Wednesday Words of Wisdom: Anton Chekhov

This week’s Wednesday Words of Wisdom come from Anton Chekhov, a Russian writer and playwright who is seen as one of the best short story writers in history. Chekhov contributed much to the modern short story and he certainly knew how to craft words in a compelling way.

Monday Minute: 5 Reasons to Try Scrivener

Not long ago, I decided to take the plunge and buy the writing program, Scrivener. I had played around with the trial version before but was overwhelmed by its lengthy tutorial and variety of features. But since I’ve started using Scrivener, I’m hesitant to go back to my old ways of using Google Drive and Mac Pages.

Monday Minute: Do You Hate Reading Your Own Writing?

I came to this realization the other day. While reading through an incomplete fan fiction story, I had the urge to quickly scan through my chapters and just be done with it. I felt like the writing was too choppy, too cluttered with unnecessary words and too juvenile. I’ve always wondered if this feeling was normal and after some research, I discovered that it’s actually quite common.

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: Pablo Neruda

I know Pablo Neruda best from his poem, “Your Feet.” The Chilean poet’s work is beautiful and eloquent. I also came across this wonderfully-stated quote from him.

Monday Minute: How to Cure Your Post-Camp NaNoWriMo Blues

Camp NaNoWriMo ended just two days ago and I’m feelin’ the blues. Cue B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone.” I always feel a little down when NaNoWriMo ends–whether in November or April. Writing can sometimes be a lonely task and it’s nice to have that community that NaNo gives you. So here are my tips on how to recover from your post-NaNo blues.

Monday Minute: A Word on Working Titles

Since the beginning of April, I’ve been participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. It was really a spontaneous decision because I hadn’t planned on doing it. However, the thought of writing a gothic horror novel appealed to me so much that I thought April was the perfect time to start writing another novel. It’s been smooth sailing so far but one aspect I struggle with is coming up with a title–even a working one.

Monday Minute: Keeping an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog

I don’t usually post about blogging advice on here but since it falls in the realm of creative writing, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about editorial calendars. I’m no expert but I’ve learned that having an editorial calendar is key to keeping your blog organized and on track. 

Friday Favourites: Blogs About the Writing Process

I find it really interesting to learn about the writing process of other writers. I like to see how we’re similar and how we’re different in how we approach the stages of writing, and what little quirks we might share. It’s also helpful to see what kind of strategies people use for productivity and accountability in their writing. So, this Friday Favourites is about bloggers who share their experiences on the writing process.

Words of Wisdom: John Green

My whole theme this week has been about revision. Not surprising, considering that it’s the stage I’m at with my writing. I think what has surprised me most about revision so far is how much can get rewritten and changed from the first draft. After reading through a couple of chapters and making some revision notes, I decided to rewrite my entire story.

Yep, the entire thing.

Monday Minute: Facing the First Draft

I decided that March would be my month of revision for my WIP (work-in-progress) and I thought that sharing my experiences would help me make sense of it all. As much as I like writing though, I really struggle with revision. Revision’s even harder when you don’t like your first draft. At all.