I am a writer who doesn't write every day.

There are very few of us, the writers who will admit publicly to not valuing daily writing. Not just not doing it or scheduling it, but not seeing the point at all.

Let me back up. I know plenty of successful writers who are much more…

Developing the plot for a novel should be like replicating a heart monitor. You want to see ups and downs on the screen, but you don’t want to see it flat lining. There’s nothing more likely to bore the pants off your readers than creating a story without any variation. Think of it in terms of real life’s ups and downs, except in fiction things need to be…

Religion hasn’t really been a huge part of my life, yes I do believe in a higher power but I am not going to run out and join the next religious organization out there.  Just recently before I published this blog entry I got a comment in my wordpress dashboard.  Of someone who came across my blog and clearly is on this religious kick trying to post a prayer on in my comments.  We all know that Mary Madeline rolled with Jesus and as my mother said she was washing his feet in oil, but there is…

You may or may not know the line made famous by Virginia Woolf while giving an address on the topic of women writers. She said, a century ago words that still hold true for so many writers (male and female) today: 



"All I could do was to offer you an opinion upon one minor point—a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction; and that, as you will see, leaves the great problem of the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction unsolved."…

Hello.  My name is Helen (Len) Leatherwood and I am delighted to be the guest editor on SheWrites this week.  We will be talking about the importance of daily writing,as well as explore the world of Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir this week.  I look forward to getting to know you SheWrites members.  Please feel free to participate with comments and writing exercises.  I'd love to hear from you!
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This is my latest weekly post, which  looks at writers turning to other authors to help with their work, get inspiration and learn by example.

It also uses Margaret Atwood's Blind Assassin as an example of how to look at writing, and what an author is doing.

http://akandrew.com/blog-a-writers-notebook/

Come and join the discussion. I'd love to hear your comments.

Thanks

Here is the link to my latest weekly blog post which is about changing one's perspective to think of editing as moving the work forward not 'going back' to edit.

http://akandrew.com/editing-forward/

I would love to hear how you all manage your own styles of editing,

Thanks

A.K.

Happy NaNoWriMo! As today marks the start of what will be a massively busy month, I thought I'd take a second to share an inspiring video originally spotlighted on the NaNoWriMo blog. In it, author Natalie Goldberg shares insight on the value of writing practice and talks about how NaNoWriMo is a great way to jumpstart one's writing practice habits. Hit play to watch:…

The following is from my blog: http://transformativewriting.blogspot.com/2011/09/directions-to-carnegie-hall.html

One recent Saturday night, a friend and I went to see the Charlotte Symphony perform. We went because I wanted to hear “Pictures at an Exhibition,” one of my favorite pieces, but the Mussorgsky composition was not the only music on the program. In the first…

Have you ever struggled with self-criticism so strong that it disrupts the writing process? If so, this new article written by Natalie Goldberg is worth a read. She talks about how the cultivation of an "inner sweetheart" is helpful in feeling free and flourishing in one's writing. I'm embedding it here:…

I am often asked if I write daily. The answer is, "No, but I do something about writing daily...revising, editing, scanning manuscripts that were written on a word processor to be edited, promoting my books by setting up readings, networking with other writers, prepping for my writing workshops." The truth is, I brood and then suddenly, the words pop up and need to be written down.

I journal almost every morning while I enjoy my coffee and journey from the dream world to this…

Julia Cameron says early in her book The Artist’s Way that before she quit drinking, she thought drinking and writing went together like scotch and soda. Before I quit drinking, I agreed.

I loved the idea of writing and drinking. They were the perfect couple. Pouring a glass of wine and sitting down to the computer or mixing a martini and curling up with a moleskin…

My daughter inspires me to be the healthiest me I can be. As her mother, I know that by example I can teach her to make healthy choices that will promote energy and longevity. From eating delicious home-grown food, walking labyrinths, and playing together, we construct a joyful family life full of adventure and serendipity.

She is my muse. I write about my little sweetheart often because my days are filled delightfully with her spirit. We don't watch television, but run outside, play…

Reposted from The Writerly Habit

My MFA program applications went out in the mail on Monday. I am relieved but, as it is finals, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I just have to finish three papers and I am done for the semester (well, not including two in-class essay finals).

My plans for winter break? To read all of the books I have bought over the semester. The first one will probably The Story and the Situation by…