TakingDictation

Spew and Write First, Edit Second

Yes, you have to edit. While you write, though? How about not? https://youtu.be/TPQwVgGIgng I'm not talking here about minor edits where you are catching errors and assisting with the overall construction of your document as...

The Need for Creative Space

Struggling to put words on the page lately? Having enough creative space -- both figurative and literal -- might be the issue, as discussed in this post from Writing and Wellness. I'm not saying getting...

Dear Editors, Please Ditch Genre Word Counts

If you've read any of my content before, you know I'm not a fan of writers using daily word counts. I feel they put pressure on writers that's not especially great for the creative process....

Hello, Unknown Beta Readers, Goodbye Friends

Over the past year, I've completed multiple manuscripts. I labored through all the required tasks, including the completion of multiple rounds of edits, creating proposal packages, and creating cover mockups. Eventually, I reached the point...

The Key to Writing an Amazing Hero’s Journey Story

If you've read any good fiction -- or even watched some awesome movies -- you've likely encountered the traditional hero's journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell. In this journey, a protagonist moves through three key...

Post a Lot of Content? It Might Not Matter

Practically forever, there have been writers who strongly advocate for posting something new online every day, whether the content is on social media, their author site, or a platform like Medium. You can find a...

8 Tips to Pick Books That Help You Grow

Reading is one of the best things you can do for personal development and growth. Even so, not everything available is worth your time, especially since individuals have more self-publishing tools than ever that more...

5 Best Christmas Gifts for Writers

Just because writers typically don't make lots of money doesn't mean they don't enjoy nice things. But if you're not a writer who understands what wordsmiths find lovely, or if the writer in your life...

The Problem of Memory in Memoir Writing

Over the past few months, I've been writing a religious nonfiction book centered around recovering from trauma. A huge part of the beginning of the book is telling my story so readers can understand where...

Why Writers Should Ignore (Most) Social Media Best Practices

Although social media is here to stay, there's little question that the face of social media is changing. Centralized, independent platforms (e.g., Facebook, X, Pinterest) long have been the standard. But now, some experts are...