Rewards & Reinforcement (To Write & Have Written)

There’s a lot of advice out there on using rewards to motivate your writing (especially during stretch events like NaNoWriMo). While keeping your motivation strong is a good idea, a lot of this advice is not terribly scientific, and it can be modified to be more effective.

Let’s talk about the difference between rewards and reinforcement, why we need to be proud of reaching a goal, and what to do when you tend to cheat and get your prize early.

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Marathon livestream for charity! Please join me.

hands with vote pins
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

November 3 is a particularly significant day in the United States, laying out a path for the future.

But in fact, we can re-write the future every day, with thousands of choices. And you can make me give you an early glimpse of Kin & Kind.

If you’ve been online with me for a while, you know that slavery and trafficking is something I am against — and something we can fight with tiny daily decisions, from the brand of chocolate bar we eat to the clothing we purchase, as well as the more obvious issues like the porn industry.

So on November 3 I will be live-streaming all day to raise money for IJM to fight slavery and exploitation.

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Fight Write! With Carla Hoch (To Write & Have Written)

For this month’s Learn With Me, I sit down with martial artist, writer, and fight editor Carla Hoch to talk about creating confrontation and conflict in story — everything from how to choose your character’s best technique to choosing a setting.

Find Carla’s book Fight Write: How to Create Believable Fight Scenes here.

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The Many Uses of NaNoWriMo (and What It’s Really Not Good For)

Quoth the raven, NaNo More! by Timekeeper Art
sketch by Julie Bickel

You wouldn’t think a call to “Hey, anybody who’s interested, let’s do something this month!” would be so controversial, but you know humans. So I thought I’d lend my own insight on why there might be such varied opinions on the legitimacy and worth of NaNoWriMo and its participants.

What makes my opinion qualified? Well, first I’d say I’m as least as qualified to have an opinion as most of those I’ve seen expressing opinions. ;-) But also, I have changed my views on NaNo over the years, so I feel I have a take from several angles.

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Self-Sabotage and the Fear of Success (To Write and Have Written)

In this Business of Creativity episode we tackle the little-discussed but not uncommon phenomenon of the fear of success. Let’s go over several ways we see this happen, what might be behind it, and what we can do about it.

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Field Trip! Ice & Steam (& Penguins) (To Write and Have Written)

We take our first Field Trip to explore Iguazú Falls, Ushuaia, Antarctica, the Falklands, and the amazing journey of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition.

Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires
Ushuaia
Cape Horn
Ice
Penguins

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Using Folklore In Writing, Learn With Me! (To Write and Have Written)

Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran joins me for this month’s Learn With Me, sharing an academic discussion of folklore, fiction, responsibility in using story, the universality of motif, and conspiracy theories!

The Longest Road In The Universe by C.S. MacCath
What Happens Next? Contemporary Urban Legends and Popular Culture by Gail de Vos

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Try Something New! Craft & Development (To Write and Have Written)

It’s surprisingly easy to get into a rut when you’re trying to be professionally creative. This is where the dreaded “writer’s block” get blamed and where you can feel drained or frustrated. Here’s how to maintain the battery and keep your creativity and productivity fueled.

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Try Something New (The Business of Creativity) (To Write and Have Written)

It’s important to try new things! Don’t get in a rut with your marketing; experiment. It’s both useful and fun. Here’s what I’m trying (and it might not work!)

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Marketing: Who Am I? (To Write and Have Written)

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything you hear about branding and marketing and more. Let’s break it down and take it slow for gradual, sustainable progress and growth.

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