Here’s a rundown of mistake you’re probably making as a writer (plus three bonus mistakes, because we’ve all been there!)
Join us in the StoryADay Superstars group: https://stada.me/Superstars
Full transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/UzbdsMeiNBZ
Avoid the trap of writing beautiful language with no plot, but injecting some conflict into your stories…and I don’t mean car chases or war!
If there is nothing happening in your writing, your stories will be boring!
Full transcript: https://share.descript.com/embed/Wnfp8TWAI7m
Ready for more? Take the 3-Day Challenge!
…and you don’t have to be.
The writing world is fascinated with the tale of fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson who announced he had written four surprise novels over the pandemic and used a record-breaking Kickstarter to launch them.
So I’m here to remind you about the different paths available to writers, from creating a practice, to creating an empire that can run a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign.
::LINKS::
John Scalzi’s article: https://stada.me/scalzi
The 3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
Stay updated with StoryADay: https://storyaday.org/signup
Yesterday morning, my iPad and iPencil kept telling me they needed recharged (yes, normally I write on paper, but I was working with electronics for…reasons).
I charged the iPad for a while, then, impatient, pulled the cord and moved around with it.
It worked for a while then complained it needed charged.
The same thing happened with the iPencil.
In my impatience to get things done I was trying short-term, stop-gap fixes.
Finally, I realized my devices were trying to tell me something I often ignore when my body tells me the same thing:
Continue reading “Healing – A Short Story”It’s that time again: time to make your commitments to your writing for the coming month. Join us!
Welcome to the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
I popped into a writers’ group on Facebook this morning and saw something so awful, so muse-crushing, so career-killing that I had to write to you and beg you not to make the same mistake.
Sound dramatic?
That’s because I feel so strongly that you shouldn’t do what these two writers did. I’ve seen it stop writers in their tracks for years, if not forever.
What was this horrendous thing?
In two separate posts, this morning, I saw writers post their tender first efforts at writing (in their words “the opening of my novel”) in a forum full of strangers and ask for feedback.
Here are some of the responses they got:
Continue reading “Please don’t do this…”Generating words is sometimes what writing is all about. If you’ve been learning about writing for too long without writing something new, I have a challenge for you this week.
::LINKS::
The Framework: https://storyaday.org/framework
The 3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
Whether we are from within a community or an outsider, it affects how we perceive the group. That’s important for characters in your writing and it’s one of the topics on this week’s podcast, along with mindset (of course!) and what I’m reading this month. Included: a writing prompt all about the ways your characters and your readers interact
::LINKS::
Bob Newhard: https://youtu.be/p1KbtLrBZ0k
Neil Gaiman’s “Orange”: https://amzn.to/2GgNPb8
Podcast questions: https://storyaday.org/podcast
Julie Explains Things, Simply: https://stada.me/jets
00:00 20220211 Podcast
03:43 Reading Room
06:01 Community & Communication
11:13 Julie Explains Things, Simply
13:58 Writing Prompt
Transcript: https://share.descript.com/embed/IxDntQCz0Zp
This collection is a great example of what modern speculative fiction can be: fascinating, compelling, peopled by sympathetic (and not-so sympathetic) characters; surprising and familiar, inspiring, filled with mystery and a sense of discovery for the reader…and I love it when stories are connected, so I enjoyed piecing together the connections between some of the stories in the collection.
Continue reading “[Reading Room] Cosmogramma by Courttia Newland”When I ask people what questions they have about writing, they rarely ask about craft techniques. This week I talk about the transition from newspaper writing to fiction, making time to write and more.
:LINKS::
Julie Explains Things Simply on YouTube: https://stada.me/jets
It’s that time again: time to make your commitments to your writing for the coming month. Join us!
Welcome to the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
When a famous and accomplished writer I admire confessed to some imposter syndrome recently I knew I needed to talk about it (and the cure) this week…
::LINKS::
Do you believe that you have a right to write? Not that people in general have a general right to be creative. Do you believe that you, specifically, have a right to write? Even if it takes time away from your partner, even if it takes time away from your kid, even if, even if, even if…
Do you believe you have a right to write? Do you believe your voice is important? Do you believe your voice matters?
Mindset is I’m coming to believe more than half the battle when it comes to writing. Everything else? We can, we can learn as we need it. I think getting that in place is huge.
If you need a place that’s snug and safe, to work on your writing practice, consider joining us in the I, WRITER Course. Find out more.
There are so many ways to get discouraged, as a writer. Let’s not allow Social Media spats to become another.
This week I talk about ways to get your writing done, going a little slower, and how you can join me for a step-by-step walk through short story writing.
::LINKS::
Some writers become discouraged by the Morning Pages practice: It can feel like running on a treadmill to nowhere, never sure if you’re making progress.So how do you know if you’re ‘doing Morning Pages correctly’?
This morning when I had a realization that might convince you to try (or enjoy) Morning pages, yourself.
Do you write Morning Pages?
Julia Cameron popularized this free-writing practice in her book The Artist’s Way and many writers swear by it.
The idea is that you write 3 pages of no-obligation, possibly-stream-of-consciousness ‘stuff’ every morning, to warm up.
But some writers become discouraged after doing Morning Pages for a while. It can feel like you’re running on a treadmill to nowhere, never sure if you’re making progress. So how do you know if you’re ‘doing Morning Pages correctly?
I’m sporadic with the ‘morning’ part of Morning Pages, but I do tend to journal most days and/or free-write before I try to write anything ‘proper’.
That’s what I was doing this morning when I came to a realization that I thought you might enjoy sharing. it might even convince you to try Morning pages, yourself.
I am at my desk and facing the classic writers’ dilemma: there is so much I could work on. I can feel the clock ticking away the minutes I have carved out for writing and the first stirrings of panic bubble low in my chest.
I want to write. I don’t want to waste this precious moment but the task seems so huge—and it is! I either find my way back into a dormant story or begin building a whole new world full of decisions about the world (is there gravity? Are we even on earth? Which Earth? When? Where?) and people with full, complex histories before we meet them on the page. And then, how do I make something interesting happen, and keep happening?
The whole thing weighs on me like heavy cloth and I begin to feel the gravitational pull of busywork, the need for the affirmation of a thumbs up or little red heart on social media (It’ll just take a moment to check and I might get an idea for a story!) or perhaps it’s time I learned to use Scrivener properly—whatever that means. (I’m sure I bought a whole course on that.Surely when I have mastered a new tool, THEN it’ll be easier to write…)
Luckily for me, I have been pursuing my writing goals with a will for over a decade now and I know, beyond a doubt, that my only hope of doing anything like ‘good writing’ rests in one practice:
Continue reading “The Value of Morning Pages”It’s a new year, full of promise…too much promise, perhaps?
A new year can feel like that beautiful notebook someone gave you as a gift: full of potential, unspoiled…too good to mess up with your messy handwriting and half-baked ideas.
(Be honest: How many beautiful blank books do you have on your shelves just waiting for the day when you have a project worthy of their quality?)
After all the hoopla of New Year and the endless year-end review/goal setting articles flooding the web, the new year can arrive with stakes that feel ridiculously high.
So, if you’re having trouble deciding what to write this week you’re not alone. Many of us struggle with that urge to get things right. First time. This time.
But…the truth is, creativity isn’t about getting things right. It’s about making new things, which usually involves a bit of mess-making.
Know you want to write, but can’t get started? Why not start a fun project, just for you?
:: LINKS::
This episode: https://storyaday.org/episode237
@faithbougan’s tweet: https://twitter.com/FaithBoughan/status/1481844112546484225
Writing Prompt: https://storyaday.org/wow-irritable
Writing About Anger: https://storyaday.org/write-on-wednesday-anger/
Finding writing ideas: https://storyaday.org/finding-writing-ideas/
Breaking Writers’ Block ebook: https://amzn.to/3fGItKJ
The 3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
I’m guest posting at Writer Unboxed today and it’s all about how to make writing Feel more Fun. Check it out and join in the discussion
I read a lot of blogs and articles, researching the best ideas from creative folks; gems that I can share with my beloved writers.
This holiday season, I’ve definitely seen a theme emerge in posts from writers, coaches, artists, and teachers from all over the English-speaking world:
Acceptance.
And I’m excited about it.
Continue reading “You Can Do It!”
Encouragement to see possibilities, and not be burdened by perfectionism, in the New Year.
LINKS::
This episode: https://storyaday.org/episode236
3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
Serious Writers’ Accountability Group: https://stada.me/swagr
It’s that time again: time to make your commitments to your writing for the coming month. Join us!
Welcome to a new year, Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
I saw a tweet this week, asking ‘am I overly-emotional because I’m a writer, or a writer because I’m overly-emotional?” I have some thoughts…
:LINKS:
This tweet, from author AD Graves, got me thinking (shared with permission)
A link to this episode: https://storyaday.org/episode235
Writing your bio and summaries of your work causes authors all kinds of angst, but I have good news: you’re probably trying to do too much and be too clever…and this comes to our writing lives too. It’s time to strip it all back to the essentials.
::LINKS::
This episode: https://storyaday.org/episode234
Write Your Bio & Summary Workshop: https://storyaday.mykajabi.com/join-workshop
Setting writing goals for next year includes reflecting on what we’ve achieved in the past. In this episode I invite you to expand your definition of ‘success’ and talk about Stephen Sondheim. I also encourage you to see moments of frustration as signposts.
::LINKS::
Welcome to the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
I’m chatting about writing, prompts and what it takes to build a writing habit on this weeks’s Pencils&Lipstick #podcast
If you don’t know what to write in your bio…steal!
Plus a writing prompt from Michael X. Wang, author of the short story collection “Further News of Defeat”
LINKS
The Writing Prompt: https://storyaday.org/2021-day-12/
Michael X. Wang’s “Further News of Defeat”: https://stada.me/mxwang
The 3-Day Challenge, a short story course: https://storyaday.org/3dc
You have to talk about yourself and your work. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. The good news? If you can give yourself permission, you CAN learn to do this.
::LINKS::
What is the difference between writing a scene and writing a summary and when should you do each? I’m sharing notes from my upcoming workshop on that topic, in this episode. Learn why it’s important to write scenes not just summary. And learn when to use them.
LINKS
Register for the workshop
Take the 3-Day Challenge
Find the story ‘Escape from the Dysphesiac People’ by Brandon Hobson in The Best American Short Stories 2021
Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland
(These book links help support indie bookstore Reads & Company in Pennsylvania)
Here at StoryADay I talk a lot about the importance of not just starting, but also finishing your work.
Finishing (and sharing) your stories allows you to improve your craft with words, but just as importantly it helps you get to grips wiht your process as a writer.
You might wish you were the kind of writer who could get up at 5 o’clock every morning and write 2,000 words and then get on with your day. And maybe you can white-knuckle it for a week or two.
But maybe your process is different.
And would it be so terrible if you allowed yourself to start with what comes naturally and build on that?
I’m preparing a new workshop and was getting discouraged about my apparent lack of progress.
I had a little freak-out as I sat down at the blank page to make myself start work on the outline.
Then I laughed.
Because the words ‘customary freak-out’ popped into my head and I remembered that this isn’t new. This is my process when i’m creating anything new, whether it’s a workshop, a story, or a whole course.
It goes like this:
Since we’ve been through this before, my brain has started to move the ‘freak out’ date further from the delivery date (thanks, brain!) so there’s more time between the messy first draft and the production copy.
But it has only done this because I’ve finished and delivered things (workshops, essays, books, articles, speeches, launches) so many times before.
I envy people who can work on a project for an hour a day for a month, making steady progress. That doesn’t seem to produce my best work, or make me happy.
I’m reluctant to say that I can’t change that, because clearly things can change. I’m not pulling all-nighters. I’ve discovered I can work at any time of the day, not just my beloved vampire-hours. Mindset controls a lot.
But I suspect that working with, rather than against, our natural inclinations, makes for an easier route to productivity. My process isn’t all rainbows and sprinkles, but it works for me.
Your process may be different from mine (I hope it is!) It very likely is.
If you think you don’t have a process, it may be that you’re not paying attention OR that you’re not finishing and ‘shipping’ products.
There is an inherent stress in making all the decision needed to call a piece ‘finished’. There is anxiety in showing it to people. You’re raising the stakes. But raised stakes cause us to pull out all the stops. Extra effort builds muscle. The adreneline rush of promising to show your work makes you strive to do your best work.
The more often you go through the whole process of producing and sharing work, the better you will your own process.
And the sooner you can recognize your process for what it is, stop fighting and start tweaking it so that you can produce more, get more creative, and be more fulfilled.
Happy creating!
Have you noticed what your creative process is? What do you do that other people might not recognize as forward progress? Leave a comment!
Welcome to the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group!
Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.
Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.
(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)
Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.
And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!
Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month
****
Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months
So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)
(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)
If you want to improve your writing you know you have to revise your writing. But, in my work with writers I encounter a lot of resistance when it comes to revision.
Some of this resistance comes from myths around the best way to revise and edit your own writing.
I’m here to bust seven of those myths.
For more, listen to the companion podcast episode
It’s not.
As I talked about last week, seeing where you’re succeeding can be just as important, if not more than seeing what’s not working. You don’t want to cut out your best lines!.
It can be helpful to get other people to look at your work, both for a fresh pair of eyes on a project we may be too close to, and because we do tend to be a little hard on ourselves.
Experienced writers tend to have a well-developed sense of what’s working in their writing as well as what’s not…but it’s not flawless and we all need a little feedback from time to time.
And when you DO find something that needs to be reworked (let’s not call it a ‘failure’) work on celebrating.
So celebrate!
The only qualification to be a ‘Superstar” is a desire to write and support your fellow writers.
A supportive group of committed writers, who meet virtually, support each other’s efforts, and inspire each other.
Registration for 2024 open now-June 8, 2024
The only qualification to be a ‘Superstar” is a desire to write and support your fellow writers.
A supportive group of committed writers, who meet virtually, support each other’s efforts, and inspire each other.
Registration for 2024 open now-June 8, 2024
A 6-part journey through the short story.
Starts July 28, 2023
![[Reading Room] Cosmogramma by Courttia Newland](https://storyaday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Reading-Room-Newland-1200x675.png)
