2017 is officially over! I’ve accomplished a lot of great things and written many wonderful words. Now I’m gearing up to make 2018 the best year of my writing life – and I’ve compiled 18 of my best articles to help you do the same.
Articles to improve your writing practice
1. 5 Tips for working with beta readers, critique partners, and editors – Based on everything I learned preparing Keeper of the Dawn for publication.
3. How to be a good beta reader or critique partner – Lessons from my own time as a beta reader/critique partner.
4. Evening Pages – A night owl’s take on the concept of “morning pages”.
5. How to push through when you hate your novel – I did this one for Nanowrimo participants in the second week slump, but it’s applicable to all of us at some point, no matter how we’re writing our novels.
6. How to boost your creativity even when you’re exhausted – I’m a night owl and an insomniac. Over the years I’ve learned how to stay creative despite those things – and now I’m sharing my best strategies with you.
7. Using Twitter chats to connect with other writers – An extensive guide, including a list of Twitter chats I love.
8. How to reap the rewards of the Nanowrimo community all year long – How to keep the community momentum going after Nanowrimo.
9. Letters to explore character – How letters have become my most powerful character development exercises – and how you can use them too.
Articles to improve your overall life
This year I also started writing a lot about mental health, something I plan to explore more deeply in 2018. These articles are just the beginning:
10. Learning to be honest about (my) mental illness – If we want it to get better, first we must talk about it.
11. Writing to yourself – I wrote a letter to myself in my new book. Here’s why – and why you might want to do the same.
12. Why you should never feel guilty about taking the time to write – The guilt monster is the ultimate enemy of productivity.
13. Your personalized definition to success – Why it matters and how to create one (bonus video on this topic coming this week!)
14. 5 FREE self care activities to help you survive the winter – Self care doesn’t have to cost money when you use these strategies.
15. Hold on to the light and shine it into the darkness of our minds – My contribution to the #Holdontothelight 2018 campaign, a series of blog posts from over 100 science fiction and fantasy authors raising awareness about mental illness.
16. The physical side of self care for writers – Your physical health is essential to your mental health – and your writing practice.
17. 3 Simple strategies for fighting imposter syndrome – Imposter syndrome is one of the most common problems for writers. These strategies will help you kick its butt once and for all.
18. A writer’s (or artist’s) holiday survival guide – All right, so it will be a while before you need this one, but I promise these strategies will bring you plenty of holiday joy come 2018.