How to Get Into FLOW
If you’ve been following me at Resilient Writers for any length of time, then you’ve heard me say how important it is for us as writers to achieve a state of flow.
Flow helps us have the kind of writing sessions that so many writers long for, where we lose all sense of time and anything that isn’t our characters or our narrative.
But the flow state can seem unattainable if we don’t know how to reach it reliably, each and every time we sit down to write.
Luckily, there’s a dedicated field of scientific study called Positive Psychology that can teach us the concrete conditions that need to be met to reach a state of flow.
How to Get Into Flow
Listen to learn:
- How you can achieve a state of flow in your writing life
- The power of psychology in our writing lives
- Why it’s important to choose the right time for you to write
- The benefits of living as a writer that’s always learning and growing
Here’s a...
Simple Rules for Writing, with Gary Barwin
When we write, whatever story we’re telling—whether it’s a literal, fictional story, or the driving force behind another genre of work—has to come from somewhere.
Author Gary Barwin found his stories by looking into history, his memories, and his experiences. But it was learning more about a history he is connected with that made Gary decide to look inward, and write directly about himself.
But this doesn’t mean Gary writes in a narrow scope for others who are just like himself. Rather, he thinks about how his writing can instead speak to the human experience of being in this world.
This allows him to fulfil the role of a writer: bringing people back to their fundamental humanity, which to Gary means understanding how we are all connected.
Simple Rules for Writing, with Gary Barwin
Listen to learn:
- About the role our identity and experiences have in our writing
- Why we write, and why...
A Long and Satisfying Journey to Publication
The path to publishing a book isn’t an easy one.
That goes double when you’re learning about what you want to write, what kind of book you’re going to publish, trying to get your book selected by a publisher…
A Long and Satisfying Path to Publication, with Mari Ruddy
The list of bumps in the road to publishing goes on and on, and author Mari Ruddy hit every single one. The entire process of writing her second book took Mari over ten years—but after all her hard work, patience, and perseverance, it’s finally here!
And as you may have guessed, Mari didn’t get published by cutting any corners.
Listen to learn:
- The importance of knowing what kind of book you’re writing
- Why you should pay for an editor, especially as a self-published author
- How much it can cost to self-publish
- The value of having a writing community
Here’s a sneak peek:
[6:54] So I joined this co-working space and...
Writing in Community: 6 Ways To Do This Right Now
I’m a big fan of setting up a regular writing ritual -- one so pleasurable you are drawn back to it every week. And most of the time, this is alone time. It is a universal truth that no one can write your book but you.
And yet.
I’m really not a fan of writing completely alone.
Writing in Community
It’s a bit like having a personal trainer or a workout buddy. You might have difficulty showing up for a 6am sweat session all by your lonesome, but if you know someone is there waiting for you, the odds are high you won’t stand them up.
Building a writing community has been critical for me. Over the years, this one thing more than anything else has kept me writing when I might have put the pen down or shut the laptop.
There are different ways of writing in community. The key to knowing which option is the best one for you right now is to get clear on what you are looking for:
- Do you need personalized critique on a piece of writing, to know if it’s...
Keep Coming Back! Thoughts on Persistence
Hey there writer, you’ve reached the end of The Resilient Writers Radio Show Season 2!
Today I have a special closing episode for you, where I’ll discuss what you can expect to hear in the next Season, and I’ll also tell you a bit more about our upcoming Book Finishers Bootcamp!
Keep Coming Back! Thoughts on Persistence
Listen to learn:
- What’s coming in The Resilient Writers Radio Show Season 3
- All about the next Book Finishers Bootcamp
- How to tell me if there’s something specific you’d like to hear in Season 3
- Why persistence is key for us as resilient writers
Thank you for sticking with us to the end of two whole Seasons!
Here’s a sneak peek of today’s episode…
[2:14] To me, that's what it means to be a resilient writer, that despite all the ups and the downs and the emotional rollercoaster of this writing life, we're still doing it.
[5:21] And I think sometimes when we are watching other writers,...
The Writer’s Reading List: How To Bust Through Tough Craft Challenges
Where's your writing craft book stack?
Building A Writer's Reading List
From time to time in any given writing project, you’ll hit a wall. It would be great if this wall was painted with the perfect novel outline, but that doesn’t seem to be in the repertoire of most graffiti artists.
The Writer’s Reading List is the tool to use when you’re moving along in your work in progress at a great clip and then suddenly trip over yourself and can’t go any further. You’re stuck. What you need next is some inspiration to help you solve your technical craft questions related to…
- Dialogue – how to ensure each scene is infused with tension?
- Backstory – how much is too much, and how to shape it?
- Time – how to make it clear to your reader that your protagonist is living in the present day but recalling an incident from two decades back?
- Structure – how to take these three plotlines and have them intersect?
It’s the technical...
7 Ways to Fuel Your Writing Life
Writer, let's get serious for a moment.
I want you to embrace your writing dreams and get clear on the kind of writing life you truly want to have...and then get busy making it happen!
To help you with this, here are 7 ways you can fuel your writing life...
Hold Your Writing Goals Close
Write your writing goals down and keep them close, perhaps in a journal or your writer’s notebook. Read them over from time to time, to remind yourself of what your goals are AND why they are important to you.
Here’s a format I love for writing goals…
Goal: To achieve [specific result] by [date/deadline].
Why: A short sentence about why it matters to me.
Let Your People Know
Occasionally, writers will tell me that they would make more progress in their writing life if only it wasn’t for their loved ones. #uhoh
Whether it’s kids interrupting a writing session, or an excess of care responsibilities, or just what I think of as OPP (the opinions of other people!), it...
Top 12 Places to Find Good Writing Prompts
Sometimes, everyone needs a little push in life. And when we need those pushes, we often turn to external sources to guide us through our detours until we’re back on track, regardless if you are working towards a goal or need help with a big change.
As writers, we often need metaphorical tugs on our sleeves to find the motivation and inspiration we need to put pen to paper again. And if you’re here because that’s exactly what you need, then click the headers below to get moving forward again.
Top 12 Places to Find Writing Prompts
1. The Writer’s Digest
The Writer’s Digest is a pretty well-balanced source for writing materials and information. You can find pretty much everything on this website: from the quirks of the writing process to interviews with successful writers. It also has a prompts section that is regularly updated. Many of the prompts have specified restrictions too, if you feel up to the added challenge. And if you find none of the...
Oooh, look! Best Pens for Writers
There’s nothing worse than settling in to what you can tell will be a long writing session, just to discover that your favourite pen is out of ink.
Equally perturbing is when you pick up a new pen at the store because the packaging caught your eye, but when set to your page the tip is so coarse it feels like you’re trying to carve your initials into a picnic bench. Hopefully with this list of carefully chosen pens, your troubles will be eased.
I last wrote to help you narrow down the never-ending search for the Best Journals for Writers. This list will be just as subjective as the last and includes reasonably priced pens all under $10 that I believe will make sitting down to write painless.
Best Pens for Writers: Ballpoints
Uni-Ball Jetstream Retractable
https://www.amazon.ca/Uni-Ball-Jetstream-Retractable-Ballpoint
The Uni-Ball Jetstream is just one step away from ordering a daily PSL (pumpkin spice late) on its way to work. That’s how basic it is....
Getting Ready to FINISH Your Book
Are you wondering if you’re really ready to finish your book?
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell – especially if we’re getting bogged down by our self-doubt. But that self-doubt can be a sign that you are ready to finish.
Listen to learn:
- How to tell if you’re really ready to finish
- Why we don’t always have to be working towards finishing a book
- How some of the best books come about
- Why writing our books takes time
And while we at Resilient Writers want you to finish your book, it’s also important to remember that we don’t always have to be in a state of finishing to be a “Real Writer.”
Here’s a sneak peek of today’s episode…
[02:09] I really strongly believe that there has to be time in a writer's life where we're just playing around.
[04:12] I think a writer is someone who writes, but there's no question that it kind of gives you that extra...
