creativity |

Infrequently Amusing

March 6, 2013 by Jamie

In terms of objects that can be balanced on my dog’s head, pizza is easy. Round things and hats prove more difficult. Last year I photographed my poor dog with pretty much everything I could think of balanced on his head, and last week I created a photo book of my favorites from the year. The book arrived in the mail Saturday, and it gave me a ridiculous amount of pleasure to hold in my hands the finished project–the result […]

Categories: Creativity, Random Stuff • Tags: artist routines, creative process, creativity, instagram, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

The Value of Writing Slowly

November 28, 2012 by Jamie

As writers around the world finish up the last few days of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, I find myself considering the value of slowing down rather than speeding up during the writing process. For those not familiar with this annual November event, NaNoWriMo challenges writers to write an entire 50,000 word first draft of a novel in one month. That’s a lot of writing, but not impossible. I have always been a fast-draft writer, and thanks to various […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity, Time Management • Tags: creative process, creativity, editing, Fast Drafting, first draft, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, revision process, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

Focus and Flow

September 20, 2012 by Jamie

I’ve recently undertaken a major organizing project at home, tackling boxes in the basement that have nagged at me for years. Now that I’m in the thick of it, I want to work on it all day every day, which leaves little time to focus on writing. And yet, working at my writing every day is a top priority as well. How to balance the two and still have time to take care of family and the usual demands […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity • Tags: artist routines, creative process, creativity, flow, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

Writing Resolutions

August 30, 2012 by Jamie

The end of summer arrives for me next Tuesday, when my kids go back to school. This marks the start of the most productive time of year for me, when distractions fade away and I can focus exclusively on writing. It’s a natural time to review the writing resolutions I made at the start of the year and consider adding a few new ones. One resolution I made that I know I haven’t been able to focus on very well […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity, Time Management • Tags: artist routines, creative process, creativity, quiet, reading, taking time, time to write, writer, writing, writing life, writing routine

The Creative Impulse

July 6, 2012 by Jamie

If you long to be a writer or a painter or a dancer or (insert creative pursuit here), you will have to decide at some point how much creative energy you will devote to that pursuit. I am nearly as visual a person as I am inclined toward the written word, but I made a decision in college that words were my first love, so I would devote all my creative energy to writing. And I did. For many years. […]

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity • Tags: artist routines, creative passion, creative process, creativity, writer, writing

How We Improve

July 5, 2012 by Jamie

Excellent post from Steven Pressfield this week on how we improve as writers.

Categories: Advice for Writers, Creativity • Tags: adversity, creative process, creativity, originality, steven pressfield, writer, writer's block, writing, writing life

award-winning romance author

Tag: creativity