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When you’re in the depths of the writing process, it’s okay to want to keep a lot of the details to yourself. Oftentimes, you’re still working out the direction you want to go (or the direction your writing is taking you!) and if you’re like me, you feel like talking about it might “jinx” it. It’s perfectly normal to feel this way, and believe it or not it’s also a very good thing. Wanting to keep the specifics under wraps until you settle the story in your own mind first is perfectly acceptable. Don’t stress about it, and don’t worry what other writers might be doing. You do you.

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Having trouble coming up with the perfect name for one of your characters??? Don’t just sit there and go through all your favorite–or not so favorite–friends, acquaintances, aunts, uncles, and college roomies to come up with just the right moniker. Purchase a baby name book, or research baby names online. It’s a surefire way to give the odd, deviant, or calamitous rare bird in your story some real pizazz!

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Write. Share. Listen. Repeat. Once upon a time I considered myself a writer—and then I recognized that I’d make a better editor :  ) Those days as a writer, though, I thought I knew everything, and I also (mistakenly) thought that others couldn’t possibly help me write. Thinking back to those days, I’m embarrassed to say that I was THAT person. I recently conversed with a writer who, unfortunately, was in the same trap where I used to be. Don’t be that writer! Here are several ways to avoid it: get out there and join a writing group. Sign up for a writer’s workshop. Go to a book club meeting. Writers need to get away from their own ego sometimes. Don’t ever assume you can’t learn from others.

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Having friends and family members is an excellent way to get feedback on your work. However, and this is a cautious however, be prepared for a few things before handing over your writing. There is great potential–especially if it’s a close friend or family member–that the relationship that person has with you might skew the objectivity he or she is able provide. While it will be a great help in the way of positive feedback (yay!), keep in mind that the person probably values the relationship over the honest, valuable comments your writing needs. Imagine the rude awakening if you hand your manuscript or short story to the next person and you find out you don’t use commas correctly! You can never go wrong with getting your writing into the hands of loved ones, but be aware that they aren’t trained editors and won’t be looking for the things that will make your story be the polished prose you desire.

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Are you writing your next piece for a contest, magazine article, or some other format that limits your word count? Managing your creativity to a precise number can be difficult, and it can often leave you feeling like your work doesn’t sound “like you.” Don’t be discouraged, though. A helpful hint is to tackle the task as you would under normal circumstances; that is, don’t think about the word count. If you write to a specific number it’ll keep your imagination from flowing freely. Instead, write the piece–get it all on paper…  and then look at your word count.

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“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'” -John Greenleaf Whittier

And boy, is it true. If you have a story waiting to be written, start it. Now. Just a page… or a paragraph… or an idea. Write it down. You’ll never know what’ll happen after that!

A quick way to work through writer’s block is to ask yourself the 5 w’s… and 1 h! Take out a plain piece of paper and write who, what, when, where, why, and how in separate boxes and fill in the blanks. Doing so will give you an opportunity to address the main staples of your story. Ask yourself questions such as: Who (which character) needs to be further developed? What is my main conflict? When does this story take place, and am I consistent with that throughout the book? Getting back to the basics is sure to get you typing again. Go ahead… try it. You’ll be back in motion in no time.

May you always be as optimistic as a dog looking at its next chase.