Category: Writing About Writing
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The magic of fifty words a day
I used to be really into New Year’s resolutions. Also, lofty goals and all manner of similar endeavors that look good on paper but inspire disappointment and self-criticism in real life. It felt good to tell myself — and the people around me, let’s be real — I was an ambitious person. The sort to…
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Contest reflections: BookLife Prize 2018
I’m not aiming for a rant here, but I want to take a few minutes to talk about the BookLife Prize. Before entering an unfamiliar contest, especially one that charges an entry fee, I Google it to look for consensus. Do most people seem to respect this contest, or are there a lot of red…
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What I’m writing now, & a look back at summer 2018
My writing retreat earlier this summer felt scattered, like I was keeping pace on a larger collection of projects than usual. Turns out, it was of a piece with the entire summer. Life has been busy, and I’ve been okay with that. I may not have settled down with a single big project, but I’ve…
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Writing retreat reflections: July 2018
I spent last week writing in one of my favorite places with one of my oldest friends. As middle-schoolers, we sat in each other’s bedrooms and wrote together. Now, over 20 years later, we meet at my family’s beach bungalow for multi-day writing retreats. This is our time to get away from the stresses of…
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Limitations on writing time: they can be good for us
We writers pine for a day when we can just write. No obligations, no kids interrupting (through a closed door, no less), no deadlines, no nothing. Just us and the blank page. What a privilege that would be, right? Actually, I don’t think so. Don’t get me wrong. I love a solitary writing retreat. I…