The Crooked Pen

Tag: blogging about writing

  • Most Writing Advice is Bad

    I have had this blog several years and, in the early days of its evolution, I wrote “writing advice.” Yes, the girl who had yet to be published or showcase her writing on any sort of platform thought she would grace the world with her wisdom on writing. Since then, however, I’ve mostly shied away […]

  • Writer’s Guilt: You Should Be Writing….or Should You?

    Writer’s Block is easy enough to understand. Writer’s Guilt, however, is a bit different. Writer’s Block passes—sometimes like a kidney stone, but it passes. But Writer’s Guilt lingers. At least it does for me. Writer’s Guilt is when you, as a writer, find yourself in a rare moment of calm, of relaxation, of repose, but […]

  • Writers v. Beta Readers: Critique Series Part 1

    Author’s note: I have been wanting to write a bit more on the nature of critique and the relationship writers have with critics for some time now, but I have realized it will likely take more than one post in order to properly articulate all my feelings on the subject. As such, I will do […]

  • Writing Isn’t Safe

    I have been trying to pin down exactly what has contributed to my lack of productivity in the last few months in terms of my WIPs. While I have been relatively consistent with posting on this blog over the intervening months, I have not been nearly so diligent about making sure I am devoting time […]

  • Why I Converted From a Pantser into a Plotter

    I think most people in the writing blogosphere know what a pantser and plotter are by now, but just in case you don’t, here’s a quick definition: A “pantser” is someone who writes based on their intuition, or “flying by the seat of their pants.” A “plotter,” however, well….plots. That isn’t to say pantsers don’t […]

  • So, I’m Not Dead

    Okay, so, excuse time. Truth be told, I probably could have updated this blog a long while ago but I didn’t want to because I have not been satisfied with the content I’m working on. As of this writing, I currently have five blog posts in my drafts folder and two short stories I want […]

  • The Most Beautifully Awful Writing Advice Ever

    Recently I was introduced to a gorgeous poem by the late Charles Bukowski called “so you want to be a writer?” Here’s a small exert: if it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it. unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and […]

  • How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blog

    I’m not going to lie. I had many, many illusions about blogging when I started The Crooked Pen. I thought that, with enough vigor and talent I would be able to flock hundreds of thousands of people to this site. I had seen other blogs similar to this one and I thought I had them […]