Category: Writer Reflections

Left, right. North, south. Eastern, western. There's an opposite for every position, be it political, religious, or anything else. The same is true of stories. The protagonist has an antagonist. There's always a villain to face, an outlaw to bring to justice, a bomb to diffuse. The list goes on. Some antagonists are evil personified.… Continue reading Picky Perspective

I don't have much to write today. With all the chaos right now, I thought I'd revisit what I said at the beginning of the year, along with another important lesson I learned recently. I started this year wanting to make blog posts every Wednesday. I've missed some weeks due to unforeseen circumstances, and I… Continue reading Resolutions Revisited

The apocalypse is here. People now aspire to be introverts and clean freaks. Toilet paper is the new currency. Having a home library full of more books than one person could ever read in one lifetime no longer seems absurd. Finally, sitting home doing nothing isn't deemed lazy. In all seriousness, the world isn't ending,… Continue reading Sensible Solitude

I learned a valuable lesson about blogging these past few weeks. Always have something prepared for emergencies. Be it illness, spontaneous visitors, unexpected events, or any other inconveniences, having a few prewritten pieces can help immensely. Of course, like many life lessons, this one took learning the hard way. Between the flu hitting my house,… Continue reading Life Lesson

I'm a writer. I've been one since I was fifteen and decided I didn't want to just read stories. I wanted to make my own. Still, I don't always feel like a writer. I know several people who published stories in magazines or poems in anthologies. Many even have their own novels. What do I… Continue reading Impostor Identity

Today's post is short. Almost too short to be worth posting. But I think this is something I need to say, and something someone may need to hear. Given how the past few weeks have gone, I need a break from writing. And that's okay. Life happens. Children are born. The family gets sick. School… Continue reading Break Benefits

Writing is hard. First, you have to come up with a brilliant idea worth sharing with the world. Then, you have to get something down on paper that makes a bit of sense to read. Finally, and most importantly, you have to edit. Editing can be a real pain. You have to make sure everything… Continue reading Exhausting Edits

When I was in second grade, I wrote a gender-swapped version of The Prince and the Pauper after watching the Mickey Mouse version. I called it The Princess and the Widow. It took forever slowly typing it out on my grandmother's clunky computer. (This was between the years 2000 and 2001 when technology still needed… Continue reading Inspiring Ideas

I've read a lot about the virtues and pitfalls of both plotting a novel and writing by the seat of your pants. Some writers swear plotting is the only way to go, while others insist on diving in headfirst without any plan at all. These differing approaches have led to more than a few harsh… Continue reading Pantser Ponderings