Creativity & Writing Life

What young people need to know about writing and publishing.

While in pursuit of our writing goals, the serendipitous experiences along the way might be just as meaningful as landing the big fish.

A slew of literary rejections helped one writer develop the perseverance needed when a failed marriage left her urgently seeking a new job.

An AuDHD writer considers where her mind’s fragmentary and circular style of expression fits in a paradigm of linear storytelling.

Knitting and writing both teach us that mistakes can be instructive. Every dropped stitch, every tangled subplot is an invitation to learn.

One writer suggests that the antidote to ‘AI Slop’ is to bring our endlessly eccentric selves, resulting in idiosyncratic, unique outputs.

If a workshop ever left you feeling defeated, reflecting on it in a systematic way will get you back to writing sooner and with more confidence.

One writer who’s also a martial artist finds that success in either practice requires commitment and courage.

Consciously thinking about yourself as a writer—rather than an aspiring one—is the first step toward shattering self-limiting beliefs.

One writer found that regular check-ins with a writing buddy have encouraged both of them to make more progress than ever before.

Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, tracking word count to measure your daily progress yields numerous benefits.

When life’s too busy for the pomodoro technique to help you get writing done, try even smaller increments of time—or pomodorini.

Getting stuck is a lousy feeling, but a normal part of the messy and uneven creative process. Here are some tips for working through it.

If an inner voice criticizes your creativity, consider addressing the judgy elephant in the room. To whom does that voice belong?

When a project itself is confusing to its creator, here’s a quick look at ways to unclutter stuff, people, and the words we write.

Current research favors regular nurturing of a skill, as discussed in this excerpt from Deliberate Practice for Creative Writers by Jules Horne.

It’s tempting to agonize over the best way to get the words down, but all that matters is to choose a project, write it, and ask for support.

It’s an artist’s job to trust that deep satisfaction from our creative work arrives by keeping at it even when we feel stuck.

Like love and creativity, the best things in life are intangible. It’s the same with intuition, which the tarot helps us access and develop.

We do not live without a persistent undercurrent of questions, both tiny and tremendous. Doubt is part of us, so let us make peace with it.

Whether in life or publishing, when faced with setbacks it’s important to stay present and find joy in the small triumphs.

What does an average person like me have to say? If you ever find yourself thinking that way, make a list of subjects you know inside and out.

Next time you feel stuck, abandoning perfection and embracing bad ideas might be just the trick for breaking out of a creative slump.

One author examines the fear that accompanies publication—that a perceived flaw in the work, or herself, could cause embarrassment and shame.

Having retired from finance to pursue an MFA, one writer offers tips on embracing a new identity, taking risks, and maximizing strengths.