It’s been a while, but I’m back with the annual nanowrimo update! As usual, I didn’t do the normal nano, but instead of (light-heartedly) calling it a failure, this year, I’m embracing the “nano rebel” label. Though I intended to step back from blog posts this year, I hadn’t intended to go quite so long …
Tag: writerslife
How to Beat Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block is built up in the mind of every writer, kind of like the monster under the bed. It scares us. It hinders us. It saps our productivity. Except I don’t really believe in Writer’s Block. Like the monster under the bed, I think it’s a story. Hype. Meant to scare writers like you …
The Writing Process: The Beta Draft
It’s amazing how much lighter I feel now that I’ve got my beta draft finished and out to beta readers. I can focus on plotting and writing, which are much more fun than editing. In addition to feeling happy and relieved, I also feel anxious. What if I screwed this book up big time? What …
August Motivation: Commit Every Day
There are many in the writing community that crank out thousands of words an hour, edit a book in a week, and publish a book every month or two. That is not my production model, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I’ll hit that stride, but for now, all I can do is improve my …
The Writing Process: Editing a Draft, Part 2
The editing saga continues. If you’re interested in Part 1, here it is. This post will make sense as a stand alone, though, so don’t feel obligated. My next step in editing is something I learned from Liz Hayes, the organizer of my writing group, The Hourlings. This has been one of the most amazing …
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Productivity: How to Utilize Those Spare Moments
People talk about completing tasks or learning new skills “when they have time.” I am a firm believer in making the time for things that matter. It’s easy to complete passive activities, like watching Netflix, and it’s important to plan for down time, like reading a book or scrolling through Instagram, but if you’re like …
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2019 Writing Goals: The June Check In
With five months behind me, I thought it would be a good time to go back and look at my goals from January to see how things are going, and if I need to make any adjustments. It might make more sense to do this in July, half way through the year, but I'm a …
May Motivation: Where are you stuck?
People say that you don’t need motivation, you need discipline. I agree with this sentiment one hundred percent. At the same time, sometimes we get stuck, or feel down, and what we need is a little inspiration to lift us up so that we can recommit to being disciplined. So if you’re in need …
Resources for Plotting and Outlining a Series
As I get closer to the end of The Island Experiment, Book 3 in The Kepos Chronicles, I’ve been thinking more about the next series I want to write, so I figured I should start improving my outlining process. I want to avoid some of the issues that I’ve faced with this series as a …
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Five Ways to be a Better Beta Reader
Today I finished up a beta read, so I thought it would be a good time to summarize my tips for how to be a good beta reader. I’ve done several beta reads, which doesn’t make me an expert by any means. I do things a little differently every time, based on what I’ve learned. …
Erica Rue 