Writing a novel feels like it should be a top-down operation, with the writer as galactic overseer. But in reality, it’s much more like trying to run the Galactic Empire from a malfunctioning star cruiser, with half your staff whispering about rebellion.
Writing rarely feels graceful, it feels like rummaging in a bin for treasure. Discover why stubbornness, scrappiness, and a healthy dose of humour are the real superpowers behind every story worth telling.
In writing, as in life, the loudest truths are often the ones left unspoken. Mastering the art of negative space isn’t about withholding for the sake of mystery. It’s about trusting your reader to lean in, to feel the weight of the silences, and to find meaning in the gaps. Let your stories breathe. Sometimes a pause, a glance, or a missing word says more than a page of explanation ever could.
We spend much of our lives dancing around what we truly mean. In writing, mastering silence—the spaces between the words—can transform a good story into an unforgettable one. When we resist the urge to overexplain and allow meaning to echo in the quiet, we invite readers to lean in, feel more deeply, and co-create the heart of the narrative.
Cutting cheese might seem worlds away from writing, but the two share surprising lessons. From the precision of your tools to the texture of your prose, crafting a good story is like assembling the perfect cheese board. Full of bold cuts, delicate touches, and a dash of glorious imperfection.
Writers have been arguing over outlining and pantsing since someone first sharpened a quill and someone else winged it on a scrap of bark. This post dives into the great plotting vs plunging debate, with all its hidden neuroses, quiet victories, and glorious creative mess. Spoiler: the real magic isn’t in picking a side. It’s in finishing the story, however chaotically you get there.
The perfect first draft is a myth — and believing in it is one of the quickest ways to lose your momentum as a writer. Real writing starts with chaos: clunky sentences, messy ideas, and metaphors that wander off drunk. Embrace the glorious mess. It’s not failure; it’s the forge where true stories are born.
