The Writer's Workout

You can’t do it alone. The writing process, that is. You can write an entire novel, or short story, or screenplay, or whatever completely by yourself, and that’s typically the norm, but you also need some sort of outside help to get you through a hurdle in your writing process. Take this blog post for example: you’re reading it because you’re hoping to find a nugget of useful info that will propel you forward in some way in your writing. Expectations are high: I’m supposed to

Burnout is a familiar feeling in any creative profession, especially as a writer. Crafting elaborate worlds or working to develop their characters' psyches fully can take up a lot of brain space. All the everyday stress of life, personal relationships, jobs, and school can also add to that mental load.  Life’s chaos can affect any number of people. I want to be clear: burnout is nothing to be ashamed of . There are ways to deal with it, and you may even use it to your advanta

Hello! It's me (again). S.E. Reed, your favorite multi-genre Indie Author and volunteer at The Writer's Workout. Okay, so maybe I'm not your favorite, but I am an Indie Author who has made it her mission to help you find out more about others like me. Each of these episodes features a Q&A-style interview with an Indie Author so you can get to know more about them and their writing. In addition, some of the authors have chosen to participate in a 2nd interview on my website, W

The Small Magic of Midwinter by Storm Lomax First Place A pink-tinged moon hangs high, and the castle grounds are silent as Princess Esmarie scrambles through her window like a stuck cat. Growling, she tugs her dress free from where it’s snagged on a rogue nail. With the rip of fabric, it releases her. Esmarie doesn’t even have time to curse before she drops to the ground with all the grace of a sack of flour. Thankfully, the castle grounds are full of pillow-soft grass ove

I Put a Spell on You by Katie Kent Second Place “Something you want to tell me?” Zadie nudged me, winking.  I tore my eyes away from Georgia, my cheeks warm. “Nothing to tell.” Zadie rolled her eyes, dropping her voice. I had to strain my ears to make out her words over the chatter in the canteen. “Come off it, Skye. You’ve barely stopped looking at her since she started here.” I scoffed, taking a sip of my water, but I had no retort- I’d been busted. Georgia was the

Don't Steal My Wine by Madison Rayon Third Place Delaya settled against the trunk of a pecan tree and was doing an excellent job eschewing all thoughts centering around consequence, safety, and shelter from the coming winter. She had slept in a cave hidden by ivy for three nights, but it wouldn’t do for much longer. The air was thick with frost, and she had failed to bring a flint. From thirty miles away, her plush and warm bed beckoned to her. Delaya pressed her hand aga

Imagine yourself sitting at your computer late one evening, curled up in a blanket, soft ambient music playing alongside a burning candle and with nothing but uninterrupted time to write.  The conditions are perfect. The words should flow from your hands to your manuscript easily. But there’s one problem: you’re hit with an intense writer’s block that is so debilitating, you end up doom scrolling for hours on the internet instead.  And your manuscript remains unchanged. And i

Stuck in a rut? Trying to unclog those pipes of inspiration is a job in itself so pick a number between one and thirty. These quick prompts are designed to pull you out of your block so you can fly through your WIP. Imagine that your favorite animal appeared outside your window. What would it do? What would it see and experience? Using a page from a story you enjoy, try some blackout poetry! Write about a day (any day) in your life.  Draw a comic! Find a random word generator