Writing Advice Roundup
Even if all you ever write is emails, these tips will help.
I have two events coming up I don’t want you to miss: Next Friday, July 26th, I’ll be at OZO Coffee West Pearl from 4-6 PM signing books and chatting with readers alongside poet and friend Radha Marcum. And on Tuesday, August 27th at 7 PM, I’ll be at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ talking about my book with bestselling author and podcaster . Both events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seat for Changing Hands here.
Last newsletter, I talked about the number one question people ask me at book events (and why it’s so loaded). But there are other questions I frequently hear during interviews — related to my writing routine, how to structure a memoir, how to write something personal that will resonate with a wide audience, how to carve out time to write, etc. In fact, several websites and publications asked me to write guest posts on these topics. I said yes, and now I want to share some of that advice with you too.
Maybe you’re an experienced writer. Or you’re just starting out. Maybe you want to write a book someday. Or you’re wondering how to make sense of your personal story through journaling. Or maybe the only writing you do is emails to work colleagues, but you’d like to communicate more effectively. No matter what kind of writer you are, I hope this will feel helpful:
Finding time when there is no time
A writing routine is a luxury many people can’t afford. So how do we borrow/beg/steal time for creative projects? At SheWrites.com, I shared how I found the the space to write a book while working full-time at a demanding corporate job and parenting two young kids.
Experiment with structure to grab someone’s attention
For Writer’s Digest, I made a case for borrowing creative ideas from fiction to help give shape and structure to your nonfiction. Shaking up your format grabs a reader’s attention and compels them to keep reading.
How to connect with your readers
If you’re writing something that other people will read, you have to put yourself in their shoes and consider what benefit they’ll take away from your words. What do you want them to feel, think, or do? For Women Writers, Women’s Books, I shared tips for making personal writing feel universal. (I’ll also be teaching a webinar on this topic for Writer’s Digest this fall. Stay tuned for details.)
Stay present and trust yourself
Many people asked why I wrote my memoir in present tense. If it all happened in the past, why address it in the here and now? Here are 5 reasons why.
Connect to the world around you
In an interview for SunLit, I talked about some of the challenges of writing a story like mine (logistically and emotionally) and how to give shape and meaning to those “before and after” moments in life. It can feel very lonely to write about our personal pain, but it helps to look up and see how what you’re experiencing is echoed in the world around you. I always find some comfort when I realize that a physical setting or landscape mirrors my internal experience:
What writing questions do you have?
I’m taking requests. If there are writing topics you’d like me to address in the future, please comment and let me know. I’ll choose a couple questions to answer in an upcoming newsletter.
Know someone who could use this advice?
I’d love it if you’d forward them this email and encourage them to subscribe.
As always, such helpful advice, and I can’t wait to look into the links you posted!