Dear writers who are afraid of the first draft, It's all right. As cliché as it might sound, we've all been there with a blank page hovering in front of us. Uneven plot lines. Characters with blue eyes one page and brown eyes twenty pages later. Ideas swarm around in our heads, but none make … Continue reading To writers who fear the first draft
Tag: writing is like a
Writing every day
Writing every day used to be an ideal, a goal. I thought I must be getting somewhere if I improved my skill every day. I had to be. How else was I going to get better? I'd write even if it wasn't good writing. To practice was to improve. It didn't matter what was on … Continue reading Writing every day
Your rejection
The first time I realized something is wrong with me— No. Hold up. Is it wrong of me to say that? When you break me into pieces over something I created, can I— No. I’ll start over. Reset. Words on pages have always been my passion. No matter if I write it or not, it’s … Continue reading Your rejection
Powerful small words
My mind buzzed over and over in a spiral. Lately, nothing had gone right in the writing world. My blog was floating above the water. I hadn't been able to work on my novel or short stories in a while. My critics gave me the same reply: "good but not good enough." Because writers could … Continue reading Powerful small words
Writing nothing
Do you ever feel like you want to write but can’t? You stare at the screen for ten minutes before you decide, “Well, this isn’t going anywhere.” You look up what other people wrote online, but your mind says something like: “I can’t copy what she wrote. But would people notice if we wrote about … Continue reading Writing nothing
A writer’s journey (part five) – small publications
Eventually the editing has to stop, right? All the hours to days to months to years of editing that one certain story cannot keep going on. It's difficult to stop. It's more difficult to get your stories out there and known however. Many literary agents love to accept writers that already have a name for … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part five) – small publications
Oh. You want the truth?
Oh. You want the truth? It’s a bit messy. It’s the joke your friends make that you laugh off. It’s the smiles and tears that come when someone finally sees the end. It’s the hours upon hours of sitting in one place, hoping the mixture of words turn out better, while knowing you’ll be sitting … Continue reading Oh. You want the truth?
#1 writing mistake
Over the years, I've read hundreds of novels and short stories. One mistake sticks out the most: showing the story instead of telling it. Telling is when a writer states their story rather than shows it through the details. An example would be: There was mist over the lake. Showing your story is when actions describe what's … Continue reading #1 writing mistake
Joy of writing
A deadline stares at you. Or the goal you set for yourself is already years behind you. Another rejection letter sits in your trashcan. Or another critic couldn't make it through your story without ripping it to shreds. Either way, sometimes it's difficult to remember the joys of writing. Creating something on a page is … Continue reading Joy of writing
A writer’s journey (part four) – editing all the time
Writing never stops and neither does editing. I’ve found that I almost enjoy editing a piece more than writing one. At the end of the day, I like to say, “Look how much this piece has grown! It has more character developments and details. It also flows more since I took out the first three … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part four) – editing all the time
Robin LeeAnn 