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Mar 7

Try this revision tip: Look for sticky words and sentences

I’m always looking for ways to step back from my own writing so that I can see it more objectively through the eyes of a reader.

One way I do this is by editing for various elements, including what I like to call “sticky words.” I call them sticky because — for better or worse — they stick in my mind when I read them.

Without trying to be too analytical, I take a colored pen or pencil and circle any words or sentences that strike me or stop the flow. I might not know why they hit me a certain way, but I’m trying to follow my instincts.

The sticky words and sentences might indicate:

  1. Overwritten text or purply prose. In this case, I fix these sentences by rewriting or deleting them. Read more

Mar 6

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My favorite writing journals

I have a confession to make. I’m a journal-a-holic. It’s serious. It’s bad. I should be ashamed. I don’t always write longhand–often I use my laptop–but when I do write in a notebook or journal I want it to be special.

I’ve always liked bright, shiny things. They make me feel happy. So, naturally, I want a sparkly writing journal. And, because I have several journals going at once for various projects, I use my label machine to make a label for the front cover. (It satisfies my O.C.D).

Below are a few of my favorite journals:

The Spirit of Flight Journal. I have two of these — one for poetry and one for my fantasy book. I like the picture on the outside cover. It reminds me of the protagonist of my next book. Read more

Mar 5

Play like a child to boost your creativity

One of my writing teachers once gave me and the rest of the students in our class an assignment to “play.” She went so far as to assign toys to us.

Somehow, she knew that playing would help us stretch our creative muscles. She instructed me to play with Play-Doh, the squishy colored clay you probably had as a kid.

I remembered this recently while reading the book, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World: Reclaim Your True Nature to Create the Life You Wantby Martha Beck. Beck writes about a genetic trait called “neoteny” from the Greek word “neo,” which means new, and tenein, which means “to stretch.” Read more

Mar 2

My 4-step plan for taking care of myself while writing

Writing is a solitary job. We hide ourselves away in our own little world and sit for hours a day, sometimes forgetting to eat, drink, or even get up and stretch. Over time, these little neglects add up and suddenly I find myself having a hard time standing straight after a long writing session. Or, I feel lightheaded or mentally foggy because I haven’t eaten enough.

I don’t like to eat first thing in the morning–I’m more of a “where’s my coffee?” kind of girl. In fact, even thinking of eating something as soon as I get out of bed makes me nauseous. I like to wait a bit. But then I get busy–the phone rings or there’s some emergency in our business–and, before I know it, it’s 1 or 2pm and I still haven’t eaten. It’s no wonder why I’m so hungry at night and then eat too much. I KNOW this wrecks my metabolism and causes even more stress to my stressed-out thyroid so I’ve been working on some strategies to help myself remember to eat and move.

As artists, and especially writers, it’s important to take care of our minds and bodies, to stay mentally and physically alert. The conditions of our body and mind can directly impact the quality of our art.

Here are a few tips I find helpful: Read more

Mar 1

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Revise by pretending your copy isn’t yours

One of the challenges of revising my own work is that I’m too close to my words and ideas. I recently found a technique, though, that helps me achieve distance and offers a new perspective.

When I read my drafts, I practice the same skill that I use when I critically read and annotate literature. I ask myself what I think the “author” (me)  intended to communicate from a writerly perspective.

I select a piece of my text and ask:

What did “the writer” mean or want to say? Why did the author choose this approach, this way of saying it, this form? I examine sentences and words with the same lens that I do when I read and analyze fiction, poetry, and memoir to ask myself if the sentences work. Do they flow? Why did the writer make these choices and what is the result? Read more

Feb 29

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If your life was a book…

If your life were a book and you were the author, how would you want your story to go?

This is the question Amy Purdy asks at the beginning of her 9-minute Ted talk. At the age of 19, Amy lost both legs below the knees and had to remake her life.  Purdy says that obstacles are where our imaginations and story begin. Being creative isn’t just about our writing or our art…see how Amy turned her  tragedy into a blessing and gift by using her creativity.

Feb 28

Answer these four big picture questions to find your memoir’s focus

Pulling a cohesive thread out of the chaos of a life can be challenging. The sooner you can figure out what slice of your life you want to write about, the sooner you will be able to focus on the most relevant events for your memoir and their meaning.

Start with these four areas of reflection:

Turning points  – What were key moments that brought major and minor changes? Some of these can be parents divorcing, the death of a loved one, or struggles by another family member that changed how you look at or experience life. Read more

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