Tag Archives: how to write

Professional Wednesday: “Write What You Know,” part III — Know What You Write

Posted on January 19, 2022 by dbjackson

For the last couple of weeks, I have written my Professional Wednesday essays about the old writing adage, “write what you know.” In my first post on the topic, I wrote about tapping into emotions and our reactions to experiences … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: “Write What You Know,” part II

Posted on January 12, 2022 by dbjackson

Put another way, I was driven . . . not merely by the fact that I “know” these things, but rather by the fascination and passion that drove me to learn about them in the first place. With last week’s … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Write What You Know?

Posted on January 5, 2022 by dbjackson

I remember a conversation with my father when I was a kid, about a friend of the family who was trying to make a second career for himself as a writer of fiction. His first novel had come out recently, … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Stop Writing

Posted on December 22, 2021 by dbjackson

Here’s some writing advice for today, three days before Christmas: Stop trying to write and go spend time with someone you love. I am all about BIC — put your Butt In the Chair. Writing, like exercise or playing a … Continue reading →

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Creative Wednesday: Books To Buy For The Writer In Your Life

Posted on December 15, 2021 by dbjackson

‘Tis the season for giving, and for searching out gifts for the writer on your holiday shopping list. Or, if YOU are the writer on your holiday shopping list, searching out gifts for yourself! And so I thought I would … Continue reading →

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Creative Wednesday: What the Beatles Documentary Teaches Us About Creativity

Posted on December 8, 2021 by dbjackson

So it’s Creative Wednesday, and I am still thinking about the Beatles documentary. Specifically, I’m reflecting on something I mentioned in my Monday post — the creative energy that Paul McCartney brought to the “Get Back” sessions recorded 50 years … Continue reading →

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Creative Wednesday: Communicating Our World Building To Our Readers

Posted on December 1, 2021 by dbjackson

Tomorrow night, I will be giving a talk on world building here at the university, in a themed residential house devoted to writing. The students from the house, at least those I’ve met so far, are earnest and passionate and … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Submitting To Our Newest Anthologies

Posted on November 24, 2021 by dbjackson

Thanksgiving is upon us, and the year is winding down. But for those of you who write and who are looking for publication opportunities, I want to point out that the open call for short story submissions for this year’s … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Thoughts on Teaching Writing

Posted on March 17, 2021 by dbjackson

As I have mentioned previously, this past weekend, and the weekend before, I participated in the Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop as both a lecturer and a workshop instructor. I gave a talk on writing epic fantasy, and then ran critique groups … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: The Two World-Builds

Posted on March 10, 2021 by dbjackson

They don’t care that the twelfth king of Hamsterdom was Belchamiethius IV, known to his subjects as “Conquerer of the Exercise Wheel.” They don’t need to know the names of each mountain peak in the Twelve Dunce Cap Range. This … Continue reading →

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