creativity

13 posts

Musings on Writer’s Block

{EAV:e18fa93393e1d766} I wrote this post weeks ago, serenely confident in my wisdom. It just went live, but the post has been written for almost a month. And it’s good advice! Nothing has changed… what I wrote then is still true. But now, as I’m struggling with Book3 in the Erdemen Honor series, I’m reminded of how very frustrating writer’s block is. I’ve asked a few online writer buddies to help me with brainstorming. Once I know where my characters are going, I can write it. Sometimes I don’t need that… sometimes we’re all heading off toward crazy adventure together. I […]

Writer’s Block and How to Defeat It

Most writers deal with writer’s block at some point in their career. It can be incredibly discouraging, and it doesn’t always result from a lack of “inspiration” or discipline. Without dealing with the root causes, writer’s block can continue to be a problem. In my experience, writer’s block is a result of either fear or confusion. Fear (NOTE: I drafted this post quite a while ago and then I watched this video. Watch it! It’s less than five minutes long. Apparently, we’re on the same wavelength.) Fear of looking stupid. Fear of imperfection. Fear of emotions you don’t want to explore. Fear […]

My Writing Process

I’ve been asked several times how my stories move from idea to polished story. Every author’s writing process is a little different. Often, every book’s process is different! However, the overall process tends to follow the same patterns, even if the details differ from book to book. Inspiration and Pre-writing A story can be inspired by nearly anything. Generally, my stories start with a scene. Sometimes it’s a conversation between characters, or a critical decision being made, or even just an impression. I’ll write out the scene, and no matter how it turns out, I’ll have questions. Who are these characters? […]