“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Over the last few weeks, I've experienced the most inspiration I've had in ages. There was no climactic moment in my life that ignited this outpouring of expression. For whatever reason the spark just came like a surprise visit from your favorite uncle that you haven't seen in years. I resurrected a story I laid… Continue reading The Return of Doubt: a Writer’s Buzzkill
Recently, a friend of mine posed the question: What's the point of critiquing published works? It's already published so it's not like the author can rewrite it for a better review or something. Personally, I don't critique books that often unless the author is dead, or I have something positive to say about the novel.… Continue reading What’s the Point of Critiquing Published Books?
WARNING: The following contains shenanigans. I don't like the term "people watching." There's something distinctly stalker-isque about it. I prefer to call it "spontaneous character building." When I'm sitting alone in a public place and I spot a person with a strange tattoo, haircut, or distinctive clothing, I'll make up a story about them. It's… Continue reading A Writer’s Guide To People Watching
I enjoy reading annotations in secondhand books. I like seeing underlined phrases and wondering why that particular passage meant so much to the reader before me. It gives me the opportunity to wonder what kind of person they were and if, in the improbably event we ever met, we would be friends. It also makes… Continue reading Writing In Books: Yay or Nay?
Is there anything more horrifying than reading something you wrote years ago? ……Or two days ago? I’m pretty sure if a Boggart were to appear in front of me one dark and stormy night, it would take on the form of the manuscript I wrote in high school. It was your standard paranormal romance, only… Continue reading Re-reading Old Drafts
The professionals encourage amateur authors to write at least a little bit everyday. However, some days this is not possible. Unless you don’t need sleep and operate solely on the power of hopes and dreams. If I’ve had an idea marinating in my head for a long time, not being able to write it down… Continue reading Writing Withdrawal
Dear First Draft, Remember how I said I needed some time away to think about our relationship? Well, I’ve given myself some breathing room and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that we should see other people. I know this must be heartbreaking for you. It’s difficult for me as well. In the beginning, our love… Continue reading Dear First Draft: a Breakup Letter
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing noise they make as they fly by," -Douglas Adams. I have a deadline today. You probably have a deadline too. So why are we still on the internet? Because we writers are free spirits, that's why. We can't have our lives dictated by something as minuscule as a… Continue reading The Writer and The Deadline
To a writer, National Novel Writing Month is like the olympics of literature. It gives those who have been holding out on their creative ideas to explode in a frenzy of words and storylines. The goal is to write 50,000 words (the length of an average novel) in one month’s time. NaNoWriMo has gained more… Continue reading Don’t Want No NaNoWriMo
The Crooked Pen 