Tag: sustain creativity
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Publishing as relationship
Publishing is a relationship. It doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It’s not helpful to compare your relationship to your friends’ relationships or a rom-com ideal. Likewise, don’t let individual publishing plans plot your path. You don’t need to land a traditional publisher to reach your audience in the “right way.” You don’t need…
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Close and closer
One of my coaching clients came to me because he was stuck. He’d written about 100,000 words but didn’t know what he’d written and where to go next. The problem wasn’t one of minimal output or reluctance to do homework. This client needed guardrails. So we pulled way back and returned to the purpose of…
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Am I taking too long?
When writers are struggling through their proposals, outlines, and manuscripts, they often ask me, “Am I taking too long?” or “How long should this take?” I’ve learned to not give the pat response “it depends,” but it really does depend on a number of factors. Try plotting out how your book will fit into your…
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Nourishment: practices to sustain creativity
Some trees grow more readily in the forest when building on what has come before. Take hemlocks, for example. They’re fond of growing in nurse stumps or nurse logs, like this downed Douglas-fir. That way they can be closer to the light, and find firm grounding in nutrient-dense wood. In our creative lives, we can…
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Four ways to boost your writing skills when you don’t have time (or willingness) to write
I don’t like going to the gym, but I love being active. At this time of year, my main “arms” exercise is carrying logs for my wood stove. You’d be surprised how even a focused burst of activity every two days can build muscle. Similarly, I don’t love sitting down to write for long stretches,…
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How to Rewild Your Writing
Rewilding is a practice of protecting natural landscapes by “allowing” them to return to their natural state, to let the wild back in. We can apply these principles to our lives, and our creative efforts. Here are some tips to rewild your writing.
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Manuscript consultation
I completed a manuscript consultation for a first-time writer. I read his manuscript, offered a memo with revisions, and then chatted with him. He’s writing in the field of sports psychology. He has competed in sport, and coached athletes, so his examples were from the perspective of both an athlete and a coach. Makes sense.…