StoryADay presents: I, WRITER - A Writing Podcast about Building a Successful Writing Practice

Hopefully, you've been doing something looking back at 2016, making note of all the places where you did wonderfully things. Now it's time to look forward to building on them next year. This 'look forward' to 2017 offers some strategies for making the most of your writing time, setting P.A.C.E goals, and staying on track throughout the year. Here are the worksheets I reference in this podcast, to help you plan for a successful 2017: https://s3.amazonaws.com/StoryADay/StADa_Annual_Review_Worksheet.pdf">Annual Review Worksheet https://s3.amazonaws.com/StoryADay/StoryADay_Goal_Worksheet.pdf">Individual Goal Worksheet https://s3.amazonaws.com/StoryADay/StoryADay_Annual_Goals_Tracker.pdf">Annual Goal Tracker/Overview

Today's episode is all about looking back at your year and capturing the achievements in your writing life that can help power you forward into your next year of writing. Includes WHY it's good to track your achievements HOW to remember what you've achieved EXAMPLES of the kind of things you might list RECOMMENDED READING for further thoughts on motivation LINKS mentioned in the podcast [email protected] (to nominate StoryADay.org or another favorite blog for a Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers listing) Motivation For Creative People by Mark McGuinness (AF) How Do You Want Your Novel to Change the World? by Julia Monroe Martin at WriterUnboxed.com

November is here and whether you're facing NaNoWriMo or just the change of seasons, it's a great time to think about energy in your writing life. Energy is the theme for November at StoryADay.org and I start out this week with a plea for physical activity (walking, specifically) and will be writing about this and other 'energy' issues through the month. This episode also includes a writing prompt and some theft. Settle in...

Today's writing prompt is inspired by a story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, featured in The Best American Short Stories 2016 (http://amzn.to/2elDfUo) You can read more of my thoughts on this story here: [Reading Room] Apollo by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie You can leave comments about your experiences with this prompt here: [Writing Prompt] Regrets, I've Had A Few And here are some articles to help you as you think about revising your first draft. Podcast length: 11:15mins. Music by Alan McPike (www.standardstrax.com)

National Novel Writers' Month is coming! How can writing a short story every week this month help you conquer NaNo? Tune in to this 7 minute episode for answers...and a writing prompt about the upcoming holiday season and why it's (almost) too late to start writing holiday stories (I know! Already!)

It's the first of the month, and that means it's Serious Writer's Accountability Group day at StoryADay.org. Spend fifteen minutes with me and Monique Cuillerier, a long time StoryADay community member, as we talk about writing, routines, and why she turns up for SWAGr month after month. You can find Monique online at NotWhereILive.ca and on Twitter @moniqueac

Today we explore the power of three and use it to make your story Bigger, Badder, (Too Much For Mr. Incredible!! Wait, no, that's something else....)

Hey, we're almost there! It's almost the end of the month. By now you're probably pretty sick of this StoryADay nonsense, but you can't quit because you're so close, right? Take out your frustrations on your protagonist! There's nothing better for a compelling story than a little bit of mistreatment of your beloved protag...

Today we take a look at pacing, and the differences it can make to a story.

This is a bit of a 'cheat day' because I encourage you to write something that may not be a complete short story. Gasp!

Today's prompt encourages you to think about stirring up some emotions in your readers.

Today's writing prompt is all about changing perspective. Most of us have a particular POV we like to write in. Today, we try something completely different.

Today we're going to take a deeper look at genre and the expectations readers have, based on that genre...

Quick: grab a book from your bookshelf, and look at the first page. Can you tell what kind of book it's going to be just from the tone of that page? Does it match your expectations? Today you'll write a story focussing on tone: is it consistent? Is it appropriate to the story you're telling?

With four weeks of writing under your belt, you will have learned a thing or two about your strengths as a writer. This week we use what you've learned and build on it. Today's focus: Finding Your Voice

I don't often give you a traditional 'story starter' kind of prompt, but today that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm really curious to see what everyone does with this one!

Today you're going to write fan fiction for a show/book/universe you know and love.

This is one of my favorite writing prompts of all time - because you don't have to worry too much about coming up with a plot, just messing with one. For more resources take a look at the blog post for this prompt.

Today you're going to tell the story of a painting (literally or otherwise). I have some suggestions for you, and, if you want to find the original blog post, with links to good sources of art, go here: http://storyaday.org/2016-18-painting/

Today's prompt is to write a story based on a news headline. The caveat, of course, being that fiction, unlike real life, has to make sense!

Today's Rescue Week prompt is to write a story that would fit on Twitter: 140 characters only! It's not as easy as you think...

You did it! You've made it to week three! Congratulations. And don't worry if things are getting harder this week. This is your RESCUE WEEK, full of prompts exclusively designed to help you over the hump.

Protagonists and Antagonists aren't the only characters to turn up in your stories. Today we take a look at the sidekick's role.

Today's prompt uses the antagonist to show what the protagonist could be if only they were a little bit worse/braver/less moral.

Today we're concentrating on character. You love your main character...just don't let them be too perfect!

Today I talk about the third of the short story structures I'm encouraging you to try out: This time the big moment comes right up front...BOOM!

Today I encourage you to try out the Ugly Duckling story structure: the big moment comes in the middle of the story and is balanced by events on either side...

A welcome to week two of the challenge, where we take a serious look at the Elements of Story. On this first day we look at what I call the "Cinderella Story Structure". It's a skeleton you can hang your own story on, fleshing it out with your own interests.

Today you'll write a story mostly or completely in dialogue.

Today, I challenge you to write a story about a character as unlike yourself as you can imagine. With they be sympathetic? Will they be evil? What can you do with this prompt?

Today's prompt encourages you to write a story about a character who shares some similarities with you.

Continuing this week's theme of 'Limits', today I'm limiting you to a first-person point-of-view story.

Today you're going to write a story in 100 words

This is a very silly prompt, but it always gets people writing!

You're doing it! Good for you! Today's episode is a pep talk and your first writing prompt. This week's theme is "Limits" You can leave a comment about today's story here: http://storyaday.org/prompt-30-mins/

Julie shares her best tips from 6 years of Extreme Writing Challenges, for getting your writing done this month. Don't turn off before the last tip...it's the best! Music credit: Alan McPike standardstrax.com

Wondering how it's possible to write a story a day for a month? 6 years' worth of FAQs, condensed into one little podcast!

It sounds like a crazy idea: trying to write a story a day every day for a month, and yet thousands of people have taken on this task every May since 2010. How? Why? Listen and find out what your writing life will gain from giving it a try.

In which I rant about the "professionalization" of entertainment and encourage you to rail against it.

In this episode I talk about the many, many ways we are wrong when we tell ourselves we simply can't write!

Make sure that your definition of 'success' for your writing is really YOUR definition of writing success. Don't allow anyone else to tell you what success looks like! Also covering: fifth grade failures; epic wins; a look forward to December 31.

Last episode, we talked about logging your words, to motivate yourself to write more. This episode we look at other ways to log your progress for those times (e.g. when you're editing a big project) when logging your (new) words is beyond depressing!

Last year I wrote 100,000 words of fiction (that's on top of all the non-fiction writing, mothering, wife-ing and general living I got done). In this episode I show you how to use word count logging to boost your writing output and to keep yourself accountable. I also invite you to join us at the Serious Writers' Accountability Group (SWAGr - we're 'serious', not 'sombre'!) at http://storyaday.org/category/swagr/ on the first of every month, to set your goals for the coming month and review how you got on last month.

Not living up to your writing resolutions? Learn how to harness guilt, dismiss shame, and focus on the things that will help you be more productive and creative.