The Writing Process

Most popular posts

A game is made of different copyright licenses to suggest that learning how to copyright a book may be a fun endeavor

How to Copyright a Book Like a Pro

In the world of digital publishing, intellectual property protection is more vital today than ever. Whether you are self-publishing on...

A series of scrabble tiles placed on a plain white sheet of paper to suggest the fun of choosing effective descriptive adjectives

Descriptive Adjectives: Choosing Words That Create Emotion  

Almost every writer has, at some point, re-read something they worked hard on and realized it wasn’t quite right. It...

A series of characters that are meant to be used as tattoos demonstrate the idea of character ideas

Character Ideas

The best character ideas do not arrive fully formed. They arrive as a series of questions. Who is this person?...

A picture of photographs in a wooden crate suggests examples of memoirs to help writers find their own stories

Examples of Memoirs: What Great Memoirs Can Teach You About Storytelling

A memoir is not simply a retelling of your life story. It’s about finding meaning in your experiences and shaping...

A car stuck in a snowstorm represents the struggle of a writer who has lost the plot

Lost the Plot: What To Do When You Get Stuck

For all our enthusiasm when we start a story, it’s easy to get stuck and realize we lost the plot...

Sage archetype visualized here by a swami with a book in hand, statue, portrayal of ethos

The Sage Archetype: The Gift and Burden of Knowing 

We’ve all read stories with a mentor figure The elderly woman who lives at the outskirts of the village and...

Blog
Alan Watt

Exponential Growth

“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”– Albert Allen Bartlett, physicist Whether it is

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We Are All Connected
Blog
Alan Watt

We Are All Connected

“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for absolutes. Joe is a

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Never Give Up
Blog
Alan Watt

Never Give Up

I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart, and sometimes

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Loyalty
Blog
Alan Watt

Loyalty

Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your truth? Why

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Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt
Blog
Alan Watt

Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt

Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new tile in the bathroom, our car insurance, etc. Doubt is the cradle of conflict, both internal and external. In the heart of every character lives a dilemma. As you become curious about that dilemma, it will lead you to what is universal in your story.

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What is Success?
Blog
Alan Watt

What is Success?

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he

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The Writers Place
Blog
Alan Watt

One True Moment

“Where did that come from?” I believe there is something we writers are collectively seeking. We are all attempting to convey an

Read More »
What Do I Write Next?
Blog
Alan Watt

What Do I Write Next?

Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops, one of

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Choose Love
Blog
Alan Watt

Choose Love

In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may

Read More »
Passion
Blog
Alan Watt

Passion

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein What do you feel passionate about? What is your

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The Inner Critic
Blog
Alan Watt

The Inner Critic

“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs

Read More »
Hope
Blog
Alan Watt

Hope

Have you ever seen a dog waiting for their master at a window — their wet nose pressed against the glass, eyes

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Recent posts

writer's block

Getting Past Writer’s Block: Causes and Proven Cures

Writer’s block can feel like a brick wall in your mind. The words stop flowing and the page seems impossible...

personal narrative

Personal Narratives: Shaping Real Life into Compelling Scenes

All writing carries something of the writer within it, but few forms are as intimate as the stories we tell...

writing process

The Writing Process: Learning to Trust the Work

Writing is an act of magic. Out of thin air you’ve conjured something and put it onto the page. People...

Exponential Growth

“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”– Albert Allen Bartlett, physicist Whether...

We Are All Connected

We Are All Connected

“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for...

Never Give Up

Never Give Up

I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart,...

The Price of Joy

The Price of Joy is Grief

As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of...

Loyalty

Loyalty

Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your...

Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt

Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt

Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new...
What Do I Do When I Get Stuck In My Story

“Why Do I Get Stuck?”

When writers come to a dead stop there can be a tendency to panic. It’s important to remember that your...

What is Success?

What is Success?

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student,...

The Writers Place

One True Moment

“Where did that come from?” I believe there is something we writers are collectively seeking. We are all attempting to...

What Do I Write Next?

What Do I Write Next?

Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops,...

Choose Love

Choose Love

In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the...

Passion

Passion

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein What do you feel passionate about? What...

The Inner Critic

The Inner Critic

“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the...

Hope

Hope

Have you ever seen a dog waiting for their master at a window — their wet nose pressed against the...

There are No Ugly Trees

There are No Ugly Trees

“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”...