Writers are opinionated people. Our brains never seem to stop. We criticize because we “know” how things and people should be. This “critical editor component” of our personality is absolutely invaluable to the editing and revision process. If you can’t spot what’s wrong with a manuscript, you can’t fix it. However, this same critical ability can […]
Month: July 2018
Age: Are You Too Old to Write?
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” –Satchel Paige I had a blog reader last week mention that she was probably too old to start writing. I’d like to debunk that myth. It’s never too late to get started. It’s always a good time to tackle a new dream. […]
The People Around You: Well-Poisoners, Lawn-Mowers, and Life-Enhancers
The blog post earlier this week, Conversations Crucial for Creative Success, generated more private email responses from people than any post I’ve written in years. Some readers told about overcoming the negative impact of verbal put-downs by parents and other family members. Some blog readers found people in their lives to lack reciprocity: no willingness […]
Conversations Crucial for Creative Success
Research indicates that the average person has about 50,000 conversations with himself a day. (I bet writers do it even more!) Most of that ruminating is about yourself, and according to the psychological researchers, the inner self-talk is 80% negative. While much of the negativity comes from criticizing ourselves (I don’t like my new jeans… […]
Choosing Not to Care–At Least, Not So Much
“Doing our best has limits,” says Richard Swenson, author of Margins. “Our rush toward excellence in one quadrant of life must not be permitted to cause destruction in another.” Those who go “all out” for success in one area – even writing – risk failure in other important areas of life. The tug of war happens […]
Talent, Passion, and Discipline: a Balancing Act
As a writer, don’t ever underestimate the power of self-discipline. Talent, passion, and discipline are needed—but the greatest of these is discipline. Best-selling author Elizabeth George speaks to this point on the first day she faces her students in her creative writing classes. Study this quote from her book, Write Away—and read through to the zinger […]
Why Accountability for Writers? For the Simple Reason that IT WORKS!
If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with a group. (African proverb) It’s the end of the first week of Camp NaNoWriMo, where a writer friend and I created a private two-person cabin and set some hefty writing goals (hefty, considering what else is going on in […]