I’ve posted about balancing writing with a full time job and writing as a pet owner, so it only seems natural that I would also share my experience of writing after becoming a parent. The timeline for when I’m publishing this is somewhat telling—I had my baby over a year ago and am just now…
Tag: writing routine
Why Editing Matters (+How to Polish Your Writing for Publication)
The number of people who are able to do something perfectly the first time—whether we’re talking about writing a book, playing a new sport, learning a musical instrument, or cooking a new recipe—is practically zero. No one is perfect, especially right out of the gate. There’s no reason to expect that your first draft will…
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): Everything You Need to Know
National Novel Writing Month — known as NaNoWriMo to practitioners — is an annual writing challenge in which participants set out to write 50,000 words of an original work in the month of November. While opinions on the event can be quite divided, there’s no denying that this challenge can be highly effective when approached…
Writing With a Full-Time Job: How to Make It Work
While most writers would probably love to be able to focus solely on their creative pursuits, the reality is that no one’s paying you to spend three years writing your novel. Very few can keep the lights on by their pens alone, especially when first starting out. For most, a full-time job is a must….
Overcoming Writer’s Block: How to Write When You’re Not Inspired
Anyone seeking to craft stories, essays, or full-length manuscripts dreads writer’s block. This infamous hurdle can leave you staring at a blank page instead of seeing your work in print. Not only will this likely result in hours of frustration, but it could also lower your confidence. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably time for…
How to Build a Writing Routine
I have pretty mixed feelings about maintaining any type of routine. It can be hard to account for unexpected interruptions or to take advantage of a beautiful day with an unplanned trip to the zoo if you have a strict schedule to keep. That said, I have a lot on my plate, and keeping up…
Why I Love Having a Dog as a Writer
When it comes to writing advice, most people think of one-liners from On Writing or quotes from authors like Hemingway. However, I recommend taking advantage of the benefits of having a dog. Traditional writing advice often only applies to what we put on the page. I think it’s unrealistic to expect your writing and your…