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Posts by Carly Sandifer

Feb 10

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Three ways to find your writing people wherever you go

One of the best thing we can do as writers is have a tribe of other writers with whom we can share our work, pass on tips, and above all, talk us down off the ledge when we’re working through a difficult plot twist or managing a recalcitrant character.

After making several moves from one place to another over the past 20 years, I’ve found some good ways to “find my people,” wherever I go.

Whether you’re new to your community or not, if you’re looking for a writing pal or two or three, consider these ways of connecting.

1. Attend a poetry reading or open mic event to read your work and hear other writers read theirs. Read more

Feb 8

Finetune your instincts for spotting writing ideas

I was inspired when I read my blogging partner Carol’s post yesterday about where writers find ideas. In fact, her post gave me the idea for this post. It made me think about where I get my ideas for poems, stories, and freelance articles. I think it’s possible to finetune your instincts for recognizing story ideas. Practice listening to the inner voice, the feeling in your chest when you hear something that pings your consciousness and tells you that you’ve found something you need to write about.

In case it helps, I’m sharing some of my ideas and how I found them.

Poem, “Bird Man.” This idea came from an encounter with an elderly man in the bread aisle at the grocery store. Read more

Feb 6

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Become a better writer by doing a 30-day challenge

I’m on Day 6 of the 750 words-a-day February challenge. I love a challenge, and I like the way 750words.com puts a framework around my writing practice.

As computer scientist Matt Cutts says, “small changes are sustainable.”

Whether you choose to do a writing challenge or some other type of challenge, I’m pretty sure it will make your life more interesting. And that can’t help but make you a better writer.

For another perspective about 30-day challenges, see how Cutts looks at them by watching this 3-minute TedTalk.

Feb 2

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Craft a Valentine’s Day poem for your beloved

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and it’s a perfect occasion to craft a love letter or poem for your beloved. Ted Kooser, U.S. poet laureate from 2004 to 2006, began a tradition in 1986 of sending a Valentine’s Day poem on a postcard to 50 women (with his wife’s understanding).

When he stopped in 2007, he was mailing postcards to 2,600 women, including actress Debra Winger and author Louise Erdrich. He closed with a final poem dedicated to his wife Kathleen.

His book Valentinesfeatures all the poems. Here’s the first one he wrote: Read more

Jan 31

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Try these tools and techniques to keep your 2012 writing plan on track

The older I get the faster time seems to fly by and this year is no exception. The first month of the year ends today, and it’s made me stop and think about how much progress I’ve made on my writing goals.

I’m on a good track so far, but I know I need to focus on what I can do every day if I’m going to accomplish my plan.

Several tools and practices are helping me maintain a daily writing practice. I’ve listed them below:

Making better use of Stickies and to-do lists. I always feel more in control of what I have to do and how I’ll remember all the bits and pieces of tasks and ideas floating around in my brain if I write everything down. I use the Stickies app that comes with the Mac to collect ideas and notes. If you use a Windows-based computer, you can use a freeware Stickies app from Zhorn Software. Read more

Jan 27

The secret weapon to writing better stories: Make mistakes

I’ve concluded that to be a better writer, I need to make more mistakes. The more uptight and worried I am about, “getting it right,” the stiffer and less creative my writing is.

I’ve been working on revisions and I’ve found I wrote better pages when I was half awake and less tense about the sentences. Or when I worked fast and furiously as I wrote 750 words for the day. Or when I wrote with the abandon of a 5-year-old.

It’s just not effective or efficient to edit and create at the same time. If you edit while you’re creating, your brain can get a little too judgmental and suck the creative mojo right out of your story.

So here are a few ideas if you want to make more mistakes in your writing and open the door for more creativity. Read more

Jan 25

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Revise by retyping your manuscript

I once read an interview with Australian writer, Blanche D’Alpuget, who said that when she was finished with her first draft, she would print it out, take a deep breath and delete the original file from her computer. Then she would make herself type the whole thing again from the printouts.

I’m doing revisions myself right now, but I don’t have the guts to delete my draft. However, I like the idea of starting from the beginning and retyping it. I think D’Alpuget’s strategy forced her to justify every word by reading and “rewriting” the whole manuscript. It’s easy to get attached to your sentences, gloss over what is on the screen, and fail to make full-out changes the manuscript needs.

As I’ve been rewriting my memoir, these are a few things I’ve noticed: Read more

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