“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” —Somerset Maugham
The Muse has gotten a bad rap for being temperamental and ruling Her artists by cruel whims. But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be like that.
You’ve probably heard this before and know it deep in your gut. It’s not earth shattering news, but people seem to be struggling with amnesia about it lately, so I’m going to repeat myself.
If you want to improve as a writer, if you want to grow in your craft, there’s only one way to do so. You must…
We have an important topic to discuss today: the dangers of perfectionism in writing.
I know that being a perfectionist has its perks. We apply “perfectionist” to folks who are detail-oriented, reliable, and efficient. Unfortunately, being a perfectionist does precisely the opposite in writing: it obfuscates details, lets your deadlines whoosh by, and creates a deeply inefficient and unsatisfying writing habit.
I struggle with perfectionism in my writing, but I’ve learned to beat it back with a few large sticks—and it’s my pleasure to teach you my tools of the trade.
About every six months or so, I check out the courses being offered at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. While I don’t always sign up, I almost always find one that addresses my writing needs at the moment.
I love quotes. I love short one or two sentence snippets that give me that itch to sit down and type something great. Going through Pinterest boards full of creative pictures paired with that quote can give me the boost I need to get on with my day and make something. But there are three in particular I always go back to when I’m feeling stuck.
Short stories are a great way to hone your craft and snag bylines from literary magazines (and hey, they’re also a ton of fun to write). Even better, they can help you build your readership—assuming they’re written well.
But alas, as the editor of a short story website, I see a number of common mistakes over and over again, even from authors with great fundamentals. Worse than just errors in craft, these mistakes betray readers’ trust and investment in your story.
