When you ask someone to read your story, poem, article, comic, screenplay—the list goes on—return the gesture. It will teach you, just as much, if not more, than receiving feedback because you are learning to think critically, developing your palette as an artist, a writer. You are learning to edit.

I want to do better. It’s easy to ask, and not return the generosity extended because time escaped me. I have a meager, nonliteral slush pile of things to read: my friend’s screenplay, another friend’s RPG book, my accountability partner’s outline and synopsis, and soon, the opening scenes from five writers in CeCe Lyra's Starting It Right course.

I’m penciling it into my calendar. No vague, “I’ll get to it later,” after this side-quest project. I’m really looking forward to reading by the window, a cat cuddled up beside me, and my homemade Iced Coconut Latte to sip on. Turns out the cozy vibes beckon me.

My hope is that I will learn from these writers, and that they will get something in return too. It’d be so cool if my feedback aids them on their journey and encourages them to continue writing. On that note, I would like to invite you, dear reader, to:

Read more. Engage more. Don’t just write.

Beta read for someone. Edit something that isn’t yours. Don’t just write.

Go to a book signing. Find an accountability partner.

Don’t just write.

Buy more books! (Then deconstruct the story. What thrilled you in their pages? What did you not like about it? What would have solved those issues for you?)

Become a Literary Citizen. Seriously. It’s beneficial in big and small ways.

Buying books from debut authors helps make the next book possible. When you leave positive reviews for the books you enjoyed, you help other readers discover it—and encourage the author to keep writing. Give constructive feedback (not unprompted, mind you), save and share a post that rallied you, follow and subscribe, heart posts (don’t be a prude about a like button—come on people, love each other darn-it), comment—engage with others.

Because, writing isn’t a selfish, solo venture.

Maybe it feels like it while outlining or drafting the manuscript, but at some point the process involves more people. Your accountability partner will help you set achievable deadlines. Beta readers will pore over your pages, and hopefully give tasty nuggets of wisdom. If you get a literary agent they will have plenty of notes to give. Your editor too. One day you’ll have an audience.

Write your stories, but don’t stop there. Read more. Encourage another writer. Celebrate good storytelling wherever you find it, and uplift those who are still learning the craft. Don’t just write. Become the kind of literary citizen you’d hope to meet along the way.

P.S.

Want to connect? Grab a snack, a beverage, and join me in The Writing Room for a cozy, live group writing session with fellow writers on August 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, I'd love to have you there. Feel free to invite a friend, too. ♡

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P.P.S.

You don’t have to be a writer to join. Readers, artists, and wallflowers are welcome, too. ♡

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That’s when I knew what my center was. Story. I was happiest writing a script, world building for my novel, and unravelling deep, dark secrets at the table with my friends for our tabletop adventure. Story is what makes me happy.

I know that I want to publish my novel, and there may come a time in my life that I want to adapt my stories into screenplays. Understanding the differences in either medium is what ultimately helped me decide to pursue writing a novel and it boils down to the simple distinction of accessing a character’s thoughts versus action lines.

In a screenplay, every page represents one minute on the screen. You have to write economically to clearly show the story in beats that can be shot on camera. Screenwriting is “show don’t tell” whereas writing a novel has access to a person’s interiority. A common misconception is that you should only ever show, not tell. But the best part of reading a book is accessing a character’s thoughts, feelings, and interpretation of the world and people living in it. And sometimes showing isn’t going to cut it.

“I’m going alone.”

Danny blinks.

In a screenplay, you don’t have access to tone or inflection for dialogue. ‘She blinks’ is an action beat with varying interpretations. Is she relieved? Is she offended? If there’s a bug in her eye, that would be shown on the page because it doesn’t involve access to her mind.

The writer doesn’t add any “internal direction” unless it’s absolutely pertinent for the director to know for the story, or they are the director writing the script.

“I’m going alone,” he said, not unkindly.

Danny blinks. So, John must think she can’t handle the trek with her knee. He was giving her an out, an overstep on his part. It wasn’t John that got them out of the hunting trap; it wasn’t John that saved them from brigands on the road; and it wasn’t John who stole back their map after making a piss-poor bet with said brigands.

She knew he meant well—he always did. That was the problem.

The difference between the two is clear. Screenwriting offers a bird’s eye view in third person, keeping us at a distance. Scripts manage story beats in a well timed fashion too. It’s pacey…unless, of course, you write a slow movie.

I’ll be honest, sometimes I’ll write a script to help unlock my novel’s tone, scene locations, and “blocking” (a term used for choreographing the actor’s movement in relation to the set, props, and camera). If you haven’t tried this before, I highly recommend it.

There’s something about stripping away the prose to find the story beneath. Does your story hold up with action lines and dialogue? Does the tone of your story remain? (Yes, tone can still be very present without prose.) How about the bones, or structure? There’s something to gain from experimenting in another medium because each has its own arsenal. For me, screenwriting became my foundation.

It was in a screenwriting college course that I learned how to build a story. I balked at the idea of writing a 90 page screenplay in one semester. That was hard. I don’t mean solely from a word count stance, but beginning and finishing a project. Now, I’m able to tackle fiction anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 words, beginning to end. Still hard—but, being able to say I wrote a complete story means everything to me, because I hadn’t done that before. I didn’t know what to do when I got to the messy middle so I would give up under the guise of “writer’s block”.

And let’s be honest, writer’s block only has as much power as you give it. I’d go as far as to say it isn’t real, but that’s a conversation for another time ♡

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The Blinking Cursor

I don’t know about you, but for me the beginning of a project is always the most intimidating. Chapter one has been edited, started over, thrown out…or not even started. The blank page became my adversary, making every idea feel impossible before I wrote a single word. Starting was the hardest part.

Years ago, I had a professor who gave me a tool to quiet that fear. He not only challenged us, but also created a daily assignment: The Page a Day.

Every day, I had to write one page. It didn’t have to make sense. Didn’t even have to be good. I’m fairly certain I submitted a monologue with zero context. All that mattered was putting words on a page and submitting it on time.

My professor didn’t read it—that wasn’t the point. It was never about crafting something brilliant. It was about showing up. Day after day. Page after page.

The assignment instilled the habit of writing. It became a part of my life, even if what I wrote that day wasn’t very good. But lately, I’ve slumped. Between working to pay my bills and maintain relationships, life filled every corner. I lost focus, became overwhelmed, and stopped showing up for myself.

Now the cursor blinks at me, and I balk at the blank screen.

Starting Again

I am embarking on the path to publishing. Of course, first, I have to write the book. I thought: what better way to begin this journey than to return to the habit that started it all?

My goal is to write at least one page every day, just as I did in my screenwriting class. The point isn’t perfection. It’s showing up.

Accountability

And if I miss a day? Then…I’ll write the next day! Forward progress is what matters. As writers we tend to beat ourselves up over missing a writing session or not meeting a word count goal. I, for one, have spent enough time waiting to feel inspired to write, or letting fear of failure to keep me from writing. I want to be someone who shows up every day. Even if it’s only for one page.

I’ll do my best to stick with it, but I will be giving myself grace when the bad days roll in. I hope you do too, fellow writers!

Still With Me?

Every Thursday, I’ll share a behind-the-scenes look at my journey toward traditional publication—from updates on my novel and the drafting process to revision segments, weekly goals (like word count), and practice writing query letters. I’ll also discuss the books I’m reading, explore topics within the publishing industry, and share the lessons I’m learning along the way.

And if you’ve ever wished for a writing buddy, grab a snack and a coffee and join me in The Writing Room for occasional cozy, live group writing sessions.

If you’re an aspiring writer or simply love seeing how stories are built, I hope you’ll join me. I’ll be here, one page at a time.

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