By Helen Calder Many people believe that when you work for yourself as a freelance writer you get a wealth of benefits from being your own boss. Picking your own working hours and effectively choosing your workload are undoubtedly perks of the job, but there are also major inconveniences when it comes to working for…
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What To Do When You Get a Negative Critique of Your Writing
Guest Post by Writer’s Relief Staff Let’s face it; most writers become victims of a curmudgeonly critic at one time or another. While many professional writers tell us not to take harsh messages to heart, we all know that it only takes one mean-spirited critique to set us back both emotionally and creatively. A less-than-favorable…
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A Room Of One’s Own: Crafting Your Perfect Writing Nook
by Helen Calder Writing is primarily a lone and sedentary profession and so it is very important to work in a space from which you can feel comfortable, productive, relaxed and inspired. Many writers find themselves stealing moments at the kitchen table or (with the rise of technology) on the move. But having a grounded and…
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Curbing Our Anxiety: Feeling, Writing, and Healing
by Helen Calder When it comes to poignant quotations, we’re all a little bit prone to getting caught up in a temporarily enamored state of revelation. Let’s face it, we’re suckers for profound and pithy statements, otherwise the print industry wouldn’t profit from the mass production of motivational posters. That isn’t a bad thing, of course….
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How to UP Your Word Count and Write Like a Boss! (Part 2)
Guest Post by Sheryl Scarborough We shouldn’t be surprised or amazed when our writing suddenly starts to click. After all, this is what we’ve been practicing, perfecting, mastering and perhaps even MFA’ing, right? So it makes sense that as we grow as writers we will become more proficient. We will find our centers and words…
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Show vs. Tell
Guest post by Peter Langella Versus is key. Most writing books and classes and critiques and seminars will say “show don’t tell,” but I think we can all agree that showing isn’t always possible or appropriate. Some things can be told, and that’s okay. The only stories that are realistically going to show the reader…
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Writerly Doubts?
Guest post by Peter Langella Dear Writer, It’s easy to think that what you’re writing doesn’t matter. It could be years before it’s published, if it’s ever even published at all, and it’s hard to imagine that someone else is out there waiting to read your words. You’re wrong. While it’s true that many of…
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Musicality and Reader Emotions
Guest Post by Peter Langella When I first began writing seriously, I was just telling stories. I wasn’t thinking about plot or structure or the concrete and abstract desires of my characters. Sure, a lot of that found its way into my drafts, but it wasn’t my focus when I brainstormed or sat at the…