Every American writer secretly dreams of writing the “Great American Novel.” What would that look like? It’s a book that captures the zeitgeist, that taps into something intrinsic to our national …
The Writing Process
Writers, The Time is Now
I know writers who have struggled for decades to complete their first novel. They work on their novel for a while, then distractions come along. They put it in a drawer, fish it out a few years later, …
Most popular posts
On Certainty in Writing
There is a particular comfort that comes from being certain. We can shut out the world, with all of its noise and confusion. And we rest in the assurance that we are right. Except that certainty rarely contains the whole story. Certainty is the Death of Curiosity For writers, certainty limits us to our preconceived …
Read More
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 experience, a true moment, to tell a story that somehow reveals more than what we thought we knew. I wrestled for a little over a decade with trying to do it my way. …
Read More
Begin Your Story
There are as many ways to begin your story as there are ways to procrastinate. Beginning to write your book or screenplay is easier than you think. All you have to do is sit down, get out a sheet of paper, and give yourself permission to write poorly. It is not an intellectual exercise. Contrary …
Read MoreThe 90-Day Novel
The 90-Day Novel® is a Live-on-Zoom workshop with Alan Watt that will take you from initial idea to the completion of your novel's first draft in 90 days.
Recent Posts
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 liar, while Helen is trustworthy. Abe is punctual, while Ruth is always late. Absolutes give us the illusion of security, but they also lead to lazy stories because they simply aren’t true. When …
Read More
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 I placed near the front. It’s a tough race, as it requires both speed and stamina. It is also tactical. If you go out too fast, you choke. But if you don’t make …
Read More
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 story is to reveal a transformation. Without suffering and ultimately surrender, there can be no context for your protagonist’s redemption. In other words, the price of joy is grief. At the core of any well-told …
Read More
Loyalty
Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your truth? Why is it that standing up for yourself or setting a boundary brings with it a sense of shame? Have you ever been told you were “too sensitive,” or that you should “get over …
Read More
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.
Read More
“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 idea of your story is never the whole story. When you try to figure it out, you tend to dig a deeper hole. Story is alchemy. As your story progresses it becomes something else entirely, …
Read More
What is Success?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he announced, “I will consider myself a failure if my book does not become a bestseller.” Not only did this fellow not have a publishing contract, he hadn’t written a word of his novel …
Read More 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 experience, a true moment, to tell a story that somehow reveals more than what we thought we knew. I wrestled for a little over a decade with trying to do it my way. …
Read More
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 the first exercises we do is we write for five minutes, beginning with: “My story is about . . .”And the writer says, “But I don’t know which story to write about.”I tell …
Read More
Choose Love
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may appear to be a choice between loving and not loving. But perhaps you have already noticed that, in fact, you have no choice. And while love can be painful and messy and awkward …
Read More