Writing, Mornings, and Your Email
Like a lot of other writers, I start work super early in the morning. This isn't because productivity gurus have gotten in my head about how the wee hours having some kind of magical secret....
Lean Writing Is Not the Point: Using the Goldilocks Approach for Drafting
More and more, I see an emphasis among both editors and writers alike on keeping drafts lean. The basic ideas are that leanness somehow proves control of skill, and that leanness accommodates the short attention...
How Attachment Theory Can Power Character Development in Fiction
For the past few years, I've been diving deep into psychology. I don't plan to ever be a licensed professional in that field, but I've been serious about in the context of understanding myself and...
Should You Have Multiple Brands as a Writer?
Over the past three years, I've done a lot of work to develop brands of my own -- I have my business brand (Takingdictation) and my faith brand (Faithful on the Clock). But these brands...
Nonfiction Can Feel Cold. Here’s How to Warm It Up and Connect With Readers
Whether you've picked a memoir, article, study, or other format, nonfiction can seem dry or cold -- and not in the "I'm chill" kind of way. That's because the emphasis typically is on data, analysis...
Want a Great First Draft? Think First, Write Later
For most writers, writing and thinking are the same event -- they conceptualize, organize, write, and revise at the same time. Even planners, who outline and create structure before beginning the draft, will let thoughts...
7 Tips to Prepare a Modern, AI-Ready Resume
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine brought her resume with her to lunch. She wanted me to take a quick peek at it to see if I had any last-minute recommendations, given that...
Every Writer When They Hit “Delete” on a Paragraph They Love
By definition, writing is putting words on the page. But before we're done with a draft, we put our words through a metaphorical meat grinder, adding material, moving things around, reworking phrasing, and... ...deleting. So...SO...
