“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
I experience a mixed bag of emotions when I'm rewriting a piece. One emotion is excitement because I'm fixing things I had problems with in the original draft. Another is trepidation because I'm worried that the things I actually did enjoy about my original draft will have to be cut out. Each thing you change… Continue reading Rewriting: Once More with Feeling!
I am a nocturnal writer. I have been since I was a wee one, scribbling Fairly Oddparents fanfiction inside of a notebook on a long car ride home. There have been freak instances when I've produced quality material during the daytime, but it usually involves having a magic talisman and whispering ancient languages into the… Continue reading My Mind Only Lets Me Write at Night
Hello, reader. I am a writer person like you. Definitely not someone strapped to a chair against their will. Do you want to learn how to write like a super-awesome writer guy? Becoming one of the giants of literature is easy with these simple steps. Step One: Take something you've written. Just anything. It could… Continue reading How to Become the Best Writer Ever in the History of the Universe!
I’ve put it off long enough. I must edit the third draft of my story. It’s been a while since I looked at this novella and, to be honest, I’m kind of terrified. Is it going to be better than I remember? Worse than I remember? I have no way of knowing until I reread it.… Continue reading Editing My Novella, or the Red Pen of Death
A fair amount of people are giving JK Rowling grief about constantly making amendments to the Harry Potter series. While I can understand where they are coming from (and heartily disagree that Hermione and Harry should have gotten together), I can't entirely blame her for not wanting to leave the Wizarding World forever. I mean,… Continue reading JK Rowling and the Inability to Let Go of Harry Potter
Does anyone else have a difficult time writing on Sunday? For me, it's one of the most grueling days to get any work done. Here I am, in a cafe, sitting in front of a laptop with a Pages document open to a story I've been writing for God knows how long, and all I… Continue reading The Dreaded Sunday Slump
A friend of mine recently introduced me to British comedy, Black Books, which stars Irish comedian Dylan Moran. It's a show about a combative and anti-social bookstore owner in England and the strange adventures he gets into with his posse of misfits. As a fan of English comedy, I fell head over heels in love with Black… Continue reading Opinion: Comedies Are Terrible Now
A few weeks ago, I was given an assignment to create an autobiographical piece for my documentary class. No big deal, I thought. I talk about myself on my blog all the time. Producing a 10 minute video over a subject I know intimately should be no struggle. It is such a struggle. I've amassed… Continue reading This is a Story about YOU: a Documentary
I see tweets all the time about writing goals. Goals are good. Goals help motivate. But I've never been good at them. Deadlines help but I still struggle to meet them. A friend of mine gave me a deadline for two weeks and I think I emailed her the finished project about a month later. Word… Continue reading Word Count Goals
Growing up, it was difficult to find people who loved to read as much as I did. Or people who read at all, really. I've always baffled by people who claim reading is boring, and yet spend hours and hours in front of the TV watching reality television. "How can you read so much?" they… Continue reading Being a Reader in an Unliterary World
The Crooked Pen 