Happy February! Or perhaps you’d rather the alternative: Damn, February!

No matter the way you greet this lovey-dovey, sweet-toothed, sappy month, I hope that 2023 is off to smooth sailing. As for me, I feel like I’ve gotten a bit of whiplash as I have arrived back on campus. The spring semester starts TODAY and I am one hundred percent not ready for the chaos that is going to unfold. But, I am also excited to jump into classes again.

This week’s blog post contains all the gems I picked up at a writer’s conference two weeks ago, which I am thrilled to share. Writing in itself, as I have often mentioned before, is a love letter to oneself, and these are my tidbits of love that will help elevate your work (even if you don’t consider yourself a writer). So, without further ado, I present to you my notes from the Roanoke Regional Writer’s Conference!

1. Find your book’s mission: its “mission” and “vision” statements.
2. Editing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focus on one task at a time.
3. One foot in front of the other!
4. Mindset and habit are eternally, perpetually, forever connected.
5. Our obstacles can become our opportunities with the [write] mindset.
6. Discover your INNERLINGS: the Naysayer and the Writer.
   • Name them, listen to them, imagine you’re having a cup of tea together
   • WHY do you write? Why why why? The BIG why, not about your specific project.
   • Reparenting the inner critic IS possible.
7. REST IS A REQUIREMENT, NOT A REWARD.
8. Ritual for a reason; get excited to write.
9. Bamboo structure is best because it allows flexibility.
10. Expect failure. When you fail, simply take a step back, evaluate, then recommit.
11. The opening 100 words of your book are crucial. The agent will either continue reading after that or abandon the book.
12. Character is structure, structure is character.
13. Love all your characters. Especially the villains.
14. Good dialogue is a piece of music, it has a beat and a rhythm.
15. Enter the scene as late as you can, leave as early as you can.
16. You do NOT need an MFA to write a book.
17. Always remain a student.

Are there any of these that speak to you? Number six for me hit hard. Let me know in the comments below!

With Love,

From a Writer

Thank you to authors Kris Spisak, SB Rawz, Leah Weiss, and Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry for their wonderful wisdom.