Be Excited

Excitement

The most productive writers, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent or the greatest skills. They may not be the most physically fit or even the most motivated. The most productive writers are the ones who get excited by their work.

How Do You Know when a Story Is a Winner?

  Author Mike Resnick won more Hugo Awards for short stories than any other author.  So a couple of years ago, I asked him, “How do you know when you’re writing a story that it is going to be Hugo- or Nebula-award worthy?” His answer was so basic, it surprised me.  He said, “Usually, somewhere […]

Writing Tips: Switching Gears

Sometimes as writers, when we give writing advice, we often give advice by telling “How I write” instead of “How to write.” This idea came to me strongly after I spoke on a podcast with the good folks at Writing Excuses.

Provide Your Own Inspiration

Once in a panel, I was asked, “Who inspired you to become a writer.” I’ve been asked that question many times before, so I knew the answer, but before I could speak up, I had a realization: More than anyone else, I inspired myself. Let me explain. Certainly there were a number of authors that I […]