In September, Fiction Writers Review did a series on the teaching of writing.  In this guest post, I share the best story I've ever heard about dealing with writerly discouragement. (Not to mention life!)

 

When I send out submissions, I’m easily spooked. After receiving…

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Last night, that sentence came to me as I lay awake, worrying about something. I thought it was pretty cool. I thought I might take it and run with it, turn it into an as-yet unwritten story.

 

The problem is that an image isn't a story idea.  I have nothing to place it in. No context, no problem set.  In…

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On Saturday morning, I heard my neighbors chatting on their deck and smelled their good breakfast smells.  I felt a little envious of their laid-back approach to weekends, so instead of jumping into the work I had going, I decided to sit on the deck with a mug of tea and the local paper.  

 

But here's the thing:  Reading the local color, I discovered several...typos.  Before I knew it, I was lasering through articles, highlighting errors,…

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Today's post comes from Seth Godin, uber-sales guy.  What sets him apart from the slick and slimy is that he shows actual respect for human beings. (Among his zillion book titles, my personal favorite title is Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?) 

His message is for us, writer tribe. What is "success?"  Here's a confession:…

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While researching breast cancer treatment options Diana M. Raab "didn't want the cold hard facts [she] found online, but warm compassionate, and real information from other women, women who had been through the same scenario." By creating "Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey," she provides others with what she was looking for herself.… Continue