Tag Archives: writing advice

How to Turn Dreams Into Reality

Posted on June 29, 2019 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney, adapted from ANSWERS TO SATISFY THE SOUL: Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions In April 1914, when C. S. Lewis was fifteen-and-a-half, he went with his father and brother to the Belfast home … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged Arthur Greeves, C. S. Lewis, inspiration, Motivation, perseverance, writing, writing advice, Writing Habits, Writing Practice | 2 Comments

Why Not Write?

Posted on April 6, 2019 by writinginoverdrive

Opinion by Jim Denney “You have two choices in life. You either die or do something with your time. You’re going to be doing something — why not write?” —James Lee Burke Louis Auchincloss had a long career as a successful … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged Anne Lamott, creativity, Louis Auchincloss, Meg Wolitzer, novels, Sibella Giorello, writing advice, Writing Tips | Leave a comment

Write what you DON’T know!

Posted on July 21, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

By Jim Denney Saul Bellow once said, “A writer is a reader who is moved to emulation.” I know that’s true in my case. I’m a writer today because I wanted to emulate my literary heroes. Maybe you know that … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged Felisberto Hernandez, Imagination, Rules of Writing, Saul Bellow, Ursula K. Le Guin, Write What You Don't Know, Write What You Know, writing advice | Leave a comment

Do You Have Lemon Juice on Your Face?

Posted on May 26, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney Many aspiring writers assume that, because they’ve done a lot of reading, they know how to write. This is almost never true. Writing is a craft that must the mastered through intensive study and practice. The problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged Charles Bukowski, Cognitive Bias, Dunning-Kruger Effect, Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway, Humility, writing advice, Writing Apprenticeship, writing craft, writing fiction | 1 Comment

Writing is Finger-Painting with Words

Posted on February 10, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney A few years ago, I taught a workshop at a writer’s conference. After one session, a young woman came up to me and said, “My problem is that I never finish anything. I’m so afraid that someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged creativity, Fun, Jodi Picoult, John Steinbeck, Perfectionism, Permission to write badly, writing, writing advice, writing fiction, Writing in Overdrive, writing inspiration, Writing motivation | Leave a comment

Do you dream of being a writer?

Posted on December 30, 2017 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney Mark Twain retreated to a shed at Quarry Farm in New York, where he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Renaissance philosopher Michel de Montaigne used to write his books in a high tower of his château … Continue reading →