Writing

Let’s talk about my first quarter goals and how I set them… I’m going to be honest with you, these goals are not exactly “SMART” or what many would consider good goals, but I know it’s going to work for me and I want to share that with you!  My goals are not as specific as they could be, some are measured by “done / not done,” they ARE achievable, relevant and time bound. Maybe they’re not as bad as I think they are when I really look at it… But that’s besides the point

Fill these cold, dark winter days with a little winter magic by using these winter writing prompts. I’ve put together some inspiration which pulls on the weather, holiday traditions and I've decided to add a little fantasy bend to some of them.

Everyone can write. That’s the truth. Now, can everyone write a flawless story the first time they sit down? No! Very few people, if any, can even write a flawless first draft after years of practice. That’s the trick, most of the writing process is editing and revising. So the first piece of advice I have is to just get some words on a page. We’re going to talk about ways to help with that, but this sentiment is key to start writing your novel, short story, memoir… you name

We’re heading back to school with this one. I’m sure we all remember the graphic of a roller coaster with the words inciting incident, rising and falling action, climax, etc, but do you remember what it actually all means? Ready for a refresher before we dive into some more detailed story structures? Good! Jump to the video instead Introduction to the Classic “Roller Coaster” Structure This is usually referred to as the classic structure, but I always think of that handout we

Writer’s block is an inevitable state of being in a writer’s life, and it’s not just writers that get blocked. Sometimes it’s referred to as creative block to include all our artist friends whose canvases, staffs and lumps of clay remain untouched.You could even consider it akin to the Yips in sports. Don’t panic! Learn to work with and around your writer’s block because it’s bound to rear its head again.

A variety of prompts covering five styles and tones from Cozy & Warm, through Cool & Suspenseful, up to Horrific Halloween. Of course, I encourage you to break the rules and write a terrifying tale using a cozy prompt or turn a horrifying one into something wholesome.

No first draft is perfect. The next step is the first of many editing rounds. With your first draft it will be important to avoid getting too into the nitty-gritty of grammar, or even style, because you should be considering big changes. There’s no point in wrangling your commas if you might not even keep that sentence, scene or chapter! So… where do you begin?

I’m not against daily word count goals, or word count goals in general, but I have a few suggestions for those that feel overwhelmed or discouraged by writing daily and fear the guilt of missing a day... I’m working on ways to set writing goals that don’t make me feel so horrible. And I want to share them with you!