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 »

Artificial intelligence, more commonly referred to as AI, is the hot tech topic of the day. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) wants AI addressed in their contract negotiations and Congress is holding a series of AI Insight Forums to gain a better understanding of it. If you find yourself wondering what AI means to the average writer, read on. Chat GPT To gain an understanding of just what AI can do, let’s take a look at a highly popular … Read More »

Summer is upon us! It’s time for vacations, beach trips, lazy afternoons, and bucket lists. Summer bucket lists are easy to find, and they’re filled with fun ideas. Go ziplining, Spot a herd of manatees. Swim in a lake. But what about writers? Wouldn’t it be fun to turn your writing goals and to-do list into a summer bucket list? What would that list include? How could it be both goal-oriented and fun? Well, I have a few ideas. Write … Read More »

The other day in our writer’s group, somebody brought up the idea of each of us taking responsibility for a periodic “artist’s date” to recharge our creativity. Those of you who remember Julia Cameron’s 2020 blockbuster The Artist’s Way will recognize this concept. I, who avoid self-help books, did not, but when its eloquent proponent among us presented the idea, it sounded extremely appealing. And then I realized I’ve been on one long artist’s date here on the farm, and … Read More »