When the dust settles at the end of November, frantic and frenzied NaNoWriMo writers may be left to wonder: what’s the next challenge? Where do we go from here? Whether your NaNoWriMo manuscripts are destined for slush piles or hard drive hibernation, might I suggest pivoting to a low-stress project for 2020 that’s designed with…
Category: Journaralities
Veterans Day–Yes, I Served!
Military service is a tough and thankless job that underpays and undervalues. Yet those who volunteer to become soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines don’t do it for the gratitude. And they certainly don’t do it for the pay. Well, not always. The reasons tens of thousands of our young people sign up for military service…
The On-Fire/Burnout Cycle of a Writer
Summer is my hyperactive period for creative productivity. The sun and warmth fuel me, like I’m bathing in endorphins that my body synthesizes into pure motivation. This energy rush spurred me to take on multiple writing projects this past season, most of which I’ve completed or am in the process of wrapping up. I’m proud…
Are you a writer or a Writer?
What makes a writer a writer? Social media and the interwebs are filled with decrees and passionate rebuttals on this exact topic. Some fall into the camp of “a writer must write every day” while others insist that if you write—no matter how often or little—you are a writer if you consider yourself one. I…
Fearing the Unopened Email
As of last night, I have an email sitting in my inbox that I’m afraid to open. I fear it will be disappointing news, so it’s easier to skip past it for now. I’ll have to open it eventually, and there’s a small chance it could be positive news, but my mind doesn’t work like…
The Promise of Possibilities
Remember my post about flexibility? Well, here it is in action . . . I’d planned to write about writing consistency when it comes to being a writer (irony!), but I’m pivoting this week to talk about something that inspired me over the weekend. We took a quick trip up to New York City as…
Pivoting Like a Writing Pro
My writing life is picking up, and most of that is self-propelled. I’ve sidled up to the authorial buffet and loaded my plate with agent querying, short story submissions, publication management, a monthly column, weekly blog posts, deep revisions on a full manuscript, and penning two more short stories for upcoming contests and anthologies. It’s a…
When Karma Comes A’Knocking
My spouse recently shared a story with me about something that happened at work. One of his sub-foremen found a bank withdrawal envelope containing $400 in cash just outside their work site. The withdrawal slip was tucked inside, which showed the unfortunate person’s remaining account balance of $91. Now, the right thing to do would…
Top 3 Tips for How To Give, Ask for, and Take Critiques
I’ve been an active member of my local writing critique group since March 2014. They helped restart my writing engine after I’d stored it away for too many years. They encouraged me to keep working on projects I thought should be shelved. They highlighted places in my work where I’ve been sloppy and suggested ways…
Frenemy of Technology
We’ve all done it. Shaken our fist at our computers when they crash and obliterate a document in which we’d invested an hour without saving. Or, gnashed our teeth when we can’t get a signal on our smart phone to look up the answer to the yogurt shop’s trivia question of the day. And who…
D.M. Domosea 