If you are newer to the writing process, it may feel overwhelming. After all, when and how does one write? What does one do with all of the little stories in order to make them into a real book?
We are here to help! Follow along in this series of bites in the coming weeks to learn more.
Bite #19 - A Writing Schedule
I can already hear you say, “Not another schedule!” I know, I know. Most of our lives are
scheduled down to the minute these days. If you’re one of the lucky few like my student
and friend Elaine who loves to write so much she does it every free minute of every
day—in doctors’ waiting rooms, at red lights, while she eats, in her sleep—then skip this section. If you’re like me, and most other authors I know, writing has to be deliberate; it doesn’t happen without a little encouragement from the outside.
day—in doctors’ waiting rooms, at red lights, while she eats, in her sleep—then skip this section. If you’re like me, and most other authors I know, writing has to be deliberate; it doesn’t happen without a little encouragement from the outside.
Remember when grade-school teachers insisted you include three to five complete sentences in every paragraph? That formula worked well for crafting elementary essays, but you’ll benefit from sometimes tossing aside that guideline in current projects. Variety adds spice not only to life but also to your writing rhythm.
Shorter paragraphs make points with a punch.
Longer paragraphs, on the other hand,
“I’m sorry, honey. I got tied up at work. Are you guys ready? I just need to change.” My fourteen-month-old daughter wrapped herself around his leg, giddy.
It was after nine when we left, Sophie already in her pajamas. As we drove, I felt impatient and just wanted to be at the beach already. We had originally planned to make a stop en route to pay a brief visit to my mom and dad. But now, it was already so late.
I am in the chaotic, uncertain, thrilling, and exhausting process of moving. A few months ago, my husband’s company was acquired and we were asked if we would be willing to move to Seattle from the current home we are renting in the San Francisco Bay area. Since that decision to move, my husband has started work at the new company and we have a new home, the first home we have ever purchased for our family of four.
The home-buying process is difficult, but it is also fun, and had us thinking hard about what we’ve liked and disliked about the previous places we’ve called home. No place has been perfect, but each one has had some great or memorable quality.
A twenty-year-old young woman first stepped foot onto American soil, unable to speak a word of English. She felt nervous, frightened, and excited all at once.
An arranged marriage had brought her out of her beloved Cyprus, an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, to Connecticut to meet her soon-to-be husband and his family.