What’s the best thing I can wish for you as a writer? Not success, money, nor praise, but the chance to work with a good editor. While I’m often on the editing end of the writer/editor equation, when I write pieces for publication and I have an editor who reviews them, that’s when I shine. … More You, edited
In life there are no do-overs …but on the computer there’s the UNDO button. Its existence is the safety net under my bumbling DIY attempts to manage my own websites because I know I can reverse mistakes…that is, if I’m patient enough and willing to drop everything to get it right. Last night I tried to tweak my primary … More Why writers have it easier than actors
The question made me look over my shoulder. It must have been meant for someone else. “Ever thought about teaching a writing class here?” Who, me? I was a solitary freelancer whose only human contact was email from my editors. This was in 2011, long before I established Always Wanted To Write as a writing studio. … More The secret toy surprise
au·gu·ry ˈôɡ(y)ərē/ noun a sign of what will happen in the future; an omen “they heard the sound as an augury of death” the work of an augur; the interpretation of omens. au`gu`ra´tion noun the practice of augury —————— During difficult moments, many of us turn to books to distract, remove, … More Auguration Day
So there’s this thing–EDC, Every Day Carry–which, according to everydaycarry.com, is “A peek into the pockets of people worldwide, showcasing our every day essentials.” As writers, most of of us have solid preferences regarding the tools of our craft; I carry a notebook for thoughts, but for true productive writing I can’t do without my laptop. As a … More The books they carried
It’s hard enough to just sit down and write most days. And now you’re telling me, “Having an online presence as a writer is essential”? C’mon! Yes, I’m telling you that. And I can hear the whine in your voice even though this conversation started inside my head…and has moved over to yours. Here’s why you need … More Why you need an online presence as a writer
SHARING ALERT: this piece is profoundly sad. It’s also the kind of story that can stop a new writer dead in her/his tracks. If that’s you, you may want to close this tab. If not, it’s an eye opener. Merritt Tierce wrote a debut novel many of us would run over a basket of puppies to claim … More Success: acclaim or money?
When Debbie visited the new writing studio a couple of weeks ago, she was surprised by what she found on the shelves. “Why do you have so many copies of the same book?” She’s an assistant manager at a bookstore, so I forgive her many things, including her confusion over my apparent odd habit of stocking the same book over and … More In praise of multiple copies
We all need a friend who spurs us on, who isn’t afraid to try something new and expects the same of us. That’s Ann. She’s out West, I’m in the East, so we talk on the phone when we need encouragement. During our last conversation she brought up our mutually agreed-upon decision to apply to a certain writing … More Making passion a chore
You want to write your life story to share with family members. Or maybe you’ve been told, “You should write a book.” There’s that should word. Do you actually want to write that book, or did that off-the-cuff remark prompt you into thinking you should? If your answer is the latter, spare yourself the heartache. Writing is not romantic. It’s … More New kid in the cafeteria
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