A crutch word is simply that: a word we lean on time and time again. Every writer has their own individual crutch words. The problem is when we lean on them too much they end up sticking out like a sore thumb. My personal favorites are: just, that, and and. Two things I discovered...
Choosing to write or journal is like dieting. You have to decide to do it. Having a plan does not hurt either. Instead of scheduling in meals, you are scheduling in time to write. Unlike dieting your chances of success are greater. Here are...
New Year Prompts Happy New Year! You cannot get away from it — the celebrations are notorious whether you want to ring in the new year or not. A new year is a good time to reflect on the previous year’s events and contemplate...
In relation to writing, whenever I think of setting, I tend to think of it in the most simplest of terms: place; like the ocean or mountains. But setting is so much more than that. Aside from place, it also involves time and can...
You have labored for a year (or maybe more) on your book and as soon as you type “The End”, a feeling of relief and accomplishment overwhelms you right before you run to the bookshelf to get your list of literary agents and publishers....
With the age of computers upon us the art of letter writing has virtually disappeared. It is easier to send off (or receive) an electronic message then get out some pretty paper and a nice pen to write a well thought out letter to...
The one thing that I have difficulty with is introducing myself as a writer especially since I am not published. What amazes me is that in social situations, I can be quite chatty and have no qualms about discussing my age, religious beliefs or...
This is a fun addition to any journal. No, it isn’t actually a ten word poem. It involves using ten random words with no apparent commonality within a poem, preferably one for each line. This technique can be adjusted to include a theme or...
I love to dream at night. It is like my own little movie no one else can watch. When I was younger I used to dream in serials, meaning the next night the dream would pick up where it left off. I seldom have...
