The Organized Writer: 8 Tips
Mark Twain liked to write in bed.
I picture him there with his cigar ashes, his coffee, and his crumby sheets, and I know I couldn’t do that. I need a certain degree of order around me in order to be productive, and though I’m a seat-of-the-pantser in terms of plot, that doesn’t mean I’m without systems. If you’re a writer, too, you might find the following organizing tips helpful.
- Plan time to write. Many writers have a writing routine, like so many hours a day, or word counts. It… Continue reading
The Edge of Abstraction
Sometimes my writing takes me to a strange place where the normal world drops away and I’m dealing with an abstract, dream-like landscape. Artistically, it should be intriguing, but honestly, it’s a very uncomfortable place to be. I fear my readers will be confused, or that I’m cheating by letting images stand in place of more conventional explanations. I have to hold my own hand for courage and dip my toe off the cliff into gray, weightless space.
Games Time
We’ve been playing games pretty much nonstop here for days, pausing only for sandwiches, truffles, and Swedish fish. My family relishes involved board or card games. I love how they bring out our personalities. Patient sons who kindly explain rules to me, often repeatedly, can also be quite ruthless distributing curses. Couples tend to team up, or arrange nice trades for each other, and nobody ever throws the board anymore.
Here are some of our favorite games. For the record, we’re all ages 21 and up, but these games would… Continue reading
Happy Solstice!
Morning sun, Winter Solstice 2016
As we speed through the shortest day of the year, I’m looking up and enjoying the low-riding sunlight. I like to think about how our planet is spinning to the east at a thousand miles an hour, fast enough for each time zone, one by one, to crest through sunrise into the light. The wintery air feels like the coolness of outer space right here in my back yard, pressing against my storm windows, while inside, the old heat of the sun resurfaces as the… Continue reading
Magic in the Darkness
Magic shines in the darkness of these long nights. We look for the sparks, and light our own, and the winter wind spins the wind chimes on the porch into a merry tinkling.
I hope you’re somewhere warm, with family nearby. If you have a good book, too, all the better.
Back to Work
Writer footgear
Thanksgiving’s over. Over, I say. No more turkey. No more lounging on the couch. No more crossword puzzles with pie. It’s time to get back to work.
Good thing I like work.
I suppose it’s been said before, but one of the nice perks of being a writer is the footgear.
Ari & Milo, my serial novel, is now up on Wattpad! I drew illustrations to go with each chapter, and best of all, it’s free! Because of problematic themes, this novel is for mature readers age 17+.
Book Trailer for Promised