Photo by Kelly Lacy from Pexels Being forced to stay home and cancel social obligations should be a writer’s dream, but I’m actually finding it difficult to write. Uncertainty isn’t the best climate to spark creativity, and when I do try writing, it’s centered around doom and gloom (hence my last blog post) and not my upbeat, normal … Continue reading Staying Home
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Writing in a Time of Chaos
After my self-doubt post, I enrolled in a Coursera class focused on the craft of writing. I have to say, I've already seen a difference. It really makes me contemplate word choice to ensure the desired effect. For this week's assignment I was tasked with writing a 500-600 word short story. As soon as I … Continue reading Writing in a Time of Chaos
“I doubt anyone will read this.” Thoughts on Self-Doubt
"Do you mind reading this blog post? It's probably not good anyways." Those are the words I uttered to my husband after I wrote a draft of this blog post, which is ironic since this post is all about self-doubt... Some days I open the manuscript or essay I wrote and think it's the best … Continue reading “I doubt anyone will read this.” Thoughts on Self-Doubt
New Year, New Goals
I'm a big fan of setting goals rather than resolutions for the new year. For me, resolutions are something I might do for the month of January and then when February rolls around, I usually forget they ever existed. Personally, I find it more meaningful to set goals for the new year that are attainable … Continue reading New Year, New Goals
Dealing with Rejection
Writers are no stranger to rejection. It's par for the course and something that is to be expected. Even though you know in the back of your mind that rejection is bound to happen, you still have grandiose dreams of being the sole exception. That vision that as soon as you send out your precious … Continue reading Dealing with Rejection
Czech it Out!
I've decided to take a break from my normal posts about writing to talk about my recent travel adventure to the Czech Republic. This trip came at the exact right time for me. I was feeling really tired and burnt out, not from one thing in particular; I just needed to get away and recharge. … Continue reading Czech it Out!
The Importance of Beta Readers
When I was a child, I shared my stories with my friends and family. Being naive, I thought everyone wanted to read my writing, and I even thought my stories were quite good. I was so confident in my writing that I even wrote stories for people as their Christmas gift; lucky them! I loved … Continue reading The Importance of Beta Readers
Character Development
When I write a book or short story, creating a character is one of the most enticing parts of the writing process for me. It's really exciting to be able to mold a character, figuring out how they would act in a certain situation, their likes and dislikes, and even creating a name. So how … Continue reading Character Development
Why I Write
Recently, I have seen this question keep popping up on Twitter: "Why do you you write?" At first glance that is easy for me to answer, I don't know how to not write. Ever since I can remember, I've been writing. But why do I do it? Writing has always been a part of who … Continue reading Why I Write
The Power of Perseverance
I have always known I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, but I've had numerous road bumps along the way, ranging from receiving extremely negative feedback about my writing all the way to difficulties with the English language. When I was younger and divulged my life-long goal of becoming a writer to … Continue reading The Power of Perseverance
Diane Billas 