Man, I've struggled to write stories that are neither narcissistic retellings of my own experiences, nor stories I have no emotional investment in. The idea of taking one's own problems or feelings and creating a metaphor from them is a game changer for me.

This video shows how an artist uses gamification to help her advance in her art goals. I really want to try her method with my writing. Her game helps to organize activities, set goals, and motivate oneself with real-life rewards.

Not every scene contains active conflict; some only lay the seeds of future conflict. In the Iliad, there is no conflict when Odysseus returns Chryseus to her father; it is the resolution of the plague sequence. Yet this resolution leads to the consequences of dishonoring Achilles. #WritingTips

This video about scene construction by @quotidianwriter.bsky.social is clear, concise, and helpful. I put this formula on a notecard: "Status update since previous scene. Character pursues goal from last scene, but encounters obstacle. Therefore, they develop a new goal for the next scene."

Just read @robwhart.bsky.social's piece on the legacy of Tom Spanbauer in Writer's Digest. Most clear and succinct explanation of writing task I've read: "To write about a moment, that after, I was different." Fiction is the mask that allows us to explore and share heartbreak, fear, embarrassment.

According to Ursula K. Le Guin, to succeed at writing you have to trust yourself. I often get discouraged when the writing doesn't go my way, but a growth mindset changes how I interpret that. Instead of despairing, I just need to learn more, which is a rather exciting thought, full of adventure.