The only thing writers are better at doing than writing is making excuses. (Admit it! You know it’s true.) And one of our favorite things to excuse ourselves for is, ironically, not writing. Now, if you’re a writer, this is not news to you. Probably you’re reading this article about why you should Write That Thing so that you don’t have to actually open the document and write it. I see you. (And I’m here preaching to you instead of hashing out my latest novel. So we’re even.) But I’m not here to talk about procrastination. I’m talking about stifling a story. I don’t know how inspiration comes to other…
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The Big Question: Why Self Publish?
What do you think when you hear the words “self publishing”? It’s okay, you can be honest here, if only with yourself. If you’re like many people, your first thought might have been, “Were they not good enough to get published traditionally?” Like it or not, self publishing has had quite a stigma attached, and while its image is improving, there are still negative connotations to fight through, not to mention a major lack of knowledge on the subject. That’s why I thought I would take a few minutes to talk about what led me to the decision to self publish and let you in on the questions I asked…
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It Hasn’t Been Written
Writer, I’m about to give you some of the best news ever. If you paid attention to the title, I already have: It hasn’t been written. “What hasn’t been written?” you ask. Just pause for a second and feel for that glow of hope. That. That story which is on your heart. The one you’ve been searching for in every book you’ve ever read and haven’t quite managed to find. The one that feels so familiar that you could swear you’ve read it somewhere or maybe had it read to you as a child, if you could just remember where. That one perfect story, or the one that’s perfect to…
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The Writer’s Toolkit: 5 Ways to Bait Your Muse
Typewriters, laptops, and notebooks all have two things in common: they serve writers and they can smell fear. You’re trucking along, writing like a pro, and then chapter six rolls around and suddenly you have the urge to clean the apartment from top to bottom. In fact, every little task you’ve been ignoring suddenly seems like a great idea because for some reason, you’ve lost the ability to put one word after another. This quasi-productivity is accompanied by feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and internal stagnation. You’re afraid to even say those fated words, “writer’s block,” because they feel like a life sentence. Honey, have a tissue. We’ve all been there.…