writing life

The Holiday Gift Your Writer Friend Really, Really Wants This Year

Engagement begets engagement. Here's what that means (and it's not about diamond rings or elephants).

Dec 17, 2024 •

Five Buckets of Nerdy Nostalgia (and Eighteen Rolls of Toilet Paper)

Children, books, gowns, catastrophes, and so on.

Nov 3, 2024 •

Edgar Allan Poe’s Deliberately Meta Writing Process for Maximum Spook

How Poe purposefully set out to make “The Raven” evoke gothic melancholia — with no creative flights of fancy involved.

Oct 30, 2024 •

It's! A! Giveaway!

To celebrate 500 subscribers, I'm giving away...

Sep 27, 2024 •

I Went to the Seaside to Take a Rest, and Nary a Word Did I Write

Relaxation can cultivate creativity. Yet giving in to the impulse to work in these conditions undermines the point of taking a break. (In other words…

Sep 17, 2024 •

Introducing The Summer of Jane Austen

A new endeavor for the next few months, with a Worthy Goal in mind.

May 14, 2024 •

"Please Include a Bio of 200-300 Words"

An introduction of sorts, some musings on the distillation of ourselves into stand-alone adjectives and nouns ("tall! decaf! cappuccino!"), and the…

Mar 8, 2024 •

Medium vs. Substack: Why You Should Do Both

Pros and cons of each platform (with real numbers!), and the benefit of giving your readers options.

Feb 26, 2024 •

A Reflection on Failing NaNoWriMo

and what's ahead in 2024

Jan 9, 2024 •

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