The Writing Life Archives

Out of the Creative Wilderness

August 3, 2017
Student Contributor
Parenting a Young Writer, Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life
1 Comment

By Teresa Rudd, Parent Contributor I guess you could say that I wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of creative writing for forty years before encountering for the first time the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum.

Give Your Fear of Writing the Uppercut

July 13, 2017
Student Contributor
Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
2 Comments

By Lydia Davis, Student Contributor The act of creation attracts a surprising variety of fears. Part of this is because creativity refuses to be predictable. No matter how thoroughly you plot a novel, there’s inevitably some aspect that catches you off guard. Writing can be unknowable and unexpected. Sometimes, that’s what makes it exciting . . . but not all the time.

Good Vibes Only: The Art of Appreciating Writing

June 1, 2017
Student Contributor
Giving and Receiving Critique, Guest posts, The Writing Life
2 Comments

By Linnea Hagler, Guest Contributor I will never say I hate a book (ever). Here’s why.

Writing Workshops: How to Sharpen Your Focus

By Tineke Bryson, Staff Writer What are writing workshops supposed to do for us? Whatever it is, how do we make sure it happens? Can we leap into more than one pool of opportunity?

Using Routine to Combat Writing Anxiety

May 4, 2017
Staff Writer
Self-editing Tips, Stuck? Discouraged?, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tools
0 Comments

By Gabrielle Schwabauer, Staff Writer I’ve taught my mind to expect writing, to think of it as a daily responsibility like making supper or taking a shower. I’ve taught my anxious brain that I can produce words on command, and that if it’s a difficult and frustrating process, that’s okay.