Whether you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo this month or simply trying to keep your rating on track, I have five tips from the trenches of the extreme creativity challenge world.

Recommended:

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson

No Plot, Not Problem by Chris Baty

Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody

Power Nap  by Andrew Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXBG1-1zI_E

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

In which I talk about how writing helped me in the wake of a recent, unexpected loss, and the importance of writing for an audience of one.

LINKS

Listen to my recent interview on the Unmistakable Creative Podcast: https://stada.me/unmistakable

Listen to me talk about short stories on the Kiingo podcast: https://stada.me/kiingo

An Audience Of One by Srini Rao: https://amzn.to/2Mroq3w (aff)

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Fresh from the trenches of StoryADay September, a question about how to get to the resolution of a story.

Plus: 

More Julie on the Kiingo.com podcast: https://kiingo.com/blog/short-stories-with-julie-duffy

Sign up for daily prompts this September: https://storyaday.org/next-challenge

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

It’s tough to cross the threshold from the ordinary world to the magical world where you are a writer. I know. And i have some ideas…

LINKS

StoryADay Superstars: https://members.storyaday.org/join

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Are you ready to write a story a day this September so you can prove to yourself that you CAN make writing a priority, you CAN be more creative, you CAN get unblocked and write stories that amaze yourself and delight readers?

I share my top tips for a successful month of extreme writing.

Sign up for daily prompts during September at

StoryADay.org/next-challenge

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

The StoryADay community shares what they’re writing and they’re most likely to get that writing-high (you know the one, right?)

And in this episode I encourage you to make this last part of 2019 the best of your writing life.

This coming week I’m sending out a series of emails with my best tips for creating a fulfilling writing life. Make sure you sign up for that and information about StoryADay September: 

StoryADay.org/next-challenge

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Do you give yourself permission to make your art, to write? Do you feel like you have to ask permission? What ripples spread out when you write? 

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

This week someone accused me of doing something decadent. It was meant as a joke, but it got under my skin, and It got me thinking about all the things we have to do as writers that might seem decadent to ‘normal’ people.

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Talking about dialogue, I discovered a rule that can sometimes be broken. Also: procrastination!!

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Are you holding yourself back? In this episode, I look at three events that have me thinking about what we all have to gain from doing our creative work with integrity, tenacity and bravery. 

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Readers can’t love your story if they don’t love your character.

LINKS

https://storyaday.org/creating-compelling-characters

A raw, mini episode to celebrate the successful conclusion of StoryADay May 2019

links:

Day 31: https://StoryADay.org/2019-05-31

SWAGr for June: https://storyaday.org/swagr-jun-2019/

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

A popular resource at StoryADay is the StADa Short Story Framework.

Now it’s available to everyone as a download: https://stada.me/framework

Also in this episode I talk about the upcoming events at StoryADay after May finishes, including the Critique Week and StoryFest and, of course, StoryADay September!

https://storyaday.org/events

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

11 days into StoryADay May 2019 and things might not be going quite as you planned, in your writing.

In this episode I share some strategies for saving your StoryADay May 2019, and share some feedback from other writers who are engaged in the challenge. 

Also: I absolve you of any guilt for past writing sins and encourage you to stride into the future with a clean conscience!

LINKS:

StoryADay/NaNoWriMo Livestream: https://stada.me/ywp-flash

Save Our StoryADay emergency post: https://stada.me/sos

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

This week I talk about character: how to take the inner journey of your character and show it through external actions. 

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Finding support for your writing can seem like a weird idea; isn’t writing all about one person, alone in their room, listening to their imaginary friends? 

It turns out that support from other writers (with whom we are absolutely not competing) is a great way to advance your own writing. 

In this episode I talk about where to find support, how to make the most of it, and how to grow your network in the least-painful way possible, even if you are chronically shy.

LINKS

This week’s writing prompt: https://storyaday.org/wow-connection

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

In your writing practice, what counts as ‘writing’? Do you give yourself credit for reading time? Revisions? Taking classes? Or do you feel guilty about now being productive when you aren’t adding new words to a story?

RESOURCES

Does Thinking Count As Writing: https://stada.me/think

Learning To Make Choices: https://stada.me/choice

Writing Prompts – Scenarios: https://stada.me/scenarios

Writing Prompts – Word Lists: https://stada.me/wordlists

Beyond Word Count: https://stada.me/track

Stay Excited About Your Writing: https://stada.me/excited

Write When You Don’t Feel Like It: https://stada.me/dontwanna

Leave a comment on this post: https://stada.me/126

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

Setting writing goals is one thing. Living with them, quite another.

This month’s theme at StoryADay is Goals Vs. Reality.

LINKS:

Your invitation to the March Hangout: This event has passed

Breaking Writers’ Block ebook: https://amzn.to/2Xq13My

The YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/QNfeGG6hsPA

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

What kind of writer are you? What kind of culture do you want to create? What kind of writing life are you aiming for?

In this episode I ponder these questions and talk a little about this month’s theme of Flash Fiction.

And I invite you to share what inspires you, right now: https://stada.me/124

:LINKS:

Seth Godin’s The Big Sort https://stada.me/g-bigsort

Chuck Wending’s blog post about writers and day jobs https://stada.me/w-dayjob

Story Review: Joan of Arc Sits Naked In Her Dorm Room https://stada.me/rr-joan

More short stories: 

And You Thought Your Last Breakup Was Bad: Five love stories by Matt Leibel https://stada.me/leibel

Seven Stories by Alex Epstein https://stada.me/epstein

Sh*t Boyfriends, stories by Kathy Fish and Dorothy Bendel https://stada.me/valentine

:CREDITS:

Main title music by Alan McPike: https://www.standardstrax.com/

Incidental music by Rebecca Reads www.fiverr.com/rebecca_reads

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

What do you do when it’s difficult to write? Here’s what I did this week.

You can find all the links and discussion I talked about, here: https://storyaday.org/when-writing-stalls

And here’s the Serious Writers’ Accountability Group (SWAGr) for Feb 2019: https://storyaday.org/swagr-feb-2019/

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

As a writer, what do you need? Do you need a desk? A room of your own? Scrivener? A pad and paper and something to lean on?

The answer is probably ‘it depends’. And it’s important to figure out what you need, and when. 

Other writers (often in the form of writers’ groups) can help you find your groove as a writer. 

In this episode I talk about finding your groove, and the value of writers’ groups.

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

In which I encourage you to celebrate the end/start of the year however makes you happiest!

If you want planning docs find them here: https://stada.me/pace

If you want to set some goals for January, check in at StoryADay.org on Jan 1 for our SWAGr group.

And if your goals are simply to stand in front of the mirror every day and say “I am a writer” (see last podcast for identity), that’s OK too (I suspect if you do that, you’ll end up actually writing).

Other resources at StoryADay to help jump start your writing after a break:

Help! I’m Drowning In Story Ideas: https://stada.me/stadadrown

Does Thinking Count As Writing?: https://stada.me/stadathink

Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

Should you focus on your goals (the outcome you want) or your identity (“I am a writer”) if you want to succeed?

This week I talk about the idea that it is much easier to create a good habit if you see yourself as the type of person who DOES a thing, rather than as someone who wishes they had the ability/time/resources to do a thing.

LINKS:

Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://stada.me/atomic (Amazon affiliate link)

StoryADay Set & Meet Goals post: https://stada.me/pace

Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

Encouraging you to find the creative joy in your writing at this midpoint of NaNoWriMo (or what ever writing challenge has you down), through playfulness. 

RESOURCES:

Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer

Check out the Keep Writing Workbook from StoryADay