Tag: writing advice

  • Dealing with Failure

    Dealing with Failure

    Having a plan, any plan, makes the situation feel less hopeless, more manageable, and is a good reminder that my journey as a writer is not over because of one rejection.

  • Four Things I’m Doing To Finish My Novel this November

    Four Things I’m Doing To Finish My Novel this November

    Right, so last week I announced that I was doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year as a way to help me finish my novel. I mean, technically I’m not “doing” NaNo because I’m not trying to get to 50K words in one month. My novel is already over 50K, and I’m just trying […]

  • Writing Buddies

    A common stereotype for writers is that we’re quiet, solitary things with a propensity for addictive substances and hermit huts. There’s some truth to this stereotype, but I intentionally fight against it. For one, it fails to take into consideration the powerful work that can be done in collaboration. As I work on growing in my […]

  • Tips and Tricks for Balancing Life and Writing

    Writing is hard enough without having a life to live on top of it. Right now I’m back to working full-time while my co-worker is on vacation. It’s a temporary arrangement, but it has reminded me how hard it is to find time to write, especially when you have a full-time job, are a student, […]

  • My Favorite Writing Advice Blogs and Resources

    I spend a lot of space on this blog offering advice based off my own experiences. This is my blog, after all. But, I feel I would be doing a disservice to all of you writer’s out there if I didn’t also share some of the goodness I’m learning from other blogs. I’m semi self-taught as […]

  • Four Teas for Writing

    All writers should be familiar with the soothing powers of tea. Aside from numerous health benefits, tea can be used as a mild stimulant to get your brain working or a sedative to help you relax and recover. Case in point: I’m in between revisions of Footfall and looking to find other things to keep […]

  • 3 Recommendations for Finding Inspiration

    I don’t actually believe in writer’s block. If the words don’t flow, there’s a good chance you are just bored with your project and you need to either a) figure out how to inject more energy into said project, or b) put the project aside and start something new. However, I do think that blockage […]

  • Two Approaches to Worldbuilding

    Worldbuilding is one of my favorite aspects of storytelling. Whether the story is fantasy, science fiction, or some dystopian future, a great world design can make or break a story’s credibility and inspire countless future stories. In celebration of this marvelous act of creation, I’m going to share two basic approaches to start building your […]

  • Villains Part II: Crafting the Ideal Foe

    Last week I discussed a few of what I see as the key archetypes for villains in literature and pop culture. I had a lot of fun researching it, but the discussion left me wondering what separated my favorite villains from the rest. In other words, what makes a good villain.

  • 5 Ways To Become a Better Writer (what worked for me)

    I never used to seek advice from other writers. In fact, I actively avoided it. I was afraid of criticism. However, someone at some point gave me three very powerful words to chew on: grow up, Hannah. So, I did. The only tricky part was finding the advice that worked for me.  Luckily, we live in […]