According to legends, Laozi leaves China on his water buffalo. Renard, (2002), p. 16 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A personal confession. I love the Tao te Ching, by Lao Tzu. It isn’t just about the abstract ‘life’, it is about life. As in learning, walking, martial arts, music, and writing. Yes, writing. Here are four examples […]
English: abstract art 42x54in ,oil on canves-olej na plutnie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.” ― E.E. Cummings […]
No series on personal philosophies would be complete without a look at priorities. Priorities help you get on track, stay on track, and even find the track in the first place. Your priorities reflect both your ideal and your actual creative life-style. Your choices affect both long-term and short-term creativity, productivity, and stamina (some […]
This isn’t a how-to for how to deal with criticism. It’s about identifying your personal philosophy about them. Love them, hate them, fear them, avoid them. But why? And what are your ideal critic and ideal critique? Let’s start at the end. What is your ideal critique? I would love for someone to […]
What makes any book great? Great plots, characters, settings, and world immediately come to mind. So does a narrative style that pulls the reader into these and leaves the “real” world behind. But all that is common advice, not necessarily personal philosophy. What’s really important is what “great” means to you. Great can […]
Part of the appeal of writing is the opportunity to write whatever you want. That’s the theory, anyway. (The drawback is that you don’t get to write however you want.) Many writers actively look for inspiration from the outside world in the form of news articles, overheard conversations, and research. But these strategies are grounded […]
Outsiders tend to group “writers” in one big pack. But there are many types of writers. But writers are selective in what they write – usually just a few forms. Knowing your reasons for writing these genres and styles can help you keep going or know when it is time to change. Define your genre(s). […]
Your writing philosophy is more than a statement. It is a collection of personal truths and beliefs. Some are about your writing – why you write in a particular genre or genres, what topics and themes you want to address, and what you want your story world to be like. Part of your philosophy should […]
Sometimes writing gives me the greatest feeling in the world. Everything makes sense, anything is possible. Looking at your WIP is like looking in a mirror that clearly reflects your intentions. Writing is effortless and time flies by. You are happy and energized. The world is a wonderful place. These feelings are very like the […]
Dancers at the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Cinco de Mayo is (in part) a daythat celebrates freedom. As a writer, fight for freedom from cliches, stagnation, and writer block! Just as the Mexicans turned back an invading force, you can fight against these enemies of writers everywhere and […]
