Whenever I do an event and talk about my writing process, I get a question about how I deal with writer’s block. And I never know what to say. I tend to agree with Sarah Ruhl, who wrote in Poets & Writers magazine, “Writer’s block, I have always maintained, is not real. It is an — Read More
Tag: writer’s block
The psychology of writer’s block
Recently, I read this Writer Unboxed piece by Julianna Baggott that asks, “Is writer’s block a form of self-protection?” I’m always intrigued by theories that writer’s block is something other than laziness (because that’s what the mean “YOU MUST WRITE” voice in my head tells me it is). Baggott suggests that writer’s block isn’t “failure.” — Read More
The waiting-for-your-book-to-be-published phase
My editor said that most writers hate this phase, but I love it. So far. It’s very validating to have a book that’s going to be published (PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME! May 24!). I’m so, so, so glad it’s DONE. I don’t feel any sadness about it being done. That baby is grown up and ready — Read More
100 days later.
Remember when I said I’d write every day for 100 days? You might not remember. I kind of buried the commitment at the end of a post. This was at the end of January. Well, lo and behold, it’s 100 days later and I was successful…well mostly. I wrote every day except for FOUR. Two — Read More
Second sentences
Fact: I keep a notebook full of first sentences that I never attach to second sentences, let alone full stories. I started the notebook with the goal of returning to these first sentences “when time frees up.” Now, instead of considering it a sort of to-do notebook, I consider it a journal of random thoughts — Read More