As a writer, “style” is a thing we’re supposed to find. It will define us, they say; set us apart as a distinct, creative voice in a vast field of creative voices. It’s our brand. It’s the thing—our “signature”—that marks each of our stories or novels as uniquely ours no matter how different in subject matter [...]
Category > Process
Five Time and Task Management Tips for Writers.
I’m an IT project manager by day. For the past couple of months, I’ve started applying to my creative life some of the productivity techniques and principles I use at work. I thought I’d share some of my successes, with the hope that at least one of you may find them helpful. Please feel free [...]
Working through self-doubt
I live with a character flaw that I cope with on a daily basis. It drags me down, sometimes to the edge of despair, like a lead weight tied around my waist. I know I’m not alone; most of my writers friends suffer from the same ailment. There is solidarity in our struggle — an [...]
Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Goals
What do you think of your goals? Are they all thorny stick, no carrot cake? Do your goals tire you more than they inspire you? If so, you’re not alone! Think of this post as a Dear Abby or Savage Love column for those of you who, like me, are in dysfunctional relationships with your [...]
Exploratory Writing–a guest post by Kaolin Fire
Here’s a guest post from the fantastic writer/poet/editor/code dude/creator Kaolin Fire. If you’ve ever wondered what it means to write by the seat of your pants, this is the way he does it: Hello. My name is Kaolin, and I’m a pantser. I think that means the same thing for everyone, pretty much, but I was [...]
It’s Not a Race
Chris East is a writer, editor, reviewer, bassist, and general media junkie, who grew up in western New York and gradually migrated west to Los Angeles. He has a special studies writing degree from New York University, SUNY at Fredonia, and Michigan State University and attended the Clarion and Taos Toolbox writing workshops. His fiction [...]
A Willingness to Learn
I was a really lousy student, from grade school through my first attempt at college. Teachers thought I might be slow and made me suffer through batteries of tests and classes on preparation in an effort to get me to do my homework. It didn’t work. I barely made it through grade 12 and I [...]
Guest Post by Jack Graham: A novel is an engineering project
Back in March, my colleague John Remy posted here about using kanban, a project management technique originally invented by Toyota engineers, to keep track of multiple short fiction projects. John and I have both worked in the Information Technology field – I as a software analyst. His post got me thinking about how I’ve re-purposed [...]
YES, BUT– NO, AND
[6/15, 11:15 am: This post has been edited--when I originally posted, late last night, I had accidentally switched ALL THE PREPOSITIONS, giving "Yes, and," and "No, but." Which can still generate some good ideas, but I think you'll find these slightly more useful. Thanks again to Mary Kowal for catching my blunder!] This spring I [...]
Revision: Art or Craft?
Do you see your writing as more of an art, or a craft? Is your ability to tell stories something inherent and intuitive, or is each sentence the product of conscious, deliberate, meticulous crafting? (In D&D terms, are you more sorcerer or wizard?) I think I’m a mix of both. Some aspects of writing flow [...]
