RATS! Writing & Dreams & COVID-19
Posted by David Duhr in 
Discussion questions: Have you been having strange dreams since COVID-19 came along and created all this uncertainty in our lives? Do your dreams ever lead to new writing, or even appear in your writing? What’s the most bizarre and/or vivid dream you’ve ever had? Let’s talk in the comments about the connection between dreams and writing. read more
Reading & Writing Burnout
Discussion questions: Does your working life consist of a lot of reading and writing, and if so, how does that impact your literary life? Do you sometimes find it difficult to read and/or write for pleasure after a long day of doing those things for work? Does technology have a similar impact on your ability to read and write for pleasure? How do we combat these things?
Writing & Reading Goals 2020: 50-Yard Line
Discussion questions: Are you on pace to hit the 2020 writing and reading goals you laid out at the beginning of the year? In what ways has the COVID-19 situation affected, or even altered, your goals and your approach? What’s your plan for the rest of the year, reading- and writing-wise? What are the biggest roadblocks in your way? Let’s discuss in the comments.
The Best Passage You’ve Written in 2020 (So Far)
Discussion questions: What is the best thing you’ve written this year? A line or passage that made you sit back and think, “Wow, I’m a talented writer!” And are you willing to share it with us? If so, copy/paste it in the comments below. Provide some context if you want, or let your words speak for themselves. Fiction or non, poetry or screenplay, even text message or email, let’s see an example of your best work of 2020.
My Monday-Morning Quarterback is an A**hole
Discussion questions: There are many more at the bottom of this unfocused, winding post, but here are a few: Do you ever feel exhilarated during and/or after a writing session only to crash hard the next day? Do you read your WIP as you go, or do you forge ahead without looking back? Do you like to write? What’s the worst thing your internal critic tells you?
Why Do You Want to Publish a Book?
Discussion questions: Why do you want to write a book? Why do you want to publish a book? Between process (writing) and product (publication), which is more important to you, and why? Let’s talk about it in the comments. read more
Recommended Reads: One-Sitting Books
Discussion questions: What are some of your favorite one-sitting books? What do you find appealing about one-sitting books? Have you ever written one? Let’s talk about it in the comments. read more
Can Creativity Be Forced?
Discussion questions: Do you ever try to force creativity, and does it ever work? Can movement and/or a change of scenery help you? What methods do you have for clearing the mental clutter? Let’s talk about creativity — and ways to foster it — in the comments. read more
Writing & Reading Goals 2020: Quarter-Pole Check-In
Discussion questions: One-quarter of the way through 2020, are you one-quarter of the way toward achieving your 2020 writing and reading goals? If you left yours in the comments of this New Year’s post, take a minute to revisit and assess. If you didn’t, feel free to talk more generally. Are you happy with your writing so far this year, quantity and/or quality? Have you changed your approach in any way? Should you? Let’s talk about it in the comments. read more
Opening Your Fiction With Dialogue
Discussion questions: As a reader, do you like when the first line of a novel or short story is dialogue? Why or why not? Do any particularly good examples jump out at you? Have you ever used that tactic in your own fiction? Feel free to copy/paste examples in the comments. read more
Writing Is Rewriting Is Rewriting Is Rewriting
Discussion questions: What is your approach to rewriting and revision? Do you buy into the whole “Ninety percent of writing is rewriting” thing? Why or why not? Do you have a good example of a passage from your own work that you’ve changed so much, it barely resembles the original? If so, copy/paste the various versions in the comments below, and detail, if you’d like, its evolution. read more
Multiple Books & Writing Projects
Discussion questions: Do you ever work on multiple writing projects at once? What are your strategies for keeping them separate, from letting one affect the other? How often do you read multiple books at once, and same question: How are you able to keep them separate? read more
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