Nostalgia is such an interesting emotion. It brings out longing for the past, but a very idealized version of the past. It makes us overlook flaws in books or other media from our childhood, tinging it with rose-colored glasses. Because it’s a powerful emotion, lately, marketing seems to be saturated with appeals to nostalgia. This …
Category: The Writing Life
Facing My Writing Demons: Upon Rereading Our Company of Fools
For the first time since it was published in early 2021, I reread Our Company of Fools—with a Book Club. And yes, it was as intimidating as it sounds, even though it was with a few friends. And yet, I was pleasantly surprised by how reading my own novel, now removed from an author’s protective …
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Thor’s Failed Marvel Cinematic Universe Character Arc
I’ve expressed in passing that the post-Endgame MCU films have been misses or mediocre for me. While there’s still some fun in going to see the latest Marvel movie, I’ve been less-than-impressed with multiple of the recent MCU films. The Spider-man movies after Endgame were great, I really liked Shang-Chi, and I’d agree that Guardians …
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May 2023 Writing Update: A Finished Draft, A Started Sequel, and A Rut
Welcome to a rambly writing update! There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in. A Finished Draft Finishing a draft is a quiet affair, though it feels like it shouldn’t be. While publishing is certainly a big deal, I almost feel like finishing the rough draft is more worthy of celebrating. Finishing a …
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My Top 10 Stories Of All Time
As a writer, I love good stories. There are some books, movies, and TV shows that continue to stick with me over the years, as well as excellent tales I’ve only recently discovered. Some I appreciate for their impact on my writing; others, I love simply because they excite me and move me. Trying to …
How To Get Through Writing Your Rough Draft
I’m slowly realizing two very true things about myself as a writer. First, patience seems to be a defining virtue in this season of my career. Second, I really hate whatever stage of the writing process I’m currently in. Okay, maybe that second point is a little dramatic. After all, if I really disliked writing, …
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March 2023 Writing Update: Rough Drafts Are…Rough
Writing is hard. You’d think after a decade of serious writing, I’d have it figured out. But part of the problem for writing as long as I have? Story ideas grow and get tangled together and make it tricky to know how all the plots, characters, and world-building piece together. Tied up with that, with …
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What I’ve Learned From Five Years Of Blogging
Wow, how time flies! This February marks five years since I created this website and embarked on the journey of blogging. Over the past five years, I’ve written more than 100 posts, averaging about 1,000 words per entry, meaning I’ve written at least 100,000 words for this website. That. Is. Crazy. (When I pulled out …
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How To Handle Rejection As Writers
Whether you’re a writer or not, new goals often accompany the New Year. For some, a New Year can bring a bit of disappointment when last year’s goals went unmet. Reflecting back on the previous year may bring up feelings of frustration and shame. Perhaps your writing goals were halted in their tracks by a …
December 2022 Writing Update: Small Victories, Goals, and Looking To 2023
Welcome to the final Writing Update of 2022! Today’s post will not only give a recap of my progress since my last update, but take a look back at the year as a whole. Let’s start with 2022 in review. Looking back at my writing goals, made at the start of this year, I ended …
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By Madelynn Orion 