divawhittMay 84 minI Wrote a Thing. Now What?I wrote a book. An entire book! It’s been revised and is currently in the hands of beloved beta readers before being subjected to another...
divawhittMar 202 minMind the GapMost of the requests I get for proofreading or editing assistance come from students. Undergraduate to graduate, they're all looking for...
divawhittMar 81 minPUT ME THEREI write southern fiction. Why? Well, because that's where my roots dig deepest, burrowing through the red clay of my childhood. And if we...
divawhittJan 242 minI'm a Terrible WriterLet me tell you why. Writer's are supposed to have these vast stores of imagination and inspiration, socked away for future reference, in...
divawhittDec 31, 20212 minObligatory Reflections PostJudging from the content of my Twitter and Facebook feeds, it seems most people spend the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in...
divawhittDec 15, 20212 minChanneling Sisyphus...or GRIT and why it matters.I recently read Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. Man, let me tell you, I found myself nodding along with...
divawhittNov 23, 20212 minVive la Différence!I am fascinated by both etymology and philology. To see how words and their meanings change through time and use, and how those changes...
divawhittOct 19, 20212 minJust Tell The Story!This week's discussion board in one of my MFA courses asked us to consider the "myths" of writing. The how-tos, the how-not-tos, which...
divawhittSep 27, 20211 minYou Can Do It!Do you ever reach that point in your writing where you feel as though you simply can't go on? Your characters or your plot are fighting...
divawhittAug 18, 20211 minFeeling FraudulentIt's a common phenomenon among graduate students, promotion recipients, award winners, and others who achieve unexpected success - no...
divawhittJul 21, 20211 minClearing Away ClutterMany experts will tell you that, as a writer seeking to perfect your craft, you must write every single day. I can’t completely disagree....
divawhittJul 6, 20212 minJust BreatheWe've all met them. Characters who just lie "blah" on the page. Sometimes this is okay, say for instance, when the character is an...
divawhittJun 3, 20212 minYou Gotta Know the Rules if You Want to Break ThemI know, I know, rules are boring. Rules are for squares. (Does anyone say "squares" anymore?) Rebels break the rules! Fight the machine!...
divawhittMay 28, 20212 minFinding Your VoiceWhile it may seem simple, finding your voice is one of the trickiest elements of craft to master. I blame the way we are taught to write....
divawhittMay 28, 20212 minPacing and FlowWe've all experienced the drag imposed on a story when action is interrupted by unnecessary scene or setting description. If a warrior...