Starting Your Novel: Prep for Success

You’ve decided you want to write a novel. You probably have a great idea. A scene that’s played in your head during your commute, a question that bugs you, a character whose voice echoes in your head in the middle of the night. You find some quiet time one Sunday afternoon or set the alarm

Ten Tips for Generating New Story Ideas

Some writers have nothing but ideas. They may be barely halfway through drafting a story when new ideas are plaguing them, new characters vying for attention, new worlds springing to life. For others, like me, the writing is the easy(ier) part, the idea generation is a whole different beast. For me, I need more than

Staying on Track: Self-Care for Writers

While I’ve been talking about tips to stay on track during drafting, revising, and querying this month, it’s pretty impossible to stay on track when we’re burned out. Trust me. This week, I’ve been down for the count with a head cold. I haven’t had one in the three years since COVID locked us into

Playing NaNoWriMo Without Writing a Book

I recently spoke with a couple of writers who were both eager to jump start their creativity with new projects. One has been dominated by editing work recently and so her own creative writing had taken a back seat. She had six different ideas for stories and was tempted to try NaNoWriMo but didn’t know

Creative Growth

I pass this tree on my trail walks. I am not sure when I first noticed the tree, but I know since my dad died in 2018, I haven’t missed it. It’s like I’m compelled to take a moment and acknowledge the tree’s presence on the trail. Its struggle to keep growing a little of

Storytelling on the Field

I was a band kid. I played flute in concert band, but what I loved more than anything was marching band and performing on the color guard in high school through my four years at UNC Chapel Hill. There is nothing like standing in a sequin-adorned bolero jacket and cummerbund over a white mock turtleneck

How Drafting and Revising Feel Different: The Clean House Edition

As I type this, we are having our house power washed. It feels like I’m inside a car wash while sitting at my desk. I don’t hate it. Power washing a home must be an inordinately satisfying job. You arrive and the walkway is darkened with years of baked in dirt. The fascia is dull.

Setting the Mood: Writer Walk-Up Songs

Creativity is a muscle. One that requires practice and even discipline. My husband, in an effort to comfort me on a hard day of writing (or rather non-writing), tried to let me off the hook recently by telling me not to worry about a stuck day. “You can’t force inspiration.” Maybe. BUT… I have kids

A Look Back

It is hard to look back on a year that is so currently in your face. We are facing the worst numbers in the pandemic so far, making the cold, winter months ahead more intimidating. The election is behind us, but political bickering continues. And civil unrest–well the fact is we shouldn’t leave that one

Reconnecting With Your Writer’s Muse During a Global Pandemic

Back in January, I started work on a brand new manuscript. I took out my calendar and counted the available days between January and May, excluding weekends and my kids’ school breaks (they attend year round school so every nine weeks they have a three week break – there would be one in late February/early