Category Archives: on writing

What’s your Favorite Weather to Write in?

I’m willing to bet that most writers agree the perfect weather to write in is the wet kind. Initially, this post was going to be about rain, but a cold winter evening in a warm house with soup in a slow cooker came into view. That’s when I had to change my mind. Rain andContinue reading “What’s your Favorite Weather to Write in?”

The Quiet Truth of Self-Publishing

For a long time, I thought publishing a book was this big, loud affair. Then I got some of my works published, and that was very exciting, and I’m grateful for the experience, but it was also a rude awakening for me. I was jolted into this world where no one will automatically care thatContinue reading “The Quiet Truth of Self-Publishing”

Renew Your Energy: The Writer’s Guide to Rest

Accept the Call “The mind needs to be given rest so that it can return to its work with renewed vigor.”— Seneca I will never understand why our culture rewards overworking. In yesterday’s post, I talked about how you need to give yourself permission to go away and write. In that post, I mentioned howContinue reading “Renew Your Energy: The Writer’s Guide to Rest”

Give Yourself Permission to Write: Why a Weekend Retreat Matters

If you’re looking for permission to cancel your plans and spend the next week writing, I give you full permission. The thing about writing daily is that it feels greedy for me to set a weekend aside to write when I’m already dedicating 4 hours a night to writing. I do think I need aContinue reading “Give Yourself Permission to Write: Why a Weekend Retreat Matters”

The Balance of Solitude and Connection for Writers

Human connection is a huge part of the writing toolkit. In yesterday’s post, I talked about how you have to show up to the page when no one else is there to cheer you on. It’s to be expected that you will be writing many hours alone. But something I don’t think we talk aboutContinue reading “The Balance of Solitude and Connection for Writers”

Love and Writing

I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be a writer. I’m not the get-rich-quick schemer that America loves to celebrate. I’m a slow cooker and an intentional learner. It’s nice to have time to think about which lessons to bring and which ones to chalk up as “just a part of life.”Continue reading “Love and Writing”

I Want to Honor My Teachers

“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” -Friedrich Nietzsche If there’s one thing I want my writing to do, it’s to honor my teachers. Teachers come in so many forms: professors, people we hope to never be, infants and children, lovers, and nature, just to name a few. Some teachers investContinue reading “I Want to Honor My Teachers”

Working on My Log Line

Writer’s Quest is an experimental fiction novel about a painter who’s searching for her mom and meets a mystical mentor. It’s a story told through different styles of storytelling that shares a woman’s artistic and personal transformation. Do you have a log line you’ve used? Share in the comments? I found a insightful blog postContinue reading “Working on My Log Line”

Irresponsibility, the Pleasure of Art.

“Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art; it is the part the schools cannot recognize.” -James Joyce James Joyce was an instant favorite of mine. It was like he crawled into my head and spoke my language. I started with Finnegans Wake, what is often considered his magnum opus. Then I read Ulysses.Continue reading “Irresponsibility, the Pleasure of Art.”