First drafts always get such a bad rep — Sh*tty first draft. A vomit draft. Bad. Crappy. Terrible. Just google “first draft quotes” and you’ll see so many writers and authors talking about first drafts in this way. I get that a first draft will never be perfect. But is a final draft ever perfect?Continue reading “Your first draft is not awful”
Category Archives: Motivation
What if you’re already good?
I recently shared this popular quote by Ira Glass with my Grounded Writers group. It’s a quote that I’ve shared on social media more than once and it’s even on the About page on my website where I say it’s my favourite writing quote. Here’s the quote: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners,Continue reading “What if you’re already good?”
On rejections and negative reviews
Over the last little while I’ve had many conversations with writers about critique and rejections and negative reviews, and I wanted to share some thoughts here in case they’re helpful to other writers. I know a lot has been said already, and perhaps I’m not adding anything new or particularly insightful, but I occupy severalContinue reading “On rejections and negative reviews”
Writing is not a talent
Every time I finish a manuscript critique and I’m about to send it off to the writer, I always feel a little nervous before I hit Send. I feel like I’m letting the writer down, like I’m sending a package of disappointment their way. Because almost always, the story or the writing needs more work.Continue reading “Writing is not a talent”
How to overcome ‘writer’s block’ (Part 2)
I’ve been talking about writer’s block in the last few posts. Here is the initial post where I talk about why I don’t believe in writer’s block, and here is how to overcome writer’s block part 1. In this post, I want to talk about how to overcome feeling stuck in the midst of aContinue reading “How to overcome ‘writer’s block’ (Part 2)”
How to overcome ‘writer’s block’
In a previous post, I talked about why I don’t believe in writer’s block, at least not it the way it’s generally portrayed and understood. To me, writer’s block is simply a state of feeling stuck in our writing, feeling unsure about what to write or how to proceed with a particular project if you’veContinue reading “How to overcome ‘writer’s block’”
Thoughts on rejections
I’ve been thinking a lot about rejections. What it means for us as writers to receive rejections and how that can change our relationship with our writing. At their worst, rejections can damage our belief in ourselves as writers, that the things we have to say, the stories we have to tell are not important,Continue reading “Thoughts on rejections”
Whatever your dream, don’t give up
I’m getting my copy in the mail at some point, but I couldn’t help myself. I went to a bookstore just to look at it, just to hold it for a few moments. It was surreal, seeing my name in print, flipping through the pages of my story. I remember reading this anthology some yearsContinue reading “Whatever your dream, don’t give up”