by Shannon Dittemore | Apr 12, 2023 | Author Life, Characters, Creativity, Discovery Writing, Writing, Writing Life
Writing a novel isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s work. And that’s exactly as it should be. Every story starts with the shimmer of an idea. Close enough that you can see its potential, and far enough from realization that you have to chase it down....
by Stephanie Morrill | Apr 5, 2023 | Author Life, Getting Feedback On Your Writing, Writing Life
Art is subjective. We all know this. It’s why there are award-winning books that you think are terrible. Or why you loaned a book to your best friend because it was the best thing you’d ever read, and she read two chapters before declaring it was boring....
by Stephanie Morrill | Mar 29, 2023 | Author Life, Encouragement, Learning from Other Authors, Writing Life
For many years, I’ve envied those who pursue careers with well-defined paths. If you want to be a teacher, you go to college, you get your degree in education, you log your student teaching hours, and then you start applying for teaching jobs. None of that is...
by Shannon Dittemore | Mar 8, 2023 | Elements of Fiction, Theme, Writing, Writing Life
Today, as we explore theme, we reach the end of our series on The Five Elements of Fiction. If you’re jumping into the series now, or would like to revisit the other elements, tap the links below: The Five Elements of Fiction The Five Elements of Fiction: Style...
by Stephanie Morrill | Dec 7, 2022 | Encouragement, Getting Published, Practicing, Writing Life
I read a story in Atomic Habits by James Clear that changed how I think about writing. A professor at the University of Florida named Jerry Uelsmann divided his photography class into two groups. Half the class would be graded on how many photographs they turned in....
by Stephanie Morrill | Nov 30, 2022 | Encouragement, Writing Life
(A version of this post was originally published October 9, 2017) I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to talking about my mistakes. What I don’t love: The vulnerability. I’ve taught classes based on my writing mistakes, which seems like a fabulous...
