Formal writing courses are, of course, incredible experiences, but I think there’s also something to be said for self-taught craft. That is, putting together your own curriculum to explore during your writing-adjacent time, especially for those of us who aren’t in a position to go back to school. Even if you attend an MFA or regularly get into prestigious workshops, those experiences will take up only a fraction of your life. Are you really not going to learn more and stretch the boundaries and capacity of your writing talent in the off years?
What follows is a bit of advice on building a self-taught writing curriculum, which is then rounded out by a bulleted list of resources I’ve found useful in my own writing life and the lives of my writing friends and clients. I hope it’ll help you, too.
Read MoreWriting workshops can be wonderful. They can connect with other writers, build community, and add strong points to your writing CV.
But workshops can also be perplexing and downright frustrating. Whose feedback, if anyone’s, should you prioritize? Do you have to take every suggestion into consideration, even the ones with which you disagree? Read on for Jessica Hatch’s best tips—gleaned from attendance in adjudicated workshops in three different countries—on making the most of your time in the Cone of Silence and beyond.
Read MoreI’ve known Tiffany Grimes, the editor behind Burgeon Editorial and Design, since we were wee and angsty writers participating in Teen Ink Magazine’s London Writing Program. Through the years our paths have crossed time and time again, and Tiffany is one of my favorite editors to follow on Instagram.
When I heard that she and two other editors (Jeni Chappelle and Carly Hayward) were hosting a virtual writing retreat all about character development in February 2021, I leapt at the opportunity to get more information and to share it with you.
Read MoreMuch like Newton’s First Law of Physics, there is a key difference between a writing practice with momentum behind it and the considerable amount of energy a writer has to put in to get the ball rolling.
So, how do we gather this momentum? By setting a routine.
Read MoreWaiting for an editorial letter? Here are 5 ways to distract yourself and avoid feedback-related anxiety.
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