I’m currently getting feedback about my novel-in-progress from some trusted readers. I’ve mentioned trusted readers before. As notes have come back to me, I’ve thought about what makes a trusted reader. The best advice I’d give to somebody wanting to be a trusted reader: Tell the writer what’s wrong — not what you would do. […]
Monday Motivation: Work Hard
I’ve only read one Amy Tan book: The Bonesetter’s Daughter: A Novel (Ballantine Reader’s Circle) (Affiliate link). The novel’s protagonist is a ghost writer, and Tan uses the character to point out some of the pitfalls of being a writer when it comes to the way others sometimes view the profession: People thinking you have […]
Monday Motivation: Antique Ideas
If the idea well seems a little dry, I know a store most likely in your town (big or small) you can visit and come out full of ideas! Each time you visit, it’s different; each time you browse and leave, there’s the potential for discovering something new. The store? Your local antique shop! * […]
The Book Pile: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
I believe Haruki Murakami when he says in his book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running(affiliate link): “Most of what I know about writing I’ve learned through running everyday.” The parallels of running any kind of distance and writing are very similar. There’s a sense of monotony, a feeling of “when the […]
Avoid the Buzz
It’s Monday — that means back to work for many juggling writers who will hear things like, “We need to hit the ground running this week, attack the low hanging fruit in order to maximize productivity, and utilize our group dynamic to create a paradigm shift that positions us as forerunners in the [insert industry […]
Be Back on Monday
One of the earliest lessons I learned about writing is there are times when unexpected things happen and writing is put aside for a week or two. The past couple weeks have been one of those times for me. My wife and I were in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, visiting ill relatives — one […]
The Future of Books and Publishing
I recently watched Richard Nash’s talk about the future of books and publishing. (I found it here, on Booklife.) There are some great points made in the presentation, but there were two that really stuck out: The reminder that the long form narrative is a feature, not a bug. Most writers — whether they know […]
5 Ways to Be Prepared for Seasonal Articles
Spring is a great time to write articles. It’s no longer cold and wet, and it’s not so hot that you’d rather die than write. Really, though, every season is a great time to write articles. One of the problems with seasonal articles is planning ahead a few months and knowing what to pitch. If […]
Monday Motivation: Shake It Up
“What we want is a story that starts with an earthquake and builds to a climax.” – Samuel Goldwyn Fuck the weather! In recent months, I’ve come across more than a few books beginning with descriptions about the weather. Bad descriptions about the weather, at that; just shy of, “It was still dark and chilly […]
Turn It Off
I’ve been listening to The Nerdist podcast. (Anybody even vaguely into stand up comedy should listen to it, especially the Drew Carey episode.) I started listening to the Andy Richter episode yesterday. About 27 minutes into the podcast, they talk about stand up comedians who are always on. I’ve been around a few people like […]
Writing Priorities
I recently finished Haruki Murakami’s memoir about running and writing, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. While it’s much more about running than writing — even if you don’t like running — it’s worth reading if you write. The parallels between distance running and writing a novel are obvious even if you […]
Defining Moments
On a walk last night, I thought about how I didn’t start writing seriously until I was 20. I always enjoyed writing, but it wasn’t something I thought I’d do when I was younger. (I thought I’d be an artist, a wildlife biologist, or a juggler.) As I walked along, I thought about the earliest […]
5 Ways to Find New Material
While most writers will die with a head full of unfinished ideas, there are times — especially when writing articles or other quicker content — when a writer can find himself at a loss for something to write about. If you find yourself searching for something to write about, I hope some of these five […]
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