The Writing Life Archives

What to Do with a Story Idea That Won’t Give Up on You?

October 24, 2013
Daniel Schwabauer
Daniel's Writing Log, Help with Characters, Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life
3 Comments

Daniel Schwabauer It’s no secret I’m working on a YA novel. What has been a secret (until now) is that I’ve tried to write this novel at least four times: once in grad school, again five years later, again a couple of years after that (time blurs at this point) and again last year.

Why Word Games Trump Daydreams

October 16, 2013
Staff Writer
Push Your Imagination, Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
4 Comments

Tineke Bryson, Staff Writer I daydreamed ferociously when I was a kid. Nothing pleased me so much as slipping away from people and situations to hunt fancies in my head. And why curb my imagination? Wasn’t daydreaming my source of creative ingenuity? I trusted to imagination to achieve my dream of becoming a writer, or, as I put it then, a “poetess.” Ha.

Why Write If It Doesn’t Pay the Bills?

Jared Schmitz, Guest Contributor Let’s assume you’ve decided to become a writer. Your choice is made; a lifetime of struggle and fulfillment within your own imagination awaits you. But no matter how excited you might be about this, you’ll surely find yourself asking—and it won’t be long, either—the questions at the heart of the matter: What is writing good for? Why should I write? What good am I, and who am I to be writing stories?

How to Respond to Critique When it Hurts

October 3, 2013
Staff Writer
Giving and Receiving Critique, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
11 Comments

Rachel Garner, Staff Writer Writers, when you get a critique document or someone tells you, "Hey, I read your novel—" I can be almost certain of some of your reactions: your heartbeat quickens, your stomach knots, and you think why-oh-why did I ever want to be a writer?

Hannah Mills on Professional Critiques

September 25, 2013
Student Contributor
Giving and Receiving Critique, Help with Characters, Self-editing Tips, The Writing Life
2 Comments

Hannah Mills, Guest Contributor Hannah Mills won second place in the 2012 OYAN novel contest. As one of three finalists, Hannah received detailed critiques of her novel, Hosanna House, from the professional judges. We asked her to share about her experience.