"The only real access that I have to my mind is when I'm writing." – Kay Ryan
I’m going to write a little bit about how I use the Scrivener writing program for my writing. But first, in the spirit of full disclosure, I want to note that I am an employee of Literature & Latte, the software company that makes Scrivener. This blog post is not a paid endorsement by Literature... Continue Reading →
Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash My employer gives all of the staff two weeks off each December for the holidays. This is time off that does not count against our PTO, which is used for federal holidays, vacation, and sick leave. In return for that chunk of time off, they ask that we periodically... Continue Reading →
A quick perusal of social media shows I’m not the only person who is struggling to maintain any kind of normal routine.That’s not surprising. We’re still mired in COVID lockdowns. We’re seeing repeated reasons for social and political unrest: Police shooting Black, Indigenous, and other people of color and not being held accountable for it.... Continue Reading →
A lot of writers have already crafted posts and articles with tips on how to be more productive during the shelter-in-place orders that so many of us are facing. The Internet is full of resources for learning new languages, improving our baking skills, exercising at home, and homeschooling advice.We can find lists of the must-watch... Continue Reading →
Most writers have favorite tools and processes they use. I’ve been reviewing my preferences and considering how they affect my writing process. I thought writing a post about the topic might give me more clarity and perhaps suggest places where I can change or improve my workflow. When I first started writing on a computer,... Continue Reading →
Back in June, I started work on a new manuscript. I’m just over 28,000 words into the project. And, almost 11,000 of them are in a single scene. And that’s a problem. I know a single scene in a novel can’t be that long. A large part of that material will need to be deleted.... Continue Reading →
I’m not sure why, but I really struggle with titles. I know some writers who come up with the perfect title for their stories. Some use a key theme from the story, while others rely on some clever pun that they then work into their narrative. But I suck at titles. Even for something as... Continue Reading →
Since I used my last two posts to set up goals for this week’s at-home writing retreat, I’ll recap what progress I made and what I learned about my writing process. I’ll start with crunching numbers. In my post on May 31st, I said my goal was 2,500 words. I felt like that goal would... Continue Reading →
My two-week blogging break wasn’t planned. But I think I’m a little more refreshed after taking that break. I was taking two writing classes, and each required a certain number of reviews of peers’ assignments each week. I was feeling burned out on writing. Both classes are nearly done, and I’m looking forward to a... Continue Reading →
I’m continuing my self-imposed social media lockout, and I’m coping pretty well. I keep informed about key news via email updates from a couple of major news outlets. I still pick up my phone with the plan to check social media but stop before reinstalling the apps. And I pick up my phone less often.... Continue Reading →
Ruth F. Simon 