the written word, we are currently in a digital zeitgeist. In … More Z= Zeitgeist of the Digital Word in Our Time

I’ve been taking part in a yoga program recently and, while bending and contorting my body into various shapes, I can’t help but think that yoga is a little like writing. Hear me out here. When writing, I sometimes find that I have to sort of bend my way of thinking in order to really … More Y = Yoga Writing

They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and while I think that rings true to an extent in writing, I also think there is a fine line that a writer must be careful not to cross. As an aspiring writer and avid reader, I know that I’m influenced by the work of … More X= Xeroxing (Copying) Others

There are definitely times when I’ve written a chapter that was supposed to convey a great amount of feeling (we’re talking waterworks here!) and during the second draft, I’ve found that the chapter falls flat. Though it’s tempting (oh so tempting!) to leave the section as is, if it doesn’t make me feel something, then … More W=With Feeling

Sometimes we sit down at our computers and have the most amazing moments of flow. These are those moments when the words practically write themselves and story unfolds before you. Other times we might struggle for every word, barely making headway, but feeling like we were at least true to the story with what we … More V = Vacant Writing

Yesterday I mentioned some the risks inherit to writing. One of the risks I left out was the unknown. Not the fear of the unknown, but just the unknown itself. I don’t know about you, but no matter how much I outline and prepare to write, my characters tend to do their own thing during … More U= (The) Unknown Plunge

Writing can be scary. Not the kind of scary where you write about things that go bump in the night then have to sleep with the light on (though I’ve done that). No, writing can be scary because you have to take risks. You wouldn’t think that an occupation in which you sit in front … More T= Taking Risks

Success is a tricky word to pin down and define. It’s totally subjective to each individual, yet we tend to define others’ success by our own definition. And, just to make things more difficult, as you achieve success, you might redefine it so that you can work yet again toward the goal of achieving success … More S= Success

In a previous post, I talked about giving back and various ways to do that. From some of the comments on that post, it seems that giving reader reviews or providing constructive feedback on a friend or fellow writer’s work was the most popular method for giving back. I must say, I struggle with this. … More R = Real Reviews