LK LohanLeave a comment

Reading vs. Writing

In my world, reading and writing have an unfortunate tendency to clash. As a matter of fact, reading often kicks writing’s ass. So last year I made a New Year’s resolution to read less. That didn’t work out so well: I nearly doubled my reading for that year. This year I didn’t even bother with a resolution. I’m kind of resigned to the fact by now that my default mode is reading. I read for entertainment, for information, for research purposes, for inspiration, for an escape from the mundane, and, yes, for procrastination. I read in the morning, if I Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

Curiosity

Curiosity may have killed a cat or two, but can you imagine life without it? We’d be puffed up with certainty; willfully ignorant blobs happy to consume whatever dreck’s put in front of us, happy to parrot any conspiracy theory or celebrity gossip or whatever the latest outrage is that algorithmic or human manipulators want us to spread. Doesn’t sound too exciting, does it? So, yeah, curiosity is pretty essential for a mindful, deliberate life. It prevents us from stagnating and beating our heads against the walls of our own echo chambers. It keeps us open to new ideas and Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

The Short Story Conundrum

One of the ways to catch an agent’s eye is to publish short stories in online and/or offline magazines or even on your own website. More than just a few writers have started out that way. And there are plenty of writers, especially in the more literary corners of the Fantasy realm – you know, where the awards are handed out – who seamlessly switch between short stories and novels. I thoroughly admire their ease in adapting to the needs of either form. Even Brandon Sanderson, the overlord of the 1,200-page book realm, writes the occasional short fiction. How do Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

The Year of Routine

At the beginning of 2020 I planned for a year of new experiences, but instead, it became the year of routine. Wake up at 5am. Meditate for an hour (or rather set an intention to follow your breath for an hour but end up lost in thought instead). Write or exercise for another hour. Make a couple of phone calls. Breakfast. Go to work. Lunch. Back to work. Dinner. Read. Write some more. Sleep. On weekends, replace work with a long walk, tai ji class, and longer writing sessions. Sprinkle in a few chores and appointments and add a hefty Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

Playing the Rejection Game – The Writer’s Edition

2021. A new year, and a new round in the rejection game. You ask how the game works? It’s easy. The goal is to collect as many rejections as possible. So you apply for master classes and writing programs and grants and awards and residencies. You submit your work to agents and editors and publishers. You open yourself up to judgement. It’s never comfortable, but it’s the nature of competition. It’s how the game works. It always unfolds the same way. First, you agonize over whether you should apply at all. Is this class really worth it? Is this magazine Read More …