Growth is Only Accomplished Through Challenge

Blog Stuff, Goal setting, Writing
I've long believed that a good writer entertains and teaches others, but a great writer is always learning and growing themselves. For those who simply want to get a book published to share their story or just to see their name bound on a book, it's all right to stop learning after the first novel's finished. For those of us who want to be career writers, it's essential to keep learning and developing our craft throughout our lifetimes. A writer who stops growing and learning stagnates. Their novels become stiff and dull and lacking in surprises. People stop getting excited about their next novel, if it even gets published. When you accept that you've reached a good place in your writing and you feel satisfied with that, you stop achieving…
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Journalling Prompt #1

Inspirational, Journalling, Prompts, Short Fiction, Workshops, Writing
A journal does not need to be simply a recital of facts. Your character's journal should include facts, some every day things and some unusual events, but it should also include many other things. It's your character's space to explore who they are and what they want. Journals can be very therapeutic and can help us all discover ourselves and reach our goals. Sometimes, when we're having a hard time, we need to sit down and really think about what's causing our problems. Not just the surface of it, but what's really behind it--our own deeper issues. Asking ourselves on paper and then responding honestly can help us reach the heart of the problem and find a solution. Your character might not be the type to do this, but then…
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What is the Dear Diary Project?

Journalling, Short Fiction, Workshops, Writing, Writing
The Dear Diary project originated as a very basic idea I found on the Wriye forums. The idea was to write a character's journal for thirty days. The idea was originally dubbed '30 Days in the Life of' but I liked the sound of the Dear Diary Project. I thought it was a great idea, so I did two by myself and then began turning it into a workshop on my old blog to help other writers. It helped me develop my characters on a deeper level and get used to writing in their PoVs. To top it all off, I had lots of fun. During the month of September, I will be running the Dear Diary challenge once again. The goal is to write one diary entry--it can be…
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