Three years ago on this very day, I completed the first draft of Our Company of Fools, my 7th full draft to finish. It is the book I never counted on, my accident novel. I spontaneously started writing it in the airport as I waited to leave a writer’s workshop, and after some minimal plotting, …
Category: The Writing Life
Story Studies: An Introduction
I’ve loved stories for as long as I can remember. Books were my childhood love all growing up, complemented by a couple of television cartoons and movies. My love of books made me want to be a published author, a dream I’ve cherished since elementary school. It also led me to become an English major. …
On the One Year Adventure Novel Winter Workshop 2019
Last week, I returned from the One Year Adventure Novel Winter Workshop (OYAN WW). This week-long retreat-like workshop for adults who went through the OYAN curriculum usually serves as a time of refreshment for me, and my experience this year, my third time to attend, wasn’t much different. I left feeling encouraged, empowered, and inspired …
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The Art of Giving Critique
Learning how to receive critique well is one of the hardest things we must learn as writers, but I also think it’s equally important (and sadly glossed over) to know how to give a great critique. In the spirit of the gift-giving season and as preparation for my upcoming writers’ workshop, I’ve been reflecting quite …
The Art of Receiving Critique
Let’s be honest, getting feedback on your writing is sometimes the worst. Or maybe you haven’t experienced that feeling yet because the dread of receiving a critique keeps you from sharing your precious baby story. In either case, at times, we writers (especially newer ones) tend to fear, avoid, or even resent critiques. Critiques are …
In Celebration of Finishing the Rough Draft of The Queen of Imagination
On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, I typed the final words to the first draft of The Queen of Imagination, my slice-of-life middle grade novel exploring friendship, the adventures of childhood, and what it means to start growing up. It is the ninth book I’ve completed a full draft of. Loosely based off of my own …
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Why Life Makes Us Stronger Writers
Life is messy and painful. Full of conflict and discomfort. Broken and, at times, difficult to navigate. But it’s also filled with family and friends and achievable dreams. It provides us with a purpose: living a good life. Lately, I’ve seen more of the conflict of life than the joy. Some days, it’s hard to …
Write Like No One’s Reading
When we write something, we hope that those we share it with will receive it positively. If we choose to share it in the first place, that is. More often than not, it takes a lot of convincing to get writers (myself included) to share our work with someone else, frequently because we’re scared of …
Book Review: The Irresistible Novel
One of the most influential books on the writing craft I’ve read is Jeff Gerke’s The Irresistible Novel. I had the privilege of hearing some of the book’s content in person from Gerke at a conference I attended in 2014, and loved his session so much, I bought the book to further understand what makes …
Called to Write
Reflections from a College Graduate’s Summer Break College is meant to be a place where we can discover who we truly are. It’s where we can find ourselves, forge our identities, and make strides towards achieving our dreams. After easing us through the transition from dependence on our parents to independence, it is the launching …
By Madelynn Orion 