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Posts from the ‘Writing Life’ Category

Jul 24

The magic in winning a writing contest

In my earlier post, “How to Use Writing Contests to Reach Your Goals,” I mentioned one of my main goals this year was to enter more writing contests. I haven’t been consistent in entering contests in the past but this year, with the prompting of my blog partner Carly, I wanted to create a new habit.

Each month, I have a goal to enter X number of competitions and/or submit my work to various places. This helps me celebrate the little successes, build my artist resume, and gain some much-needed inspiration and motivation along the way to my larger goals.

This February, I entered the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Conference Literary Contest and earlier this month found out I was a finalist in two categories:—memoir/nonfiction and poetry. I was thrilled. Jumping up and down. Ecstatic! Read more

Jul 17

Free books + a donation = a better world

A Massachusetts publishing company has come up with a unique distribution model: It gives its books away.

Appropriately named Concord Free Press, it simply asks recipients of the books to make a donation to a person in need or a favorite charity. They’re asked to post their donation on the press’s website and later donate the book to someone else who will be part of the ongoing experiment in generosity.

So far, the donated books have inspired more than $300,000 dollars in donations. Some recent examples: Read more

Jul 16

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Write your book while dreaming

As a young girl, I was a big daydreamer. While my teachers tried to fill my blank mind with science or math or proper grammar, my head was crowded with imaginary friends, chestnut horses, and rainbow unicorns. Make-believe scenes reeled through my mind on a daily basis.

In forty-some years, not much has changed.

Now, however, I use my dreaming mind as a tool to find story ideas, develop character and plot, or find the perfect word for a poem. Read more

Jul 13

What are your writer’s superstitions and rituals?

Since today is Friday the 13th, I’ve been thinking about superstitions in general and writing in particular. The writers below share their insights about writers’ superstitions and rituals.

In this post at the Nouveau Writer, Mariana Ashley reveals The Top Five Writing Superstitions of the Greats.

Cat Woods (@catewoods) conducted an unofficial poll of 45 writers and found that 37 of them had writing quirks or superstitions. She lists some of them in this post at From the Write Angle.

At the Indextrious Reader blog, you’ll find a post by Canadian blogger Melwyk that includes a poem about superstitions and a cat.

What are your writing superstitions?

Jul 11

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NPR’s Ira Glass on storytelling

I know more than a few people who told me that they wanted to write a novel, but their sentences didn’t match up with the image in their minds. So they quit. This video is for them and for all of us who need to remember that it takes daily practice to realize our “vision.”

Jul 9

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Five characteristics of a great children’s book

Part of writing well is analyzing what works in the stories I admire, love, and that stick in my mind long after I read them.

In May, Publishing Perspectives organized “What Makes a Children’s Book Great?,” a half-day event hosted by Scholastic Inc. For more insight about the topic from publishing experts and authors at the event, read this post by Dennis Abrams at Publishing Perspectives.

Richard Robinson, President and CEO of Scholastic Inc., shared these characteristics of what makes a children’s book great.

A great book:

  1. Contains a simple and original idea presented with clarity and great power. Read more

Jul 6

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6 tips for creating sustained energy in your writing life

This week, I’m reminded that writing is hard work in more ways than one. I’m working on a new book—brainstorming and following my 90-day plan–and am surprised at how much energy this takes.

After working for even two hours straight, going deep, and bringing up a plethora of ideas and information, I’m exhausted. I feel as if I’ve just run a race or swam for an hour. Actually, I feel more tired than if I’ve worked out because when I exercise, I usually get a rush of energy afterwards.

We writers need plenty of energy to accomplish our goals. Here are my top tips for keeping the mental gears well oiled while working on a new project: Read more

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