There are hundreds of different elements to consider when you’re writing. I can’t say I’m an expert on all things writing, but one of the most common instances I see among young or newer writers is the feeling of being totally overwhelmed with how much there is to learn and focus on while writing. I’ve felt that more than a few times myself 😛 When I came back from Realm Makers several weeks ago and began playing around with a story idea, I was struck by the realization that I now knew not one, not two, but three different ways to write theme and character arcs in a story. *cue headdesking* I had a similar problem with a new way of story structure I’d learned, and I knew from browsing through writing craft books that there were millions of other ways out there, most that I was afraid to...

Sometimes being a writer is the most exhilarating experience in the world… And other times, being a writer can be the most miserable thing ever. If you’ve written for a consider amount of time, you’ve probably experienced this. Flying…then falling. Having the most amazing writing day ever only to hit rock bottom the next morning. Or, worse, to be having the time of your life one moment, then the next, become incredibly depressed and discouraged about your writing. Even before I became a serious writer, I still had those ups and downs—days when inspiration came, and days when writing was a joyless task. Last year proved to be especially like that, and for days I wondered if writing was even worth it anymore if I counted how much I stressed about it and loathed sitting at a keyboard to get words down. I’ll just say it: Sometimes writers really...