I got into a bad habit the past week. I allowed myself to do other things before writing: Let me edit this podcast… Let me clean the kitchen… Let me run these errands… Let me do this and that…and then I’ll write. The problem is, I haven’t written as much as usual since returning from […]
Archives for 2015
Third Annual Writing Retreat
Last weekend was the third annual writing retreat with a friend. Just like the two before, this one was at a Texas State Park (we returned to Cooper Lake State Park). After hiking around Caddo Lake State Park last year, we looked forward to hiking this year,but…the weather conspired against us. In fact, on the […]
A Week from Today
A week from today, I will be writing. Rewriting, actually. (Rewriting a novel and hanging out with a friend on our annual writing retreat.) I’ve talked about the retreats here and here (and other times on this blog). I won’t talk about all the things I like about the annual writing retreat again, but its […]
Get to the Desk
There is a part in this Otherppl With Brad Listi podcast interview with Stewart O’Nan where O’Nan talks about waking up early and getting straight to one’s writing desk as quickly as possible without other things getting in the way. O’Nan says: It’s always about getting back to the desk because that’s where the good […]
The Time You Work
It’s pretty easy to go online and find articles saying that if you get up early, you’re better off than those who stay up late. (I started writing this at 4:18 a.m. on a Saturday morning.) It’s also pretty easy to go online and find articles saying that if you stay up late, your brain […]
Writing Inspiration
As a writer, waiting to be inspired is dangerous. There are no muses. To quote Yoda: Must do if one is to write. (Okay, so maybe Yoda didn’t say that…) While waiting for inspiration is tragic, I’d still argue that as a writer, inspiration is important. Why You Shouldn’t Wait for Inspiration Writing is rarely […]
Retreating (Part Three)
The third writing retreat has been set up. We planned to return to East Texas (a different state park than last year’s retreat), but it was full (and last year’s site is booked into later May and currently flooded in spots). So this year is a return to where we went for our first writing […]
The MFA Teacher Post That’s Enraged the [Writing] Internet
So there is this, a piece of The Stranger that has enraged many writers online. Many of the writers are the same writers that tell other writers, “Grow a thick skin,” but, instead, they take part in Rage du Jour, giving the very thing they hate time online. There are political figures I cannot stomach […]
Finally Playing Storium
I love Kickstarter and Indiegogo. I think it’s so cool that someone can come up with an idea and, possibly, see it funded. (Hell, I even took a try myself a couple years ago.) I’ve helped fund tiny projects, things I was really happy to fund, and even some of the biggest things to hit […]
Little Things Better than Money
I’ve mentioned before that I am not the best at promoting the things I do. Because of this, after releasing a new e-book or doing something else online that can make money, things fall off to a trickle. I’m fine with that; there are usually newer and bigger things I’m working on. Spending too much […]
The Power of Having a Deadline
Every week, I load a new podcast to meningorillasuits.com. (Sometimes [most times] I load episodes before the Thursday deadline Shawn Kupfer and I decided on when we started.) In 106 weeks since starting, we have never missed a deadline. In these past 106 weeks, I’ve never found myself with reason to be bored — because […]
The Lucky Writer
It’s always seemed to me that some people either feel uncomfortable about discussing the effect of luck when it comes to “making it” as a writer (or with any creative endeavor), or that people really do believe that hard work and talent is all it takes to become a huge success. I’ve written before about […]
Quoting Oneself
[A bit of a disclaimer. This post was mostly meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek. It is meant to tease those who try taking an easy route toward becoming a “thought leader” or “influencer” by way of memes — not action. In short, it’s a jokey post. If you have written a book, spoken to […]