Word Magic
Want to write anyway, no matter what? I’m not saying it’s easy to build a writing habit. It isn’t. For the first ten to 15 years of my writing life, I was the queen of procrastination. Not that I ever missed a deadline, for magazines anyway. Books are another story… What changed? It wasn’t a big thing. It was a … Read more
Have you ever wished that you could write faster? If you’re a fiction author, chances are that you have. Last year, one of my writing students begged me for some productivity tricks. She said: “I ended the first book in my series with a lot of loose threads—I though it would make writing the next book easier. But it hasn’t. … Read more
When you’re writing to sell, you know that speed matters: you have a deadline. It may be a self-imposed deadline, or a client is waiting for your words. Either way, you haven’t the luxury of procrastination. Recently, in a chat about her novel, a fiction writing student said snappishly: “I wouldn’t procrastinate at all, if I could only get the … Read more
What could you achieve if you chose to write more? I’m fond of saying that you can overcome any writing challenge by writing more. You might: Get more writing commissions, if you contacted your freelance clients regularly; Sell more books, if you’re a self-publishing author; Develop a lucrative side hustle based on writing, if you’d like to become a full-time … Read more
Do you doubt yourself? Can’t get motivated? Maybe you’re following someone else’s rules for creativity, and they’re not right for you. If you can’t get motivated to write, consider which rule you’re trying to follow Maybe it’s not your rule at all. Is it: “Best practice”; What “everyone” does; (A loud, nagging inner voice, which sounds a lot like your … Read more