Wild Magic. Wild Stories. Wild Souls.
Earlier this month I attended my first writer’s retreat. I got a ton of writing done and got to spend some time chatting with writerly friends who understand what it’s like to have entire worlds in your head and characters chattering away at all hours (especially, for some reason, in the middle of the night […]
Read MoreIn the last year, I’ve learned a lot about my writing process, but I also know that there’s a lot to learn. I know that our writing process changes and evolves as we grow as writers. But I also think that having a basic understanding of our creation process can help us stay on the […]
Read MoreAs writers, we’re often asked if we’re worried we’ll run out of ideas—or simply where our ideas come from in the first place. For me, my stories often come to me as a single image. For my newest WIP, a novella that I just started this week, it started with a woman looking out into […]
Read MoreFor me, this year is about creating a better writing routine and improving my craft. So I was disappointed that the last couple weeks have been rather slow in the writing department—especially since I was moving at a nice pace previously. I realize that while I have a drafting routine that works, my revision process […]
Read MoreIn late 2013, I made a big decision: I left my job in university administration to become a full-time writer. I was simply ready for a change and, thanks to some major changes my husband and I made, we were finally able to truly afford it. We paid off our debts and stuck to a […]
Read MoreSo, who isn’t trying to survive this week’s massive East-Coast heat wave? At least in Virginia, we have air conditioning pretty much anywhere you go. My parents’ (in western PA) only form of AC is a good breeze. Most of the restaurants there don’t even have air conditioning units. Hoping everyone is managing to stay […]
Read More“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” — Stephen King (On Writing) So, I hit 64,000 words in my WIP this morning, which means I’m roughly two-thirds of the way through the second draft (me thinks). This manuscript is teaching me a lot about myself as a writer. The meetings […]
Read MoreI’m one of those people who has a core of yin energy wrapped up in a whirlwind of yang. I’m both a dreamer and a type-A personality. Those who are close to me are no doubt all-too familiar with my ability to simultaneously attract chaos while remaining annoyingly optimistic. I’ve only recently discovered how much […]
Read More“I have found when I tried or looked deeper inside/ What appears unadorned might be wondrously formed.” ~ Carrie Newcomer, “Geodes” I reached a point today in revising where the story just opened up; it let me in. I always talk about finding the heart of the story, the place where it sings. I caught […]
Read MoreAfter a new year that started off in a bit of a funk, I finally put on my running shoes this week (so to speak). One of my goals for this year is to read one book a week. So far I’ve read: Green Witch by Alice Hoffman, Belle by Cameron Dokey, and Garden Spells […]
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Denise D. Young 