Category Archives: Inspiration

Are You a New Writer?

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group The January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors? Are You a New Writer? Rather than talk about who I follow on BookBub, because … Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Inspiration, Motivation, Struggling to write, writing | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

How to Stay Positive

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Instead of answering this month’s question, which is an AI question, I queried a writer friend and asked, What would you most like to read about in a blog right now? Her response was, “Staying … Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Inspiration, Motivation, Struggling to write, writing, Writing Behind the Scenes | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Where Do My Story Ideas Come From?

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

Where do I get my story ideas from? Here are a few places… Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Inspiration, Motivation, Writer at Work | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

A Writing Career Path: Finding the Joy

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

I found joy as a writer, but I almost gave it up. Writing is so much about the journey. Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Inspiration, Motivation, Publishing books, Writer at Work, writing, Writing Behind the Scenes | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Finding My Way Through the Genre Wilderness

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

Which comes first: form & genre or story idea? Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Grendel's Mother - Book, Inspiration | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How to Write When Struggling – Part 1

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

When struggling with characters, plot, interest, or the writing In wanting to write a new blog, I started going through my TO BE WRITTEN file of blog ideas. I came across a copy of Maggie Doonan’s blog, “4 Signs It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in #amwriting, Characters, Failures, Inspiration, Motivation, Persistance, Procrastination, writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

A Writing Dream

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group July 1 question – There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade? A Writing Dream Ideally, I would … Continue reading →

Posted in #amwriting, #IWSG, Inspiration | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Pictures Worth More Than a Thousand Words

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

I’m one of those writers who finds stories everywhere: from conversations, articles I’ve read, seeing something in nature, from words a character in another story utters, from looking outside my window, from songs, from reading a list of poisons, visiting … Continue reading →

Posted in #IWSG, Inspiration, writing | Tagged , | 19 Comments

It All Began With a Book Report

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group  January 8 question – What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just “know” suddenly you wanted to write?  It All … Continue reading →

Posted in #amwriting, #IWSG, Blogging, Inspiration, writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Guest blogger – Keri Kruspe, Part II

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Diana Stout MFA PhD

As a follow up to Keri’s August 21, 2019 post as a guest blogger, where she talked about the things she wished she’d known before publishing her first book, in today’s post, she talks about the things she did right. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Inspiration, Persistance, Publishing books | Tagged , , | 6 Comments