CREATE. WRITE. THRIVE.
Every year, Mr. Smith wonders why NaNoWriMo is in November. “It’s the busiest month!” he gently grumbles. I remind him that all our months are busy, but I know what he means. It does seem like every week in November … Continued
Oh, November! It’s such a wonderful but horrifically busy month. No normal routine will suffice. To navigate November, we need powerful habits! Of course, there’s NaNoWriMo and the holidays. On top of that, there’s the daylight savings time change, … Continued
What do you do when fear strikes, when it feels like your writing’s no good? We’re well into NaNoWriMo, and the emotions are doing what they do — shooting us high and dropping us low! For me, it’s … Continued
Happy, happy NaNoWriMo!! I hope you’re off to a great start, burning up the keyboard with your plot map, creating a colorful cast of characters, putting all that research to good use. But if you’re slowing down, dreading the blinking … Continued
Map your plot! Confession: When talking shop with another writer, if they tell me they don’t plot their novels, my heart sinks. It’s not because I’m a novel snob. (But, I mean, aren’t we all?) It’s because I’ve … Continued
Think of your favorite story. Have it in your head? What makes it your favorite? Chances are, it’s the cast of characters. Whether you side with the hero or the villain–or even the winning sidekick–the characters make a story come … Continued
Bittersweet! It’s finally cooled off a little here in our part of the world. From eighties to this morning’s mid-forties, we have weather whiplash at the Smith Creative Headquarters. But no matter how balmy or breezy, it’s still Preptober! And … Continued
You’ve booked a public appearance to promote your work! Fabulous!! But, wait–that means you have to speak. Erm, like, in front of people. Maybe lots of people. Yikes. If the dread has you fantasizing of calling off the whole thing, … Continued
People carry a lot of baggage about creativity. They either think, “Oh, I’m just not creative,” or, “I’m creative as heck so I can’t be bothered by things like ‘routines’.” Well, you know what, I’m not “a math person” (<–not … Continued
Do you have a finished piece of work that you’re ready to share, but not ready to send out for publication? The answer might be a writing contest! Competitions and grants can be great ways to get your work … Continued