(Read Part 1 of Regain the Passion first.) When does passion flourish? Under what conditions? First, a writer’s passion is generally at its highest point when life is going well. (Big surprise!) When relationships are smooth, health is good, there’s enough money to pay the bills, the writer is following a healthy diet and getting […]
encouragement
Regain the Passion
Has this ever happened to you? You’re half-way through a short story revision, or the rough draft of your novel, or the research for a biography—and without warning, you lose your desire for the project. The passion evaporates. You feel lethargic, sad, and brain dead (or least oxygen deprived.) You put your writing away for […]
Nourish Your Writer's Soul with Spontaneous Combustion
For the past month, I have been choosing what Nancy Butts calls “activities that nourish your writer’s soul” (from Spontaneous Combustion: A Writer’s Primer for Creative Revival by Nancy.) In fact, one of the activities I do each day, before I work on my novel, is to read half a chapter or so of Nancy’s book. […]
Calming the Writer's Soul
I sat down to write four times this morning, but my mind simply wouldn’t stop jumping the tracks. One second I’d be thinking, “This backstory paragraph slows down the opening and should be moved.” The next minute, with a catch in my throat, I was thinking about Laurie again. Get a Grip! My daughter is on her […]
Food for Thought
When I read nonfiction books, I underline important parts. Next to very important sections, I put a star. If the passage really touched something deep in me, it gets a star within a circle. Over the holiday weekend, I had the pleasure of a couple free hours that I spent re-reading some “star-within-a-circle” portions of […]
For Your Holiday Weekend
When you take a break on this hot Fourth of July weekend, try some of these articles. They’ll keep you in a writing frame of mind! What If You Think You Might Be a Mediocre Fiction Writer? Every novelist hits the point, sooner or later, where they think they just might not actually have any talent. What do […]
Uncommon Perseverance
The last two weeks we’ve talked about the stages of success. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the one quality that is a “must have”: perseverance. According to the dictionary, “perseverance” is steady persistence in a course of action, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. This year I worked with a young […]
Stage Four: Survival and Growth
Okay, you prepared (Stage One). You explored your options (Stage Two). You got started (Stage Three). Now you’re ready for Stage Four of “The Five Stages of Success”, where you survive and thrive. Start-Up Speeds You might have had a very fast start. That would be the writer who published the first thing he submitted, […]
Fillers and Drainers
I heard a sermon awhile back about life being filled with “fillers” and “drainers.” The pastor was talking about people, of course. Fillers are people who know how to encourage you and build you up. Drainers are in your life because they need encouragement and help; however, they don’t have time for you if you […]