Blog
Seven reasons to write short stories
In my reading nook with two of my favorite short story collections by Alice Munro and Ottessa Moshfegh I think I might be accidentally writing a book. About a year ago, I wrote a short story, just on a creative impulse. I was in a weird place personally and emotionally,
Eight tools from fiction to make you a better screenwriter
This article originally appeared in the newsletter of the Phoenix Screenwriters Association. To sign up for their newsletters, filled with screenwriting tips and industry news, go here. After studying and practicing screenwriting for years, and working in TV development in Los Angeles, I decided to try something new, and wrote
Why is imposter syndrome so common among writers?
This post is an expansion of an article I originally wrote for Charlotte Lit’s Lit Bits series in their newsletter. For more on Charlotte Lit, including info on an intro to screenwriting course I’ll be teaching for them in February 2023, check out their website. There are a lot of
The Two Types of Suspense, and How to Create Them
Even if you’re not writing a story that one would typically think of as suspenseful—say a mystery, or thriller, or horror piece—you probably do want to keep your readers in suspense. Think of suspense as the invisible fishing wire pulling readers through from paragraph to paragraph, chapter to chapter. If
The Funnel: One simple approach for going from blank page to book
So you’ve decided to write a book. So you’re staring at a blank Word document. So what now? In my last post, I talked about the paradox of creativity: that sometimes putting restrictions on the writing process can push you to tap into your imagination. That article includes my thoughts
Loving the Box: How to find inspiration in your limits
The career of a writer is often a case of hurry up and wait. Or more accurately, wait and hurry up. You work on project after project on your own, for free, with no deadlines except those you impose on yourself. This can go on for years. Then, something happens:
The Iceberg
I have a love-loathe relationship with social media. I’ve met some incredibly cool people through it, but for every one of them, there’s a hundred randos and spammers. There’s an abundance of cute animal content, but for every snoring Frenchie, there’s an ill-founded political screed. Social media is a wonderful
It’s okay to opt out
I have a confession to make. Several times a week, people will recommend things to me: books, TV series, movies, podcasts, articles. These things always sound interesting, and I always say “Ooh, that sounds so good! I’ll check it out!” And I mean it, I really do. I want to
Why to join a writers’ group – and how
This article was originally written as a guest post for the Charlotte Readers Podcast. Visit their blog for more literary reflections from a variety of writers! There’s a stereotype that writers are solitary creatures whose only contact with the outside world is to gaze contemplatively out windows. I can confirm
Cheap Chic: Quadruple Header
It’s been a while since my last home décor post, but don’t worry, my dedication to being both cheap and chic has continued. I’m coming to you today with not one, but FOUR spaces in my house that I’ve made over, and some insights into how I did it economically.