Tag Archives: writing psych

Embracing Failure as the Key to Success

Posted on April 27, 2016 by J. Sevick

Why do you create? Maybe the answer appears easily to you, always ready and waiting somewhere between the steady rhythm of your heart and the tip of your tongue. To express yourself. To have fun. To share your wisdom with … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

When to Fight the Doubt… and When to Follow It

Posted on June 17, 2015 by J. Sevick

Any creative endeavor is doomed to come with a heap of doubts. After all, you’re pulling something raw and untested out of your mind—your unique, imperfect, emotional little mind—and putting it out into the world, saying, “Look at this. Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Valley of Ideas

Posted on May 22, 2015 by J. Sevick

Um… I’ve been horrible about updating. I’m so sorry. I don’t really have an excuse, other than that my last post was well-received (thank you!) and I didn’t mind leaving it up as the front of my site, with nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Is It So Hard to Write Badly?

Posted on April 24, 2015 by J. Sevick

One of the most important tricks to actually start writing—perhaps the key to a finished first draft—is to learn how to write badly. This may seem counterintuitive; after all, isn’t the point of learning to write and wanting to write … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Growth Mentality

Posted on March 27, 2015 by J. Sevick

I finished another book!! I am so excited, most of all because this means the first one wasn’t a fluke. This is something I can actually do. I have written books. I know someone out there might be thinking: well, … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Trenches: Tips for a First Draft

Posted on March 6, 2015 by J. Sevick

So I’m writing again, which is… awesome. Scary, always, but awesome. But, as always, it means I’m in my head too much, constantly analyzing and worrying and working to psych myself up. I won’t say that writing is more of … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Choosing a Kind Target Audience

Posted on February 27, 2015 by J. Sevick

As I write, even a first draft, I am constantly thinking about two things: quality and reception. These are absolutely the WRONG things to be thinking about while drafting, for all sorts of reasons, but they happen beyond my control. … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Permission to Fail

Posted on February 20, 2015 by J. Sevick

I always thought finishing a draft was everything. Not just because that’s the only way to even get close to publication–because I figured that all my doubts and insecurities about writing were just because I didn’t know what I was … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Analysis Paralysis: Killing Your Novel Before It Dies… Or Even Lives

Posted on February 13, 2015 by J. Sevick

[So there were zero votes in last week’s poll… which I take as the entire internet choosing the secret fifth option: “Don’t care, nobody reads this crap anyway.” Which is probably for the best of humanity, so… For now, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Being a Pack Rat Can Kill Your Writing

Posted on January 14, 2015 by J. Sevick

There’s a myth out there—perpetuated by images of lightbulbs popping overhead and final pages being set upon tidy piles beside typewriters—that books arrive fully formed, like babies delivered already cute and bundled by the stork. Oh, sure, it may not … Continue reading →

Posted in My Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment