Tag Archives: writing process

8 Ways to Beat the Block

Okay, I’ll come clean–I don’t believe in writer’s block. In my fifteen years as a writing tutor, I’ve worked with thousands of student writers, and in my experience, writer’s block is always a sign that one of two things is happening: You’re working on the wrong project. You’re working on the right project but withContinue reading “8 Ways to Beat the Block”

Trouble Finding Your Voice? Try Memoir

I used to have a lot of questions, like “When should I add in detail, and how much detail is too much?” And “How can I know when to use free indirect discourse?” My writing teachers didn’t have good answers to these questions and neither did the writing textbooks I came across. But then, atContinue reading “Trouble Finding Your Voice? Try Memoir”

The Power of Patience

So you’ve got a scene that just isn’t working. You tinker and hammer and outline and cluster, but it’s still a clusterfuck. I say you can either go ahead and write something you know isn’t any good, or you can let it simmer on the back burner for a few days. The trick with simmeringContinue reading “The Power of Patience”

Lost in the Woods

So I’m at that point in the novel writing process that scares the chewing gum out of me. *hack, spit, cough* I’ve got the plot refined, the beats nailed down, the scene list listed. Life should be great. Right? And it is. Don’t get me wrong. Having the freedom and the time to write daily is aContinue reading “Lost in the Woods”