Every time I get together with my writing group, I feel much better about my work (and also how hard writing is). As you (my nonexistent readers) know, I didn’t manage to send them the 50 pages that I was supposed to two weeks ago. I still have not made much progress writing (and today… Continue reading September 9: Writer Friends
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September 8: Practice makes…more practice?
A anyone who’d been following along may have noticed, I did skip posting the last three days. I also wasn’t able to write for two of them, I’m starting to think more about what it means to have a writing practice, and what that practice looks like. For example, does a practice schedule always have… Continue reading September 8: Practice makes…more practice?
September 4: Endings
I am often stumped by aspects of novel writing, not least of which is how people manage to write satisfying endings. I feel like I’ve been searching for an ending to this particular novel for years, and none of them have been quite right. Today I expanded on a brief paragraph I’d written based on… Continue reading September 4: Endings
September 3: A Scene
Today is the first day of September that I’ve had to work, and I knew it would be a real test of this process. Historically, I’ve been great at writing every day when I have no other commitments, but as soon as I need to go into the office or hang out with friends, things… Continue reading September 3: A Scene
September 2: Morning Pages
This morning I was woken up by my doorbell. No one ever rings my doorbell, so I was very annoyed and planning to ignore it until I got a text from my Amazon delivery driver saying that he wanted to leave my package somewhere safe. I buzzed the driver in and a few minutes later… Continue reading September 2: Morning Pages
September 1: Starting a Habit
One of my promises to myself this year was that I would be dedicated to my writing, both in daily commitments and by taking time out of my busy schedule to focus solely on writing. I’ve done a lot of the latter – I’ve attended a few writing retreats since graduating from the Novel Incubator… Continue reading September 1: Starting a Habit
I’m Supposed to Write Every Day?
What does it say about me that my day job is in project management, but whenever someone tells me I need a writing schedule I just laugh? Being a part of the Novel Incubator program at GrubStreet means I have made a commitment to my writing for at least a year, but I’ve still had… Continue reading I’m Supposed to Write Every Day?
Learning To Be Alone
I believe that learning how to be alone is a life skill, and like most life skills it’s not easy. It’s hard to be alone, with nothing to distract you from your own thoughts and feelings. It’s hard to walk into a restaurant and say “table for one, please.” But I honestly think I’ve grown… Continue reading Learning To Be Alone
The Story of a Girl Who Loves Itineraries
I always have the travel bug, but honestly it’s been worse than usual lately. This is unfortunate because I’ve been busier than usual, but that just means I have to be a little more creative about when and where I travel. My most recent success story was a day trip in San Diego in March.… Continue reading The Story of a Girl Who Loves Itineraries
The Casual Writer
For most of December and January, I worked on finishing my novel. I’d been working on it for a long time before that (years), but at a slow, comfortable pace. For most of that time, I was a casual writer. It seems odd to think that, but it’s true. I wrote on weekends (sometimes). I… Continue reading The Casual Writer