The Artist’s Way Book Review

Creativity is like a ball of energy. Without a vessel/tool to harness it or shape it, it just hangs there.

The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, was originally published in 1992. The 25th-anniversary edition was published in 2016. In the book, Cameron takes a unique approach to be creative. Using a variety of techniques (such as The Morning Pages and Artist Dates) she encourages her readers to dig deep and discover what is holding them back. She also includes exercises, activities, and prompts in each chapter, giving the reader further opportunities to pull out what is metaphorically inside of them.

I was shocked that I had never heard of this book until a friend told me about it recently. Learning about Cameron’s methods was almost akin to picking up a mental health-related self-help book. It’s not just about facing what is blocking us as artists, it is what is holding us back in life as well.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Artist’s Way is available wherever books are sold.

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How to Write a Blog Post

1. Just start writing. The only way to to get the juices flowing is to turn on the faucet. A shitty first draft is better than no draft at all.
2. Be you. The best way to gain to new readers is to write as only you can. Your unique voice and your cumulative experiences creates a perspective that only you have.
3. Don’t be afraid of writing about controversial topics. Your opinion as important and valuable as anyone else’s.
4. Be flexible. One of the things I have learned over the years is that the way to improve my own blogging is being open to different formats and subjects as I go along.
5. Be creative. If you have an idea for a blog post or a topic to write about, go for it.
6. Use WordPress to the fullest. The range of tools we have is awe inspiring.
7. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. We can only improve our writing if we actually write.
8. Have fun. Writing is fun, even when it feels like work. I don’t know about you, but I always feel better knowing that I have gotten my thoughts onto the page.

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare

When it comes to famous writers, there are only a few who are universally loved and worshipped. At the top of this list is William Shakespeare. Today is his birthday. I could list why he is one of the greatest writers in human history, but I will let the work speak for itself.

Writers, Do You Have a Cut Page?

Ask any writer and they will tell you that the hardest part of writing is editing. Otherwise known as killing your darlings, it is much more difficult the just deleting or scratching out areas of the text that need to fixed or removed completely. It is destroying the work that the writer has put blood, sweat and tears into.

Unfortunately, it is part of the writing process, whether we like it or not.

Enter the cut page.

I’ve had cut pages for the last few years and I find them to be helpful. The cut page is a separate document from the document that contains your story. Instead of permanently deleting text that was removed during the editing process, it is saved to perhaps be used at a later date.

Below is an example of the cut page from the story I am presently working on.

One of the things I have learned is that every writer has their own style and their own way of working. For me, that includes having a cut page.

Pantsing or Plotting: Which is Better?

Among writers, the joke is that there is only one rule on how to write: there is no rule. There is however, two tried and true methods that writers employ to create their work. These methods are called pantsing and plotting.

Pantsing is when a writer will sit down to write and let their characters dictate where the story goes. Plotting is when a writer will construct an outline before creating the actual story. As there is with everything in life, there are pros and cons to both.

Pantsing

• Pro: I find pantsing to be useful, especially when writing the first draft. It allows me to just create my story without feeling boxed in.
• Con: It can feel constrained. Ask any writer and they will tell you that the first draft and the final draft can completely different. If a writer is wed to their outline, they may not be open to making changes needed to improve their work.

Plotting

• Pro: Outlines can be changed. They are not written in stone. For some writers, plotting allows them to focus on filling in the details.
• Con: The problem with plotting is that it is the skeleton of the story. The writer(s) are still responsible for bringing the characters and the narrative to life.

My approach to writing is that of a panster. However, I can see the value in plotting, which can come in handy when editing your work.

Now, the question is, which is better? That answer is every writer must make up their own mind. It is a subjective response that is dependent on the writer and their perspective.

Persistence Pays Off

The hardest part of the writing process is waiting. You, as the writer, put everything into the article and you send it into the void of the internet. You hope that the article is accepted and then published.

A few years ago, I wrote an article for a website that regularly publishes my work. After a few weeks, when I had not heard from that publication, it became clear that they were not interested in publishing this particular. As the years have passed, I just gave up and moved on to other work.

I am not going to name that particular publication, but this is not and will not be the first time that I or any writer has been ghosted after submitting work for publication.

Cut to a few weeks ago. I was following up on new articles that I had submitted to this same website. On a whim, I included the old article that I had previously given up on. Last week, they published that article.

It was the highlight of my day.

Whatever you are going through, stay hungry and no matter what, don’t give up. You will make it, I promise you. Just keep at it. I know that it’s not easy, but persistence always pays off.

Small Steps

A wise person once said that easy reading is hard writing.

I couldn’t agree more.

In the fall of 2016, I started writing a novel. Unfortunately, I am not as far along as I thought I would be. Most novels start at about 80,000 words. As of this week, I am up about 21,000 words.

Life, a full-time job, my freelancing work and the easy access to social media often pushes my novel down to the list of priorities.

But this past week, I made a choice. I made a choice to make small steps to complete my novel. Every night I spent a few minutes working on the novel via the notes I received from my writing group.

It’s not easy and often requires making editing choices that I would prefer not to make, however, the choices are necessary.

I know that the first draft will not be done for quite a while. However, I am confident that the small steps I am making will one day lead to a complete novel.

Just Write

The amount of writing advice one could look up on the internet is endless. Regardless of their level of success, every writer has at least once piece of writing advice to share with their fellow writers.

But without a doubt, the most important piece of advice is just to write.

Is the first draft going to absolutely perfect? Perhaps in a fantasy world, but not in the real world. In her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, (which I highly recommend), Anne Lamott has a chapter called Shitty First Drafts for a reason.  It’s easier to make edits to a shitty first draft than to a page with no text at all.

Over this past holiday season, I made myself a goal. By the time clock struck midnight on December 31st, I would have a word count of 20,000 words for my novel. It wasn’t easy, especially with the distractions that can take one away from writing, but I did it.

My point that writers have to write.We have to turn on the metaphorical faucet and do the work. It’s not easy, but there are few satisfactions that can compare to knowing that you have achieved a piece of writing that your proud of (even if it is in shitty first draft form).

 

You Know Your A Writer When….

You know you’re a writer when your usual mode of writing is not available and the writing wind is knocked out of your sails.

Some of my regular readers may have noticed that I have been largely silent over the past two weeks.

I wish I could say that it was because I was occupied with my other writing projects, but I was not.

My computer died and I had no choice, but to get a new one. It was time, but I didn’t expect to need it so soon.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but I think we are loath to admit that we need it more than we think do.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am back and I am ready to ready to get back to work.

As one of my favorite writers, Charlotte Bronte once said:

I am just going to write, because I cannot help it.

Now back to writing.

4 Years Old

My blog is four years old today.

It’s been an experience.

It is often said that change does not happen overnight, it takes time and sometimes a few mistakes.

I read somewhere that there are around 2 million blog posts published every day.

While my blog may not have the amount of followers or as many hits as other blogs do, I appreciate the readers who have taken time out of their busy day to read what I have written.

Thank you to my readers and enjoy your weekend.