Here's something you may or may not know about me. I hate doing anything on the fly. The moment someone plonks me into a situation I hadn't anticipated, especially if I'm supposed to look and sound competent, my brain freezes and I become incoherent. Example - Our choir leader decides to make us sing an … Continue reading This makes my brain freeze
On a writing (not reading) retreat
In many ways I suppose this could be a good weekend for reading. But that's not what I'm supposed to be doing... I'm at a writers retreat. I'm supposed to be writing. I'm here in a house with eight fellow word wranglers. There are laptops everywhere. The floor is strewn with cables. Wine is being mulled... … Continue reading On a writing (not reading) retreat
Quotes for writers who are stuck
I've been working on a novel for a while now. I'm getting very close to the end of the first draft, but the closer I get to the end, the harder it gets. Something's not gelling. I know the ending -- have always known it -- but I can't quite figure out how to get … Continue reading Quotes for writers who are stuck
Identify what’s important and make time
In this life there are always things we want to do, and things we have to do. Then there are the things we should do... All this has me writing really long to-do lists, at which I often stare perplexedly trying to decide which item to tackle first. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out … Continue reading Identify what’s important and make time
Your stories matter
There are many days as a writer when all I do is question myself. Is this novel any good? Do I have any talent at all? Should I just give up the whole writing thing as a bad idea? Who would actually bother reading anything I've written? Do I really want to add to all … Continue reading Your stories matter
Postscript: Camp NaNoWriMo
With all the excitement post-Conflux, I've ended up almost forgetting to wrap up the big challenge for April -- Camp NaNoWriMo. The target was 25,000 words in 30 days, and once again I was on schedule -- ahead of schedule, actually, with around 21,500 words written with a week to go -- when I hit … Continue reading Postscript: Camp NaNoWriMo
Packing for Camp NaNoWriMo
After my positive experience during NaNoWriMo last November (when I wrote a stack of words on my WIP) I'm now considering signing up for Camp NaNoWriMo. Yep. It can all happen again in April and/or July -- the word slinging, the discipline, the moral support from the writing community. This time we have the flexibility … Continue reading Packing for Camp NaNoWriMo
Four things I want my writing to accomplish
It seems I've finally gotten around to my promised post on "Why I Write" in response to Liv Rancourt's guest post in December. I should point out, though, that the focus is not so much on why I slave away for hours at the computer when I could be relaxing... it's rather on what's important about … Continue reading Four things I want my writing to accomplish
Recap on a year of Word Wrangling
Last year I made a single New Year's Resolution: finish a first draft of the novel I've been working on. Hmm. I did make substantial progress on it though. In fact I'm fairly certain I wrote the most number of words I've ever achieved in a calendar year. So, although I didn't precisely finish it, … Continue reading Recap on a year of Word Wrangling
More on writing with joy
I've been on a mission of late to rediscover the joy of writing and in particular the passion for my current work in progress. I lost it for a while there -- lost sight of why as I got all caught up with what and how and is it actually any good? (In fact, I blogged … Continue reading More on writing with joy
Ellen Gregory 