confidence Archive
The Ploughshares Round-Down: The Right Way to Write
As the year wraps up, I’ve been collecting articles that encourage writers to trust ourselves: To find our own practices for creativity, or shun the idea of practices altogether. To choose between quick first drafts or taking more time, based on what works in the moment. To define success case-by-case rather than comparing our work to someone else’s. These articles ask, “Is
The Ploughshares Round-Down: Labels, Action, and Confidence
A couple weeks ago, author and marketer Ryan Holiday wrote a piece for Thought Catalog titled, “Can You Call Yourself a Writer?” In it, he argues that “[j]ust because you have done something, doesn’t mean you are something.” In other words, calling yourself a writer when the craft is a mere hobby
Writing Lessons: Chris McCormick
In our Writing Lessons series, writers and writing students will discuss lessons learned, epiphanies about craft, and the challenges of studying writing. This week, we hear from Chris McCormick, a student in the University of Michigan’s MFA program. You can follow him on Twitter @chris_mccorm. —Andrew Ladd, Blog Editor There were