Category Archives: Writings about Writing

Thoughts and tips about the craft

How to Set Goals for the New Year

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Tis the season for new year’s resolutions. We look back on what we’ve accomplished – and didn’t – in the past year, and resolve to do better and do more in the coming year. While this is a good sentiment, there’s a reason that a lot of traditional New Year’s Resolutions wind up being forgotten or discarded before the end of January.

My goal is to party like it's 1916...

My goal is to party like it’s 1916…

I prefer to call my decisions “goals” instead of “resolutions.” The reason is because a goal is something specific. A goal is a desire with a deadline, rather than just a nebulous “Imma do better this year.” So here I’ll give you a few tips about how to set goals that you might actually be able to achieve, instead of just struggling futilely with the “Imma do better” thing. Continue reading →

Christmas Gifts for the Writer in Your Life

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So what should you give to your writer friend/spouse/family member for Christmas? If you’re a writer, what should you ask for? Here are some ideas: 

Pens. Or pencils. Because, you know, writers need tools to write with. Even those who write exclusively by typing and seeing the words show up on a screen have an innate fondness for the classic tools of our trade.

Journals. See above. Gotta have something for those pens to write on. Continue reading →

10 Great Writerly Quotes

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses, Writings about Writing by

I’ve done a post about quotes for writing and inspiration, but I’ve been collecting more writerly quotes, so I thought I’d share. Who doesn’t love a great quote about books, storytelling, and the passion we feel for the written word? Enjoy!

“A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” Thomas Mann

“I love studying folklore and legends. The stories that people passed down for a thousand years without any sort of marketing support are obviously saying something appealing about the basic human condition.” Ti Schafer Continue reading →

What to Do when You’re Stuck

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I wrote a post some time ago about overcoming writer’s block, but this post is a little different. What do you do when want to write, you’ve got plenty of ideas, you’re excited about your WIP, but you just don’t know what to do next?

This is the position I’ve found myself in a lot lately with the historical fiction that I’m writing. What’s got me stuck is figuring out what the next few scenes should be and how to get my characters to the place they need to be by the end. As I was jotting down thoughts, I realized that I have come up with several ways of getting myself past these stuck points – and so I now want to share them with you. Continue reading →