2017 is nearly finished. This has been a year of trials and errors, heartbreak and growth, change and curiosity. It has been full of good times and shitty ones. 2017 hasn't been the perfect year in the history of years–writing-wise, life-wise, or politically. But it was a year, and it deserves some attention and reflection so we can enter 2018 consciously, intentionally, and powerfully. Here's what's happened in my literary world this year, what lessons I learned, and how you can apply these to your own writing life.
Read moreWhy You Need to Discover Your Writer's DNA (+12-Day Course!)
You want to be a writer. You want to be a real, and good writer. And so you work your butt off trying to absorb EVERYTHING you can about storytelling in order to be the best writer you can be. But there's one area of research missing in this curriculum: YOURSELF. You can be SO well-versed in storytelling techniques and practices, and that is great and necessary. But it means NOTHING if you don't apply it in a way that makes sense for you. You need to know your Real+Good Writer's DNA. And fortunately, I've got a FREE 12-Day course to help you discover yours.
Read more3 Quick Ways to Fall In Love With Writing Today
You love writing, but how often do you show it? Often, we just get so busy, and then you and your writing life hit a rough patch. But you can turn that around and strengthen your love simply by choosing to invest the time. You're the only one that can strengthen your relationship with writing. It starts by taking small, consistent actions each day. Here's three ways you can get started right now, today. These aren't new ideas you've never heard before. But they are tested and true ideas that work. It's up to you to choose to love writing. Will you do it?
Read moreHow to Command the Muse to Come On Your Time (3 Steps to Discipline Your Writing Life)
Do you have trouble making real progress with your writing life? Do you have big writing dreams, but struggle to make them come true? Do you have good intentions to write, but suck at putting them into practice? Do you finally get all the stars aligned, sit down to write, and stare at the blank page uninspired? You need a healthy dose of discipline. The only way to actually get the writing done is by doing the writing; but making it a habitual practice will make it easier to write every time, you'll write more often, and you'll train your muse to show up with you. Learn the 3 steps to discipline your writing life and command the muse to show up on your time.
Read moreHow to Find Your Story's Heart: 5 AWESOME Revision Techniques
You may use a revising checklist or an editing checklist to bring your story to fruition, but sometimes that's just not enough. Perhaps this particular story DOESN'T call for setting overload, or this particular story DOES call for characterization development. Every story is unique in its needs. The following five techniques will get you working with your story in the way revision was intended to be: a literal re-vision-ing of what your story is intended to be. They will get you thinking about your story in different ways. They'll ask you to pay attention to the specific, unique elements that THIS particular story needs. They'll ask you to remember the heart of the story, and bring that to the surface in a meaningful way. This isn't focusing on word choice, but intention. Ready to get revising?
Read moreEverything You'd Ever Need to Write a Novel: The ULTIMATE Novel Packing List
Perhaps you're ready to attack Camp NaNoWriMo next month or classic NaNoWriMo in November. Perhaps you're just embarking on your own personal writing quest on your own schedule. The truth is, you want to write a novel, and that's awesome! You're about to do an amazing thing. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be a challenge. But it's going to be well worth it. Before you get started with your novel, you have to be prepared. There's a lot of time, effort, and energy that go into writing a novel, so you want to make sure you're well-equipped for whatever's going to happen. This is the ultimate packing list of everything you'll need to write your novel.
Read moreWhat to Do When You're in a Funky Creative Rut with Writing
Sometimes your writing life is not productive. Sometimes you get yourself into a funky creative rut, a state of "un", where things are just not going your way. It's easy to get frustrated and depressed when this happens, and it sucks. But you're not alone. These low-points are normal in life, and they're only temporary. Learn how to deal with your creative rut appropriately and get out of it so you can get back to accomplishing your wildest writing dreams.
Read more3 Big Things You MUST Know About Your Characters
You've probably seen a million bajillion character questionnaires. Most of the time they ask you about basic physical facts: birthdays, height, favorite colors. But these aren't the details that create an interesting, authentic, believable character that will stick with readers. These details won't allow your readers to be intimate with your characters. Learn the REAL questions you should be asking your characters. Get to the heart, the core, the DNA of their self in order to bring them to life. By going through your character's psyche, influences, and behavior, we'll discover who your character really is. It’s time to get character planning, my friend!
Read moreWomen Writers Have it Harder: Do You Know What You're Up Against?
Did you know that men get published more than women? They also win more awards and get more reviews. Did you know that women's literature gets categorized differently than men's? This is a problem. Now, I'm not going on a feminist rant, don't worry. But there are some facts you should know, and you should know how to deal with being a "female writer" in today's publishing world.
Read more5 Ways to Find Your Character's Authentic Voice (+What George Saunders Can Teach You About Voice)
George Saunders is a freaking genius writer, which is why he's one of my FAVORITE masters. What he does especially well is creating realistic, believable, authentic voices for his characters. Let's look at some Saunders stories in action to see what he's doing well, and then explore 5 techniques that you can get started with TODAY to make your characters speak authentically too.
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