Every journey starts with a single step. Every published book, novel, short story or poem begins with a single word. This week, I finally finished the first draft of my novel. It isn’t the first novel I’ve ever written, but…
How Writers Can Avoid “The Perfect Trap”
In past blog posts I’ve talked about skills, strategies and tips that help in your writing life. A lot of the qualities I’ve focused on–time management, structuring deadlines, dedication and perseverance–are skills that can be transferred to other areas of…
Holiday Season and the Seasoned Writer
The weather gods are shining lately. Even where I live (where summer usually amounts to a slightly less than rainy weekend somewhere around June) we’re enjoying a heat wave. It’s holiday season, and while most of us work around the…
Deadlines: How Writers Can Handle Them
Deadline time. Douglas Adams said, “I like deadlines, I like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.” Now that may be fine for old Doug, but if you’re furiously sweating to make a tight deadline, then this post…
Social Media: Making the Best of You
Once upon a time, there were writers. A lot of writers. And they wrote books and, mostly, that was it. Sometimes they may have featured on the radio to talk about current literature, but in the main, readers never heard…
Writer’s Block: This Too Shall Pass
There comes a time in every project where you hit the wall. After a certain amount of inspiration and momentum comes the crash. The road block. Writer’s block. I like to think that if something comes too easily, it’s not…
The Best Laid Plans
The Best Laid Plans When you’re writing a novel, it’s hard not to seek advice from those that have already managed it. After all, it seems like such a massive undertaking, a few pointers can go a long way. I…
Writing: Getting into the Groove
Getting into the groove. No matter what you’re writing, I’m sure there’s a point where you get stuck. A point when writing another word seems impossible and there’s no way you’re going to finish the thing. We’ve all been there. So I…
Every Little Bit Helps
Every Little Bit Helps. I’ve been writing a novel for thirteen months. This makes the time I’ve been writing it longer than the time I’ve ever stayed in one job. I’m one of those people that tend to get bored with jobs/activities after…
The Leftovers, A Review by Claire Rudy Foster
The Leftovers. Tom Perrotta. St. Martin’s Press, 2011. On October 14th, a “Rapture-like event” whisks away half the world’s population. It’s called the Sudden Departure. In the blink of an eye, and seemingly without any logic, friends and family…
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Don’t quit your day job. Don’t quit your day job. That’s probably the most over-used piece of advice that I’ve ever been given as a writer. Unfortunately, it’s also probably the most wise. In fact, Ivan Coyote, one of my writing idols…
Allow Me to Introduce…
Hi, My Name Is… Introductions are always a little tricky. How do I introduce myself to people who don’t know me but who might continue to read about my work as a writer? Moreover, how do I do it without…