Writerly Tricks
Here is a list of some of the best writerly tricks I know:
Approach writing as if you are a skilled craftsman, become a plumber designing the pipes that will run throughout the house of your story. Plumb the story line.
Go to work every day.
Write as soon as you wake.
Awaken early. Preferably, I like to begin before the sun rises. It feels cozy and private, and I find it is easier to move through the liminal space of dreams into the creative act. It offers me a certain permission to delve into creative thought.
Mobilize your attention and resources; offer them to the narrative at hand.
Learn your craft with the intimacy of a fingerprint.
And, most importantly, trust the word. As a mentor of mine, novelist Ellie Bryant once directed me, “Believe in the words.”