Author: Inspire Envisioning

  • 5 Ways to Use Travel as a Springboard for Writing

    If you love to write and have the privilege of being able to travel, you might dream of doing both things in tandem. Maybe you’ve heard stories of digital nomads who hop from country to country and make a living from their laptops, or writers who travel in their camper vans. If that’s not a…

  • SFF Book Recommendations and Aristotle’s Building Blocks of Writing

    Writing is a holistic activity, but when it comes to honing our craft, it’s useful to break it down into parts. The June 30 episode of Writing Excuses, a podcast about the craft of writing that focuses primarily on fantasy and science fiction (SFF), introduced Aristotle’s elements of tragedy. These six aspects of writing apply…

  • Book Review: Romancing the Page

    I just finished a novella collection that combines keen publishing industry insights with charming f/f romance. Presenting Romancing the Page! Written by fantasy author Laura Lam (Pantomime, False Hearts) writing and self-publishing under the open pen name Laura Ambrose, the three novellas in this series spin love stories between writers and publishing employees in the…

  • Lessons on Writing Relationships… from Romance Novels

    Feedback on the first draft of a fiction manuscript I’ve been working on for a while, while positive in other aspects, suggested that the characters’ relationships lacked a certain spark. So, while working on the second draft, I turned to a genre that models relationship writing: romance. Romance writing is a realm where constraint fuels…

  • Literary Adventures at Sea

    Fellow book lovers, have you ever daydreamed about going on a literary cruise? I’ve thought they sounded like fun ever since I learned they existed. Despite getting sick on the last cruise I went on, after receiving a deal offer from Olivia Travel on a lesbian cruise featuring a full slate of author events, I…

  • Learning Writing from the Masters: Pros and Cons of MasterClass.com

    This year I was given an incredible birthday gift – a year’s subscription to MasterClass.com – and I wanted to tell you about it because I think there are many others who’d appreciate and benefit from these classes as well. MasterClass is a website that features video classes taught by celebrity experts in their fields,…

  • The Roles of Emotion in Writing

    “Where do you get your ideas?” This question, commonly asked to writers, elicits many different responses. Inspiration can come from current events, life experiences, interests, the combination of different concepts, dreams, a character who pops into one’s head, or seemingly out of nowhere. There are probably more sources of inspiration out there than there are…

  • Three Takes on Writing What You Love

    “Write what you love” is widespread advice, yet it can be hard to reconcile with the realities of the market and the day-to-day challenges of the writing process. Still, I’m a believer in the wisdom of this advice. Here are three instances in which I find it helpful. 1. Writing something you would love to…

  • New Year, New You? Think Baby Steps.

    It’s that time again: time for New Year’s resolutions. January rolls around and you make plans for the year ahead. You envision your best self and create resolutions hoping to make that person real. Sometimes your goals pan out. If you’re anything like me, though, all too often the following year arrives and the idealized…

  • Celebrating My Wins of 2018

    It’s hard to believe that 2018 is almost over. Hopefully the year has had bright spots for you as it has for me. Following the publication of The Modern Enneagram in 2017, this has been a fruitful year of career building in writing and editing. I’m celebrating these wins as we honor the year that’s…