Ever heard the phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility”? That applies directly to you as a writer. See, we storytellers are really good at imagining things. Unfortunately, that means we’re also really good at screwing ourselves up.
Do you have powerful doubts you can do this? Good. Your doubts prove your skill as a writer. Read on to find out why.
It’s that time of year again. The holiday parties are done, visiting family has gone home, and normal life has resumed. Coming back makes us question, “Is this really what I want my life to look like?”
So we set New Year’s resolutions. We tell ourselves, “This year, it’s going to be different! This year I’m going to write more, finish that book, put out a short story a week, finally edit that manuscript, etc. . . .”
It’s not enough just to say that things are going to be different. If we want to see real change in our lives, we need to be disciplined and strategic about the changes we make.
The word “gift” has several meanings. Your writing is a gift. A natural ability, and something to give away without payment.
You can give gifts; socks, pencils, toys. Socks will get holes in them, pencils will wear down, and toys will break. Words can create images and bring back memories that will never wear down or break.
Write with intent. Give someone you love a story about how much they mean to you.
As I race for the NaNoWriMo finish line, I want to share a few tips with you to help you complete your own race. Starting a book might be easy, but finishing it—and meeting your deadline!—is a struggle. Whatever writing goals you’ve set for yourself, we can meet them together, fellow writers, and here’s how.
We all feel like we should be writing well right off the bat. That what we create should be ready now, tomorrow, or maybe even yesterday. And when it isn’t, we beat ourselves up. It’s time to give yourself permission to suck.
Do you listen to and trust your imagination? Become an improviser with your writing and learn to do so. Say yes to your story idea and don’t block your creativity.
To improvise means to create and perform (music, drama, or verse) spontaneously or without preparation; and to produce or make (something) from whatever is available.
Patricia Ryan Madson’s book Improv Wisdom shows us how to apply the concepts of improvisational theater to deal with real-life challenges. Today, I will look at how the concepts of improv can also apply to how we approach our writing.
