Up until yesterday, I was determined to stick with my notecards. I had become Bartleby the Scrivener with regards to Scrivener. And I didn’t see what the big deal was Until this weekend. This weekend, at The Novel Writing Retreat at VCFA, nearly half the writers in the room raised their hands when Lauren Myracle…
Sarah Aronson
The Novel Writing Retreat at VCFA is almost here!
I love organizing this retreat. Mostly, because I love going to it. Why? I always learn something about the craft. Everyone who speaks at this retreat adds something to my understanding. Being back at VCFA puts me in a magic place. I always leave with ideas. Some people don’t believe me when I tell them…
Why I love living near a university
They’re watching you……
The power of pressing DELETE
Pressing delete opens up opportunities to see more.
Getting out of the comfort zone
Sometimes, when I am feeling a bit stuck, I walk. I look at Lake Michigan. But today, it’s cold. And icy. On days like that, I step away from the manuscript and try and tackle something short and different and difficult. In other words: I step out of my comfort zone. This morning, I did…
Trust the process
You know how sometimes the right advice comes at exactly the right moment? Something you’ve heard before said one more time makes everything fall into place? This week, I was lucky to hear Cynthia Leitich Smith talk about writing and process at The Book Stall in Winetka. She talked about her trust in the process…and…
Quote of the Day
Yoga Wisdom
In yesterday’s class, in the middle of the second part of awkward pose (my least favorite right now….not sure why), the teacher said: ONLY ONE THING IS CERTAIN. IF YOU TRY,….. YOU WILL GET BETTER. So true for yoga. SOOOO true for writing.
The Next Big Thing!
The Next Big Thing is an awareness blog campaign that began in Australia and became international. It features authors and illustrators of books for kids and young adults and their recently published books and/or those that are slated to be released this year. Thank you to Anna Levine, who invited me to talk about my…
Try it!
Here’s a prompt that really helped me get out of my rut: In your current scene pin down the moment when things change. How does your POV character’s self-understanding also change? (I hope it helps you, too!)