1. If you wrote yesterday, write again today. This is the mindset I’ve settled on over many years of hearing “write every day” so many times. It puts an emphasis on yesterday, which is of crucial importance: It makes you feel like you’re not writing today because you didn’t write yesterday. That puts the impetusContinue reading “The 10 Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned in 17 Years of Writing”
Tag Archives: self-publish
Often Misunderstood Writing Advice: “Resist the urge to edit your first draft.”
How many times have you heard authors advise you shouldn’t go back and edit while writing your first draft? For decades, I believed this was optional advice – Advice to help writers push forward if they were having trouble making progress. I figured it was just another piece of well-meant advice for writers to getContinue reading “Often Misunderstood Writing Advice: “Resist the urge to edit your first draft.””
Q&A & Verisimilitude
I’ve gotten an influx of new followers lately. And with that came a surprising number of questions! I thought I’d share some of the Q&A I’ve recently received so you can get to know me better. Who is Nick Enlowe?: I am an author of high fantasy, dark fairytales, and sword & sorcery (heroic fantasy)Continue reading “Q&A & Verisimilitude”
Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Final Level)
LEVEL FOUR If you wind up only reading The Basics, I’ve failed in my mission. Part of the problem with only knowing the information in the previous posts is it can be tricky to understand exactly where to apply the Pyramid of Abstraction to achieve the greatest effect. Have you done too much? Too little?Continue reading “Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Final Level)”
The 200th Post: How it all began, how it’s going, and sure signs of an exciting future
It all started with a tree. Sometimes to figure out where you’re headed, it’s good to look back at where you’ve been. When I started this blog, I owned a house in a completely different state with a pastoral backyard. And this monster of a tree, looming over my former home, has served not onlyContinue reading “The 200th Post: How it all began, how it’s going, and sure signs of an exciting future”
Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (Advanced Course)
Welcome back! Previously, we discussed perhaps the most invaluable tool I like to have close-at-hand whenever I’m writing: The Pyramid of Abstraction. But we only covered the basics. This is where things get interesting. The fourth level is by far my favorite use of this tool, where it goes from “Okay, this is pretty handy,”Continue reading “Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (Advanced Course)”
Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Basics)
One of the best writing tricks I’ve ever learned came from one of Brandon Sanderson’s lectures, a lesson on the Pyramid of Abstraction. Utilizing the pyramid as a tool while you’re writing and editing will instantly level you up as a writer. But it’s got a lot of nuance many writers tend to overlook. LEVELContinue reading “Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Basics)”
Indie Authors are Still our Greatest Hope
In my previous post, I went off on a tirade about the various pitfalls coming out of modern indie. But indie authors are still our greatest hope. Big book publishers (and other establishment cronies), when in control, pretend to challenge “the establishment” by creating strawmen to knock down. They sustain this lie for as longContinue reading “Indie Authors are Still our Greatest Hope”
Amateur Author vs. Shovelware: What I’d like to see most in a writer mentoring service
Recently, a professional author asked me what I’d like to see from a writer mentoring service, and it got me thinking about what I’d hoped to find in online writing circles in the first place. Maybe I shouldn’t have come into it with expectations. I’d hoped to find communities that love the craft of writingContinue reading “Amateur Author vs. Shovelware: What I’d like to see most in a writer mentoring service”
Gratification vs. Joy
As I alluded to in my previous post, there are two different ways to pass your spare time: These words are often used interchangeably, but they each carry distinct emotional implications. What is Gratification? Gratification is getting something pleasurable immediately in exchange for minimal effort. In other words, gratification satisfies our impulsive wants right now.Continue reading “Gratification vs. Joy”
Nick Enlowe 