Blinking cursor, waiting impatiently. Write something. Anything. Come on! Straight black line, standing sentinel, an old friend. We’ve danced this tango so many times before. You know me and I know you. You know it takes me a minute, but I always get there. Have I ever let you down? Let myself down? Sure. Nearly… Continue reading The cursor and I
Tag: how to be a better writer
A life in books
I love watching the bookmark slowly progress deeper into the book. Turning page after page feels like I’m doing something right. Something that was meant for me. It’s a similar feeling when I’m writing. I love watching the word count climb higher and higher. The satisfaction of hitting milestone numbers: 5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000… It… Continue reading A life in books
Is critiquing creative work almost pointless?
Critiquing art is not my favourite. I do it naturally. I think we all do. But I don’t like it. When I’m self aware, I get an icky feeling. Someone worked hard (probably) on this thing and here we are just tearing it apart. It’s unkind. But more importantly, it’s nonsensical really! Art is so… Continue reading Is critiquing creative work almost pointless?
Impact of Creative Work
Why do funny things rarely win Oscar’s? Family friendly films, too, are discounted and dismissed. It’s all about something serious, more often than not. But the films I watch again and again are the funny ones, the family friendly ones, the animations. The ones that remind me that life isn’t so bad. Things that add… Continue reading Impact of Creative Work
Different Ways to Tell Your Story
I have been thinking a lot about the writing process, but I haven’t ever made a list or truly thought about different ways to tell the story itself. This is the style, the voice, the angle, the narration of the story. I’m thinking about this in the hope of making the story more unique and… Continue reading Different Ways to Tell Your Story
The Power of the Old School Writing Process
I’ve decided to try a write in a notebook this summer and it made me think, have some of us started to over-complicate the writing process? When we think about the greats - King, Bradbury, Gaiman and the like - they wrote on typewriters and notebooks. They didn’t have fast internet to rely on, or… Continue reading The Power of the Old School Writing Process
A shy writer’s guide to talking to other writers!
I wanted to write this post purely for myself! I had an encounter at work where a coworker told me someone had told them that I was a writer. This was nice and I didn’t get embarrassed (for once) but when it came time to actually talk writing and books, I panicked. Luckily, he had… Continue reading A shy writer’s guide to talking to other writers!
How to get out of a creative rut – What to do when you’re between story ideas
Are you struggling to write because your ideas don’t feel good enough? Here’s how to get out of a creative rut.
How to improve your critical thinking to improve your creative writing
I think part of our jobs as writers is to have a critical eye. We can't just read a book and move on to the next. I need to get into the habit of engaging with them a little more. Questioning it and myself after having read it. Even if it's one I read "for… Continue reading How to improve your critical thinking to improve your creative writing
Writing Goals for 2024 – that aren’t basic
Next year, I want to look at my writing differently. I don’t want to do what I’ve tried to do years before which hasn’t quite worked. I don’t want to set the same boring goals: Write 100,000 words Write two completed first drafts of novels Look for an agent Publish a book Query a book… Continue reading Writing Goals for 2024 – that aren’t basic
S. R. Crawford 