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Tag: creativity

Writing with Friends: the 85K Challenge

December 20, 2018 A. B. Westrick 12 Comments

Writing is a solitary activity, but we don’t have to do it alone… Won’t you sign up with me?

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Filed under: 85K challenge, 85K writing challenge, 85K90, accountability, creativity, forum, friends, genre tribes, J.P. Cane, Julie Valerie, kathi appelt, NaNoWriMo, podcast, process, scenes, story, VCFA, Vermont College of Fine Arts, word counts, Working Title, WriterStat, writing

Addicted to Writing

August 31, 2016 A. B. Westrick 16 Comments

What’s an author to do when her latest revision is out with beta readers? I’ve cleaned out a filing cabinet,…

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Filed under: craft, creativity, fiction, Natalie Goldberg, process, scenes, story, Sudoku, writing

Get a flow going

July 29, 2016 A. B. Westrick 6 Comments

Last month I posted about endings, then tried my own suggestion: I wrote a possible final chapter. Once I had…

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Filed under: craft, creativity, dialogue, drafting, fiction, first draft, gel pen, manuscript, plot, process, scenes, story, uni-ball, uniball, writing

Welcome Ambiguity

December 31, 2015 A. B. Westrick 7 Comments

My brother-in-law emailed me a quote from Richard Rohr, and I printed it on a scrap of paper, taped it above…

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Filed under: craft, creativity, draft, fiction, first draft, process, Richard Rohr, writing

Stocking Stuffer for Writers

October 10, 2015 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

The Halfway House for Writers is a book I’ll read again. And again. And again. Like Anne Lamott’s Bird by…

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Filed under: Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird, craft, creativity, emotional truth, Halfway House for Writers, Julia Cameron, Life in 10 Minutes, Natalie Goldberg, process, revision, stocking stuffer, The Artist's Way, Valley Haggard, writing, Writing Down the Bones

Self-Doubt

November 28, 2012 A. B. Westrick 7 Comments

I’m scared right now. Scared that I won’t be able to write another novel, or at least, not one worth…

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Filed under: books, character, craft, creativity, emotional truth, hook, NaNoWriMo, philip pullman, process, revision, story, the golden compass, voice, writing

Storytelling à la Pixar

June 9, 2012 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

Here is yesterday’s fabulous post from io9.com: The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar, written by storyboard artist Emma…

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Filed under: character, Clay McLeod Chapman, Clete Barrett Smith, craft, creativity, pace, Pixar, plot, process, revision, story, structure, theme, writing

On Joy

February 11, 2012 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

A while back, fellow VCFA alum Lindsey Lane asked if I had a favorite quote about writing—and I did—and in…

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Filed under: Annie Dillard, creativity, joy, process, VCFA, writing

The Liebster Award

December 14, 2011 A. B. Westrick Leave a comment

A little love came my way recently. Richmonder Marci Rich, who writes The Midlife Second Wife, nominated my blog for…

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Filed under: craft, creativity, emotional truth, Liebster Award, VCFA, writing

On Creativity

June 23, 2011 A. B. Westrick 2 Comments

Last month a young woman told me she was pursuing a PhD in children’s literature instead of an MFA because…

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Filed under: Annie Dillard, creativity, Julia Cameron, MFA, process, story, The Artist's Way, writing

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Recent Posts

  • Her grandparents’ barn: an interview with Linda Oatman High January 12, 2021
  • Science is Mystery: interview and book giveaway December 4, 2020
  • Malcolm and Me: author interview and book giveaway November 10, 2020
  • COO: a delightful MG debut: author interview & giveaway October 16, 2020
  • Upper-MG Historical Fiction: interview & giveaway September 18, 2020

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Tweets

ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
23 Jan

Through Feb. 15, @rvalibrary is taking nominations for YA books written by VA authors, pub date 2020. Spread the word! @LRGiles @CokalSusann @jodimeadows @RobinHaART @Wendy_Higgins @Sonewsy (Judges are currently reading 2019 books and will announce THAT winner on 4/17/21.)

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ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
19 Jan

#BookGiveaway Last day to signup. AS FAR AS BIRDS CAN FLY by @lindaoatmanhigh Author-interview full of insights into Linda's process & career #writing more than 20 books for young readers. #mglit #kidlit #fiction @koehlerbooks https://abwestrick.com/2021/01/her-grandparents-barn-an-interview-with-linda-oatman-high/ Thanks for the interview!

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ABWestrick@ABWestrick·
18 Jan

Hey #mgbookchat, I love that you're talking about Youth Media Awards tonight! 9 PM is too late for me, so I'm chiming in early to say I'm doing another #MG #fiction #giveaway. Signup ends tomorrow: AS FAR AS BIRDS CAN FLY by @lindaoatmanhigh https://abwestrick.com/2021/01/her-grandparents-barn-an-interview-with-linda-oatman-high/ #kidlit

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Articles, Interviews, & Podcasts:

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I confess that I’ve stopped beating myself up over my process. It is what it is. March 20, 2019

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I talk about setting priorities in my writing life. February 20, 2019

Podcast: Working Title on the 85K Writing Challenge, where I ramble about my writing process, including how I conquer writer’s block. January 23, 2019

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