In my last post I talked about the importance of warm-up writing. It’s magic. It gets you past the creaky, just-woken-up feeling in your writing and straight into the part where you remember why you love to do this. But doesn’t it seem like warm-up writing will steal time from your ‘real’ projects? Making Time… Continue reading Making Time For Warm-Up Writing
Category: Development
The Very First Thing A Writer Should Do Each Day
It’s hard enough to find time to write. Then, when you finally do, you face the paralysis of the blank page/blinking cursor. The most useful tool I have discovered for getting past that frozen moment of potential is to do some warm-up writing. Morning Pages And The Truth Point I first discovered this technique in… Continue reading The Very First Thing A Writer Should Do Each Day
NaNoWriMo Wrap Up
Things I learned from NaNoWriMo Outlining doesn’t have to kill creativity (In fact, it can free you to be more creative.) I read a great article about a month before NaNoWriMo 1 in which a confirmed ‘Pantser’ 2 discovered the joys of partial outlining. She realised — and taught me — that you don’t have… Continue reading NaNoWriMo Wrap Up
NaNoWriMo Lessons for Next Time
I crossed the finish line (50,000 words) of National Novel Writer’s Month after a marathon 5K word day on the Sunday before NaNo actually finished. In the two weeks since then I’ve added less than 5K words to the novel, which is not finish. I left it in the midst of what I hope will… Continue reading NaNoWriMo Lessons for Next Time
How I Wrote A Story A Day And You Can Too
When I said I was going to write a Story A Day in May, plenty of people looked at me with *that look* in their eyes, or said thinks like, ‘Well, good luck…”.1 “Why?” was the most common question. Good question. If we’re not writing for money, then why do we write? “How ?” was… Continue reading How I Wrote A Story A Day And You Can Too
A Week of Stories From One (Stolen) Idea
Is your story refusing to sing? Are you sick of the sound of your own prose? There are times when every (good) writer feels this way. It could be a moment of great despair, but it could also be an opportunity to try something new.
Ideas! Ideas! Finding Writing Ideas For You Short Story
I’m going to write A Story A Day in May. I bet you could too… Some days finding ideas is easier than others. On the days where the story ideas are flowing, stick a bucket under the spigot and catch them all. You’ll need them later. (And when you come back to them, give them… Continue reading Ideas! Ideas! Finding Writing Ideas For You Short Story
How To Write A Story A Day
I’m going to write A Story A Day in May. Dare to join me? I’m not sure yet (because I haven’t done it), but I think it’s going to be possible to write a story a day. Here are some of the ways I’m planning to make time every day to tell stories: Tell Stories… Continue reading How To Write A Story A Day
What Are Your Creative Writing Inspiration Sources
There are books that I enjoy and there are books that I love.
When I want to do some creative writing I tend to dip into a piece by one of my favourite authors (sometimes that can be a TV show or a movie) to get that fix, before I start.
My “Get Jazzed About Writing” superstars are…
Which Creative Challenge Is Best For You?
Creative Challenges are great for shaking up the routine, forcing you to be creative every day or every week, and flexing those imagination muscles. What is a creative challenge? National Novel Writer’s Month is probably the most ambitious and famous creative challenge: write a novel in a month (November). The idea is to challenge yourself… Continue reading Which Creative Challenge Is Best For You?