I have been writing these tips daily on Twitter http://twitter.com/Lauramunson Hope they help. Be intentional. Get to know your "third eye." And don't let life infect it. Yes we mine our lives, but writing is a pause. When people ask what you do, say: I AM A WRITER. Practice saying it in front of the …
I have been writing these tips daily on Twitter http://twitter.com/Lauramunson Hope they help.
Be intentional. Get to know your “third eye.” And don’t let life infect it. Yes we mine our lives, but writing is a pause.
When people ask what you do, say: I AM A WRITER. Practice saying it in front of the mirror!
Find something physical that requires the same sort of awareness you use in your writing and try to do it every day.
When you are rejected, you haven’t done something wrong. It just wasn’t right for them. Think of it as a numbers game.
Go at it with joy, not fighting and muscling and kicking. Go at it like it’s already there. You’re just lifting the lid.
Don’t believe in writer’s block. It doesn’t exist for you. What MUST you write? You know the answer. Now write it.
Write what you must and write it with compassion.
Don’t let Social Media interrupt your focus. Use it as a tool and be grateful for community. And know when to unplug.
Do something sacred before you begin. A cup of tea. A deep breath. Lie on the floor with your eyes closed. A beginning.
Don’t take rejections personally. Take a breath, and send it out again. GOOD LUCK!
Use your pearls as they come. No need to stockpile them. More will come.
Challenge yourself to be flexible. Write not just on your mother ship computer, but on a laptop, outside, on a legal pad
When in doubt, ask. You have to ask. For connections, advice, help, time, space, critique, support. Ask.
Read books like textbooks, underline, comment in margins, date your comments. Don’t lend them out. Refer to them often.
Don’t take outlines too seriously. Your characters are your guides. Sherpas, even. Follow them.
Love your characters. Even the villians. They all have something to teach you. But you have to love them into it.
When you give your working drafts to friends to read, make sure you agree to the shape of critique you want and deadline.
If you don’t want to write a scene, maybe it doesn’t belong in your book. Trust your instincts. Be willing to re-route.
If you find you are having a hard time balancing between your writing and social media, consider getting two computers. One cyber. One not.
In the spirit of Twitter, keep it lean. Exile adverbs. They suck the action dry.
Consider your reader and ask yourself: why do they need my writing? Writing is an act of empathy. It’s not all yours.
Writing is your meditation, your prayer, your way of life, and sometimes your way TO life. At least it is for me.
If your loved ones don’t read your stuff, consider it a compliment.They want to know you as they know you.Not always on the page.
I love hearing from writers who love their work. We need to be hungry for our own work. Champions. Stewards. Even when the publishers don’t agree.
Clean your office. Clutter bring chaos. A clean space really helps with the blank page.
Be willing to learn something about yourself on the page. It’s okay to “tell” on yourself. It will help people and you.
What is your piece about? Practice saying it outloud on a walk, in 3 minutes or less. It may morph as you go along. That’s OK.
Writing comes from sacredness, silence, and sometimes secrecy. Oftentimes best not to share what you are writing about til it’s done.
I find that writers who are writing are kind to one another. Not competetive. Let’s keep this kindness alive and well.
Hemingway couldn’t write in an airplane and either can I. Best to know your limits as long as they’re not avoidances.
Be leary of writers who spend a lot of time trying to protect their work. It’s only moving through you to begin with.
Be leary of writers who do more reading than writing. Or who are always doing conferences. True seeking is most often solitary.
