Nancy Christie's Blog, page 4

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 17

Switch Your Style.

Feeling a little stale? That’s not uncommon.

While having a comfort zone when it comes to our writing—the same place, the same time, the same type of writing—can make getting into the mood easier, it can also lead to the “same old, same old” feeling.

We get the uncomfortable feeling that what we wrote today sounds a lot like what we wrote yesterday. Or last week. Or last month.

As Robert Frost said, “No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” And when we get stale,...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 16

Combat Complacency.

Complacency is a dangerous disease that may infect any writer, especially after having a fair degree of writing success.

When that happens, you can start feeling a little smug or self-assured or even cocky—until your work is rejected because it just doesn’t meet the editor’s or client’s expectations.

Why? Because you haven’t been improving your skills or developing better techniques. In short, you haven’t stepped up your game.

There is no “finish line” when you’re a writer. W...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 15

Fight the Fear.

There’s no denying that putting your work, and by extension yourself, out there can generate a great deal of fear, which is why I listed it as one of the top three ruts in my “What’s Your Rut?” chapter in RUT-BUSTING BOOK FOR WRITERS.

Writing is like being on a tightrope. You can see the end, but between that and the first step stretches a very long, very skinny rope.

And you find yourself standing there on the ledge, thinking about giving it a go, but never really moving—too afr...

Dennis and Rose Kleidon: Two Creatives Pursuing Their Individual Crafts Separately and Together

Pursuing a creative life can be challenging since it takes a great deal of time, energy and commitment, which does not always translate to financial success, public acclaim or awards.

And when a relationship involves two people who are pursuing their own artistic goals, both of them have to be able to support each other through, as the saying goes, “thick and thin.”

So, I thought it would be interesting to interview Rose and Dennis Kleidon about how they have managed to successfully pursue their...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 14

Do Your Research.

Unless you are writing for an audience of one (yourself), you need to create a list of target markets for your work to get the results you desire.

This can be a list of agents and publishers (for books), editors (for articles) or clients (for corporate work).

Writing a book and want representation? The Safest Way to Search for an Agent and How to Get a Literary Agent for Your Book both have great tips for authors looking for representation. And frequently check the Manuscript W...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 13

Know Your Peak Times.

I’m a morning person and can be found in my office at 5 AM just about every morning. This is my creative writing time. I work on new stories, blog posts, essays—what I call “my work” versus client projects.

By 9 AM, I’ve shifted into client mode, working on paid assignments that keep my bank account in the black.

Other writers I know are night owls. They are at their most creative when the stars are out and can easily work until the wee hours of the morning.

When do you fee...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 12

Be Professional.

If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, then create a professional identity.

Your website, social media presence, and marketing and promotional materials should all reinforce your identity as a professional practicing your craft.

This is true whether you’re a freelance copywriter or an author promoting your work.

Start with your website. It should be easy to navigate, clearly describe who you are and what you write, and provide contact information.

If you’re an author, yo...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 11

Stretch Your Writing Muscle.

Are you getting a little soft in terms of your writing skills?

Have you gotten a little flabby, a little sloppy?

Challenge yourself creatively by taking a class or signing up for a writing challenge like the 52-Week Writing Challenge, The 30-Day Writing Challenge: An Alternative to NaNoWriMo for Writers Who Fear Commitment or those suggested in Try These 30-Minute Writing Challenges.

Analyze your abilities. What are you good at (dialogue, for example) and in what are...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 10

Fuel Your Passion.

Having a difficult time working up your enthusiasm for the project at hand?

Did you just receive yet another rejection for a piece that you were sure would be accepted?

Depressing? Of course! Disheartening? Beyond a doubt!

Does it make you doubt your reason for writing in the first place? Possibly.

So what should you do? Put aside the project or the rejection and instead, focus on the act of writing and your reason for engaging in this creative activity.

Put it aside and write...

31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips For Writers for 2025—Day 9

Generate Some Good Karma.

You’re feeling miserable about your work, about your progress or lack thereof, about the dream you had of someday being a successful writer that now seems so far-fetched that it’s not even visible.

Oh, my. This is one of those really bad writing days.

What do you do?

Unplug the computer?

Set fire to your manuscript?

Consider another line of work because you can’t see this one bearing any fruit?

I have a completely different idea: generate a little good karma.

Get out of...