Patient Grasshopper
I notice him perched on my windshield
as I drive the boys home from school:
His legs like violin bows folded,
black drupelet eyes alert, antennae erect.
Perfect posture, perfect tranquility.
The Land is My Muse: Interview with Author Emily MacKenzie
“I personally adore almost anything fantasy or science fiction, and have a hard time sticking with a book that has no magic unless it’s an alternate world or universe. I think stories with a romantic plot, and even sub-plot, are drastically overdone and cliché, and eagerly search for books that focus less on the fictional idealised notions of love.”
NaNoWriMo Day 30: Winning NaNoWriMo
You’ve done it. You’ve pushed and pushed, writing thousands of words each week, making it to this day – November 30, 2021. You’ve written like mad, and today, as you enter that last update, you’ll taste that sweet victory of winning NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo Day 29: Using Landscape for Inspiration
Whether you’re into city living, country living, or that in-between suburbanite, landscape is a huge part of writing. Not only is it critical for helping our readers establish physical aspects of our writing universes, but the landscape can be an inspiration for storytelling.
NaNoWriMo Day 28: What Do You Do When You Miss Those Writing Goals?
Last year, I won NaNoWriMo in just a few short days. I met my goal of 50,000 words in less than a week. This year, although I’ve already won by the time this piece has been published, I’ve had several days in which I did not meet my writing goals. It’s frustrating to miss goals, especially on some special days (like my birthday), but what can you do?
Quarterly Issues
December 4, 2021
I notice him perched on my windshield
as I drive the boys home from school:
His legs like violin bows folded,
black drupelet eyes alert, antennae erect.
Perfect posture, perfect tranquility.
December 2, 2021
“I personally adore almost anything fantasy or science fiction, and have a hard time sticking with a book that has no magic unless it’s an alternate world or universe. I think stories with a romantic plot, and even sub-plot, are drastically overdone and cliché, and eagerly search for books that focus less on the fictional idealised notions of love.”
November 30, 2021
You've done it. You've pushed and pushed, writing thousands of words each week, making it to this day - November 30, 2021. You've written like mad, and today, as you enter that last update, you'll taste that sweet victory of winning NaNoWriMo.
November 29, 2021
Whether you're into city living, country living, or that in-between suburbanite, landscape is a huge part of writing. Not only is it critical for helping our readers establish physical aspects of our writing universes, but the landscape can be an inspiration for storytelling.
November 28, 2021
Last year, I won NaNoWriMo in just a few short days. I met my goal of 50,000 words in less than a week. This year, although I've already won by the time this piece has been published, I've had several days in which I did not meet my writing goals. It's frustrating to miss goals, especially on some special days (like my birthday), but what can you do?
November 27, 2021
If you can write with music playing and you happen to be struggling in these final days of NaNoWriMo, using your writing playlist as a writing prompt could help. Earlier this month, I needed help mustering content while ill. So, I put my playlist on random and let the music move me.
November 26, 2021
A popular misconception exists that “The Next Great American Novel” can lift any feeble, impoverished writer from the mire to Hollywood or at least the White House. But alas, the creation of something incredible does not alone crown peasants kings.
November 25, 2021
It’s time for a little motivation from the Masters.
November 24, 2021
Usually, when I cross the 30,000-word mark each year, my inspiration for NaNoWriMo begins to wane. So, I thought it might be good to work through some of the things I do to keep the inspiration going. I hope my workarounds are things that help keep your motivation flowing all November long!
November 23, 2021
All writers at some point in their writing career will face a blockade – the dreaded writer’s block. And though, yes, I agree with Jim Butcher on this sentiment, “I don’t have writer’s block. I have a mortgage,” we don’t all have that motivator when it comes to writing our fiction...
November 22, 2021
He was a politician, a missionary, a school janitor, and an international businessman by day. And at night, he dabbled in noveling. My dad was one of the few people that really did do it all.
November 21, 2021
Summer was edging into fall and, if my memory serves, I’d biked a couple miles to church and stood poised to repeat the trip. Clouds had appeared in the sky and darkened, but I looked at the sky and said… I’ll make it. I don’t need a ride. I’m cool.
November 21, 2021
Are you struggling to tell a story? Maybe, like me, you’re thinking of tackling the National Novel Writing Month challenge but aren’t sure you could even begin.
November 20, 2021
There is this passage, this song of creation that even babies utter praise and worship the King. Why not a fish who coughs up a coin?...why not horses…?
November 20, 2021
This year, I couldn’t decide which novel to write, so I gave myself some leeway in choosing one to start with, then the option to jump to the next ones after I complete the first. This gave me the freedom to prioritize without eliminating the possibility of working on the other four I really wanted to write this year. But as the last third of the month hits, ideas can wane, and inspiration poop out. So, I, like many of you, need some good solid writing prompts.
November 19, 2021
You’ve been at this for 18 days now. Writing, writing, pushing, pulling, breaking, mending - drafting your NaNoWriMo 2021 novel. Well, by now, you may have come to absolutely love your main characters, or you may hate them. But if you’re not feeling that strongly about them, you might need to take a pause in the storytelling and spend some time falling in love with your lead (or falling in hate, if that villain just isn’t doing it for you).
November 18, 2021
None of these are inherently good or bad. Some people will run wild with your validating words and, intentional or not, harm others in their own “freedom.” Others may rejoice and find healing. The reader’s response is not on you to determine. You cannot force anyone to do anything.
November 17, 2021
Finding motivation all month long can be tricky. Right now, we’re about halfway through the month, and the inspiration is waning for many. You’ve been writing that 1667 words a day, struggling to take the next step, write the next word, not completely blank out. You might just need some writing inspiration games at this point.
November 16, 2021
Your Words Your World, written by Louise Bélanger is one example of this influx of religious poetry. I had the privilege of reviewing this book for the Roost and am happy to report that it truly is a lovely collection of works by a woman with a creative, imaginative mind.
November 16, 2021
If you’re still working away at your NaNoWriMo novel right now, I challenge you to make the following thousand words really count. Tell your readers every smell, every touch, every sound and sight, every flavor in the scene.