The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Do you have a plan to survive the countless rejections that will come your way? Create that plan! Ah, this tip from Dr. Maisel pinpoints a truth difficult for most of us to accept. When we create and share our writing with the world, rejection is inevitable. It can...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Grow more creative by not fearing blunders. Notice and feel the feelings that inevitably come with writing messy early drafts. Then say, “I can survive these feelings!” Remind yourself that you must grow easy with messiness. All ideas, whether they begin as budding...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Luciano Pavarotti said, “People think I’m disciplined. It’s not discipline. It’s devotion, and there’s a great difference.” Think about that difference! Many of us have schedules or rituals that we adhere to in our writing practice. All the writing advice points to...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
You must reckon with your own character. Writing requires curiosity. Are you curious enough? Writing requires risk-taking. Are you willing to risk? Writing requires energy. Can you marshal and unleash your energy? Writing requires patience. Have you cultivated that...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Be consistent in showing up. Getting to your writing only once in a while won’t keep it alive. Make “routine” and “regularity” sacred words! Creative people are often spontaneous and many of us prefer to work when we are “inspired.” What a mysterious and magical idea...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Writers who do not write are often perfectionists. Since perfection does not exist and it is wholly unattainable, perfectionism leads us to procrastinate. In turn, procrastination turns into paralysis, i.e., not writing. Perfectionism is the primary reason I see for...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
Pull out three sheets of paper. Label the first page “Starting,” the second page “Working,” and the third page “Completing.” List as many strategies as you can to help you start, work, and complete your creative project. What strategies do you use to begin and carry...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
If you intend to go deep in your writing, you must not fear the darkness. It is in that darkness that your new, and possible your best, work resides. You must proceed blind and uncertain into that darkness, but in there resides your future accomplishments. When you...
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
You will have your critics. What will you do about them? Last week, we discussed our external critics—friends, family, fellow writers, perhaps agents and publishers—and identified five ways to deal with them. This week, the subject is our harshest critic—ourselves....
The Craft of Writing, The Writer's Life
You will have your critics. What will you do about them? Our critics are both external and internal. External critics may be friends, family, fellow writers, agents and publishers if we are lucky enough to have them. These external critics may give us positive...
