Tag: mindset

Break Out of Your Writing Rut with Experimentation

Posted September 29, 2022 by Amanda Shofner in Writing
Break Out of Your Writing Rut with Experimentation

Ever had a writing rut? Blogging rut? A life rut? It happens to the best of us. Me. You. But whenever you land headfirst in a rut, how do you react? If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve always got That didn’t become a famous adage for […]

Your First Draft Should Suck (And Here’s Why)

Posted September 22, 2022 by Amanda Shofner in Writing
Your First Draft Should Suck (And Here’s Why)

When I took my first college-level English course, my professor had us read “Shitty First Drafts” (from Bird by Bird) by Anne Lamott. The point? Your first draft is supposed to be shitty. It was something I understood on an intellectual level, but never applied to myself. In fact, I have a long history of […]

When it all goes sideways

Posted February 14, 2019 by Amanda Shofner in So this is my life.
When it all goes sideways

This isn’t the post I intended to write this week. It is the post I need to write, though. You see, when they talk about a “week from hell” that’s exactly what this week has felt like. Messy and slow commutes due to weather nearly every single day. My smartphone permanently dying. Feeling like the […]

Self-Care for Writers with Day Jobs

Posted November 27, 2018 by Amanda Shofner in Writing
Self-Care for Writers with Day Jobs

Writing can be hard. And when you have a non-writing job that pays your bills, finding the time and energy to sit down and get words down can be challenging. I get it. I’m right there with you. I mean, I’ve been thinking about writing this post on self-care for writers for at least a […]

On the Comparison Trap

Posted August 13, 2015 by Amanda Shofner in Writing
On the Comparison Trap

Listen, writers, we need to talk. As lonely as writing can be, sometimes it can be even lonelier when you see your writing buddies or role models slapping down more words and publishing more successful books than you are. It’s easy to forget we’re unique. That we have circumstances or skills or brains different from […]