When I was in high school, I missed a lot of questions on a lot of tests. But there’s one question I’ll never forget. It was pretty simple. The image displayed a slice of the earth’s interior, with a question: What is the name of the stuff in the middle? I thought of two answers. One was “the core of the earth,” because that IS the middle (and was the correct answer). But I tried to outsmart the question, and … Read More »

Writers are dedicated, committed, sometimes obsessed individuals. Their creativity seldom gives them a moment’s peace. Some writers work on multiple projects simultaneously, which amps up the pressure to create even more and leaves little, if any, time to just chill a little. So, how does a writer take a break without feeling like they’ve abandoned their work, impatient characters, and unresolved plot? Even if writers can’t completely disconnect, let’s explore some temporary solutions. A Related Break Set your work aside … Read More »

Writers are pretty much a solitary, dedicated lot, listening to their characters and investing countless hours telling their story. Amidst that fierce determination is the stark realization that writers cannot work non-stop—it may even prove to be counter-productive. So, when is the best time to take a break, and should those breaks be totally unrelated to the craft of writing? Let’s explore some ideas about taking breaks and how they can help a writer become even more productive when they … Read More »

Sometimes writing is easy, when you feel deeply impassioned about a subject and know just how to say it. The words flow.  I think it was Truman Capote who said something like:  “I’ve always been able to throw words up in the air and have them come down in the right order.” Sometimes we can do that, too. When you’ve emptied the passion bucket, maybe all you have to do is tweak a sentence or two, choose a better word … Read More »

A friend of mine recently sent me a compiled list of writing tip lists. It’s here. (Do check it out, there’re some really good ones.) That got me thinking. I’ve been in this game for a long time—traditionally published for about forty-eight years with over 160 poems in print and 20 books out. And, of course, I’ve been writing for much longer than that. Which means that I, too, have a handy list that might supply the fuel for some … Read More »

Most writers will tell you that a writer’s group, or critique group, has proved indispensable to their writing success. The fellow writers in these groups offer encouragement, inspiration, valuable feedback from close readers, answers to other questions about the writing life (such as about the business end of things), a place to get beta readers for longer works and, often, friendship. I’ve been involved with writing groups for almost five decades and I have heard only from a couple of … Read More »