Now that fall is here, how’s your writing? This is my favorite season and there’s nothing better than a walk through the changing leaves to help me find inspiration or work through a challenging scene. Even with a full copywriting project load, I’ve already noticed an uptick in my personal writing output. (That doesn’t include the blog post I didn’t get done this week.) What about you? How do the falling leaves affect your ability to get words on the page?
From writing through distress to truth in memoir and contests to platforms to parents’ reactions to their writer children…there are words here for you.
- Huffington Post No Alarms and No Surprises: Coming Out to Parents as a Writer (and a Human) by Melissa Broder (author of When You Say One Thing But Mean Your Mother) A funny, yet spot-on look at how parents react to their children writing (and publishing). Now that you can say, “I am a writer,” here are a few ways to handle that conversation with your own family.
- Nathan Bransford What Platform Means for Writers It seems like every blog post, conference and writing books these days mentions that writers must have a “platform.” Great, we get it. But what does platform mean? Literary agent Nathan Bransford breaks it down for us.
- There Are No Rules 7 Free-to-Enter National Writing Competitions That Impact Your Career Jane Friedman weeds through competitions so that you can enter those that will help further your career.
- Writer’s Digest (article) Do Memoirs Have to Be True? By Jenny Rough One writer’s take on how writers approach their memoirs and what constitutes a “lie.” I especially appreciate her sharing her own (perhaps not-so-popular) take on the James Frey issue.
- Write for Your Life Forget Your Distress and Focus on Your Writing My favorite post of the week—and the one item you need to read this week if you’re writing memoir or creative nonfiction based on your personal experiences.
Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing and/or freelancing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!
Jesaka Long 
Although I do not like fall (since it means we’re moving toward winter – brrr…) I find myself SO much more productive. Thanks for helping my productivity by supplying these helpful links!
Fantastic post, as always. As a parent to young children, I find fall stressful since it coincides with back-to-school and endless potlucks and teacher meetings. I miss the lazy days of summer where the kiddies lounged in pajamas and played all day while I tapped away on my computer. (Don’t call family services on me now!)
I think that the crisper air helps me think more clear and helps me get more out. Yes, I focus a lot better with the cooler air and when it is colder outside I am more motivated to stay in and write, write, write.
I love fall. It is the best time for me and my motivation.