by Monica M. Clark |
A pop-up bookstore opened up next to my job, full of used books. One antsy afternoon, I took a stroll around the store looking for anything on my “to-read” Goodreads list.
That’s when I found it: Francine Prose’s “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.” This helpful book shares how we can learn to write better by reading intentionally.
I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m already inspired and am dying to share what I’ve learned so far. So without further ado, here are three ways you can learn to write better by reading.
by Guest Blogger |
As all athletes know, whether you’re getting ready for a basketball game or a short jog, you need to loosen up. But for elite athletes, just like writers, loosening up isn’t just about warming up the physical body; it’s also about preparing yourself mentally for what is to come.
If you’ve ever seen basketball star LeBron James’ pregame “chalk toss” ritual, you’ll know what I’m talking about. You may not toss chalk before you write, but you can develop writing habits that will make your writing easier.
by Monica M. Clark |
I’m going to be straight with you — I am a Beyoncé fan. In 2003, I thought I was her. I’ve been to four or five of her concerts. I tried to be cool and not watch Lemonade live, only to discover HBO pulled it a week later. So I bought it. I BOUGHT a music video.
Regardless of your opinion about Beyoncé or her music, we can all agree she’s a success. And today, I’m leveraging my love for Beyoncé to bring you three writing tips that will help you channel her greatness.
by Guest Blogger |
Attitude is everything. You’ve heard it a thousand times. You’ve probably even said it yourself. And yet, sometimes a bad attitude still gets the best of us. Sometimes we hate our writing. Sometimes we hate our agents. And sometimes, maybe, we even hate ourselves.
Over time, these kinds of thoughts can turn into a constant stream of negative self-talk that saps our creative energy and leads us to self-doubt. So how do we fix our bad attitudes and start thinking like a great writer?
by Monica M. Clark |
In the New York Review of Books, Zadie Smith describes the Italian painting “Man Carrying Corpse on His Shoulders” in the detailed way that we writers try to describe the images in our heads. When I read it, it led to a kind of an epiphany–like “oh, that’s how you do it.”
by Monica M. Clark |
Three tips on how to write like Alexander Hamilton the person from watching the Hamilton musical.
