Writing – Aly Writes

January 2023 Editing Progress Update

I am a little behind schedule already, for no other reason than my own dawdling. I’m a chronic procrastinator.

2023: A Plan

The best way to start any plan is at the end. Where do you want to be? What do you want to have accomplished? Once you know what you’re aiming for, you can chart the path that will lead you there.

2022: A Retrospective

Distraction abounded this year, and I feel the need to remind myself of some of the things I can be proud of, hiding amongst the weeds.

10 Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo

How can you get over the hump, out of the blahs, and onwards toward the finish line? Here are 10 tips to help you survive NaNoWriMo.

Should You Talk About Your Writing?

I soon realized that having a sounding board when I’m trying to work out a sticky plot point is invaluable. Sometimes just the act of saying it out loud can help ideas to congeal into something tangible.

How to Respectfully Write a Critical Book Review

Don’t attack the author. This shouldn’t have to be said, but you’re reviewing a piece of writing, not the human who poured their heart and soul into it. Focus on your experience, make your review fair and honest, but never make it personal or nasty.

What is Your Definition of Success as a Writer?

So write for yourself. Write for the love of words and stories. Write to process your feelings, to entertain, to leave a legacy. Write for any reason but what capitalism calls success, and see if, as a by-product, something you can call success will find you along the way.

10 (More) Notable Canadian Literary Magazines

I’m back again with ten more quality literary publications that are based in Canada. Most of these magazines accept submissions from all over the world, but for all my fellow Canadian writers, it’s a little bit special to find a home for your work that is close to home.

I Choose the Lonely Road

It’s overcast and gloomy, and the tin shacks sprinkled alongside the road look somber, as if they’re depressed too when the sun’s not out.

A General Feeling of Vague Writerly Dissatisfaction

Perhaps that is just what the increasingly heavy state of the world does to us. It seems an insurmountable challenge to be joyfully creative when there are much weightier issues to be concerned with.