Many writers struggle with finding the muse, getting in the flow, or beginning a story that’s difficult to tell in the first place.
Ella Mei Yon has some wonderful insights over at the Glimmer Train bulletin. She writes:
The way in is something I’ve always struggled with. To write, I need to enter a whole other state of mind, where time slows down and my perception is sharp on details. Where I’m focused, but open. Where creativity blends with the critical. That state is quite different from the state of mind I need to live the rest of my life—to get things done, make money, socialize.
The solution—if there is one—for Ella Mei Yon? It begins with a list. Click here to read more.
Other offerings this month at Glimmer Train:
- Method Writing by Benjamin Percy
- On the Joys of Not Finishing What You Started by Michelle Richmond
- An Author’s Notes Toward Possible Future Works by Daniel Wallace
- Gut. Or Never Knowing the Next Word by Lance Weller
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
Love this. Thanks for sharing.
Good tip! Thanks for sharing.
What a wonderful article. Nails one of the biggest difficulties of writing – finding the way in. When my daughter was in high school and struggling with a paper, I’d sit her down and get her talking about it. Inevitably, by verbalizing, she was able to clarify ideas that seemed too vague to put into words. Now that she’s older and a writer herself, she’s the first one I turn to when I need a listener. Having the listener jot down notes is a great device. Thanks for sharing.
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