Two months ago, I began this mini-series on what attention collectibles are and how they offer a constant source of ideas to help writers write well on a regular basis. This was followed by the second piece last month that named one "bucket" of attention collectibles I use regularly. [Do check out both posts if … Continue reading Writers need “attention collectibles” to write well #3 – Writing course resources
For the longest time, I've blogged about how paying attention to the small things in life is what truly matters. Especially when it comes to novelists and memoirists. In fact, pretty much all kinds of writers. Now I've learned there's actually a term I can use to refer to these small things. It's called "attention … Continue reading Writers need “attention collectibles” to write well #1 — Intro
I'll be honest. I was actually very sure my manuscript for the first book I ever wrote would be turned down when I went knocking on the doors of four publishers last year, heavy tome in tow. And it was. All four times! But the latest and final rejection was probably the most definitive since … Continue reading Why I’m so glad my manuscript was rejected
Sonnet: One step at a time Every mountain is climbedOne step at a timeEvery ladder rung mountedOne foot over the other That's what I was toldA thousand years agoYet this new year I'm stillAt the bottom of the hill So what's a man to doAt the bottom of a hillBut pick himself upDust himself off … Continue reading My Monday Metrical Musings #114
"There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you" - Zora Neale Hurston (Dust Tracks on a Road) In me, I’ve always felt there was something, a story, that wants to get out. Actually maybe more than one ‘something’. And definitely more than one story! No, this isn’t a scene from the 1979 … Continue reading Writing into the new year with my old themes
Even if you're not a follower of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie franchise, you'll probably have heard of the passing of one of its leads and how it plunged fans everywhere into shock and grief. The actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the title role in The Black Panther (2018), tragically passed away in 2020 … Continue reading Film Review — Wakanda Forever & the 6 Stages of Grief
I tell myself it's not personal. I tell myself they genuinely want to help, even inspire, other fledgling writers. But I can't help it. As a writer, I take it personally when other writers publicly pontificate. It's one thing to share with readers your journey to publication and financial success as a writer. It's another … Continue reading When writers pontificate, I take it personally
Four years ago, I completed an online memoir writing course where my coach urged us to drop writing prompts and exercises like morning pages. Instead, we should focus on intentional (purposeful) writing each time we put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. At about the same time, I learned what morning pages were (random, … Continue reading One writer’s return to writing morning pages
"Deep breaths man. Deep breaths. Now that you've met both publishers, the ball's in your court. It's time to pitch your book proposal!" Exciting but nerve-racking to say the least. Regular readers of my blog would already know I've made contact with not one but two book publishers (with a possible third on the horizon). … Continue reading How I’m going to (gulp) write my book proposal
As a writer, most of my writing time is spent in solitude feverishly typing away. Or at the very least in silent contemplation when I'm stuck in a rut. Either way, it stands to reason my best writing times would be when the world's asleep. When my words can flow unhindered like a gentle stream, … Continue reading How connections and creative conversations help my writing aggregate
