Writers. We love secrets. We buy books promising them, attend workshops hunting for them, and corner successful authors at conferences and ask them, “What’s your secret?” We hope the answer involves a special pen, a cabin in Key West, or consuming enough caffeine to stay awake for a week. Time is the Most Valuable Writing Tool Bestselling author Peter James reportedly writes two hours a day, six days a week, beginning at 6 p.m. He also creates deadlines to keep … Read More »

Creative writing is a little like cage fighting before an audience of five. Cage fighting might provide more immediate satisfaction. At least there is a live crowd and an occasional cheer. Writers, after several rounds of circling their doubts, may land only one punch—on their inner critic. Common Wounds Sustained by Writers The writer’s wounds are made of commas, unanswered emails, and sentences that looked brilliant at midnight but, by breakfast, resemble something written by a loopy cage fighter with … Read More »