Novels, short fiction, and verbal storytelling give readers whole worlds that exist only in their heads. Literally in their own heads because no two readers are going to mentally see all the details of these fictional creations in quite the same way, but they can seem very real. As fiction writers, if we want to steal material from real life to create fiction, how do we separate the two in ways that disconnect truth from fiction? People It can be … Read More »

Every writer welcomes and treasures those times when the writing comes easy. The scenes pretty much write themselves – all you have to do is put your hands on the keyboard and they settle themselves into your story with ease and grace. What happens when that inner voice guiding you goes silent and the writing comes to a screeching halt? Mix It Up I’ve written about this before. When I’m writing (and things have slowed to a crawl), I step … Read More »

There’s traveling to research settings for fiction, travel for a wide variety of non-fiction articles, and then there’s traveling with kids, family, friends, or for business. Traveling with others for fun can make it difficult to fit in the words we thought we’d get while daydreaming at our day job desk or hauling children to soccer practice. Vacation or conference hours have a way of re-shaping themselves on the fly and we never have enough of them. If you want … Read More »

When it comes to writer’s block, Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, Jason Isbell, is fond of saying “it doesn’t exist.” In the last six years, he has recorded three albums and contributed to countless collaborative projects. How has he maintained such a high creative output? It’s easier when a melody is running through you head?  Maybe. Or, it’s because as he says, “I think that’s just laziness. You can go through periods where you don’t like what you’re working on, but … Read More »

I have evolved as a writer in that I need (not want) to write every day. It’s woven itself into the fabric of my very being. If I find the day slipping by and I haven’t written in one form or another, unease and guilt seeps into my soul. To relieve my self-imposed angst and still function in my day-to-day life, I’ve come up with a variety of remedies to keep my sanity somewhat intact. Pencil and Paper Depending where … Read More »

Whether or not you are a member of a writing group, consider having a WHAT group once in a while to augment your writing life. I came up with the acronym—Writing Here Alone Together—but the concept is not new. All it means is that I invited a group of writer friends to my house to sit and write. I’ve held only a few WHAT sessions at my home, but already they’ve given me a nudge to keep writing. Here’s how … Read More »