Writing Update I am gradually but steadily still plugging away at my Nano project. I wrote 413 words tonight, bringing me up to 11,942 words. That makes this the longest manuscript I’ve written in a few years, and I’m not finished yet. So that part alone makes me happy and proud. But I don’t think […]
Category: writing
Day 13 of #NaNoWriMo: Slow progress
Yesterday I eked out 1,667 words, but today I only managed about 500. I blame Friday the 13th! That works, doesn’t it? A plausible excuse. I’m really not lazy. Just… sluggish, I guess. Letting too many excuses and distractions happen, though. And I am far too chatty on Twitter when I’m procrastinating. That’s how you […]
Day 12 of #NaNoWriMo: A research day
I did a half hour of yoga to start my morning, but I stared at a blinking cursor all morning so I decided not much writing was going to happen today. But that is okay, I realized I was stalled on my next scene because I need to understand how steamships work, first. So I’m […]
Day 11 of #NaNoWriMo: Starting to See The Bones
You’d think if I had a whole day free to write, it would inspire me to write like a madwoman. Apparently, it does not work like that. I am just as prone to procrastination. I decided to quit for the day at 608 words from this morning’s session. I am at 6,500 words total and […]
Day 10 of #NaNoWriMo: Scheduling time
I didn’t execute my plans for productivity very well today, but it turned out to be enough in the end, just the same. I slept in after 5 a.m., thwarting my early-morning writing session plans. Must work on getting more sleep, and then it will be easier to stick to a structured time commitment. I […]
Day 9 of #NaNoWriMo: A little each day
I was going to pick up my novel some more tonight after work, but upon reflection, I am going to switch gears and edit photos instead. Sometimes you have to exercise different creative outlets to stay inspired with the primary one. I did, however, write this morning, and I’m increasing my daily word count as […]
Moving past rejection as a writer
One of the most important challenges you will have to overcome as a writer is dealing with criticism and rejection. So I thought I’d share my own personal strategies for moving past rejection. When I made a living as a writer, I received the worst criticism of my professional career; it made me realize I […]
“Obsidian Palace”
What of the sanguine yesterday that you prize so much the dirty linoleum the patterns in the dust internal screams like fractals of light will you ever see inside that obsidian palace Words and photography by Denise Ruttan
Defiant Hemlock returns in December
I am sorry to disappoint the two people who keep up with my serialized neo-noir micro fiction story, “Defiant Hemlock,” but I have decided to put it on hold until at least December. I didn’t realize how much creative energy writing a novel would occupy in my brain, so I’d like to devote the next […]
Searching for music in a world of monthly subscriptions
I have an older iPhone 6s. Its battery is still fine. It still works just fine. Its screen is pristine and not cracked. So I have not wanted to pay hundreds of dollars for the latest model. But I decided to try Apple Music the other week, thinking, $10 a month gets you all these […]
