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“Il faut cultiver notre jardin,” —Voltaire
For those of us who don’t do fancy French, this means:
“We must cultivate our garden,” says Pangloss at the end of Voltaire’s Candide.
No sentiment could be truer for women who write. Stop focusing on the whole wide world. Instead, maintain a space that is your own and encourages the fruits of your labors to blossom.
But the process of growing our garden requires the right tools. Reading this blog and learning how to revise your own stories could help you cultivate your garden, obtain peace of mind, and establish your writing legacy. Happy reading and writing!
Looking for a specific writing topic? Search the entire blog below.
To Outline Or Not To Outline? Maybe That’s NOT the Question
You were forced to do it in high school or college. Maybe you even got a grade for it. Some authors swear by it. Others break out in hives when you mention the word.
The Outline.
Why does this little process provoke so much anxiety?
Economy of Words: How to Cut the Crap
I see it every week in some Facebook group.
A writer posts that they’ve reached a specific word count. YAY! Shoot the confetti cannon! You made it!
They are so excited for their accomplishment. And they continue to make announcements as their counts climb higher and higher.
“That rising word count is addictive. ”
Sorry to be a buzzkill, but when I see someone broadcasting their word count, I think, “great, now you’ll have even more words to edit out.”
My Hero’s Journey: A Philosopher Mom Takes a Detour
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”— Lao Tzu
Great advice...
Unless you’re a sleep-deprived mom who’s started a daily hiking regiment with a grubby toddler who sticks her disgusting monkey finger in your ear, causing you to develop a double ear infection that perforates your eardrum and forces your ass on the sofa for three weeks.
That’s how my journey began.
Start with Your Senses
I know, it seems overly simplistic. But there’s a lot to explore through your five senses. Don’t just assume you know how you will experience something. Instead, leave yourself open to whatever feelings come up. Only record your actual physical sensations.
Start small. Consider a short story or a poem. Or even a vignette or literary sketch.
How NOT to Start Writing in the New Year
There are so many newer, better, quicker approaches to start your writing process, especially in the new year. It makes you wonder how people like Shakespeare ever produced any content at all. Read these articles or don’t. None of it really matters. These suggestions may help you get more words on a page, but they won’t help you become a better storyteller.