No one has ever pulled a writing hamstring


Or have they….?

I often liken athlete warm ups to writer warm ups. Because a lot of writers like to dive into the deep end of the pool without any preparation. And when they get that inevitable cramp, they get writers block, they attribute it to the fact that obviously they can’t write.

When the truth is, maybe they just needed to warm up.

The successful athlete never just performs. They have to warm up in order to perform at their best. There is no 100 meter runner who jumps out of bed and is ready to win their race.

The same is true of the writer.

Many writers just assume their writing difficulties are due to a lack of talent or dedication. But honestly, we have a lot going on in our brains these days. It’s easy to get distracted. It’s no wonder people get writers block when constant information is demanding so much brain space.

The brain turns like the Titanic, it takes a lot of time to get that beast to realize it’s time to write. You have to prepare the brain. Once you get your brain on the same page, when it is ready to write, then you’re golden.

So before you start to write with purpose, do a couple of warm ups. You don’t want to pull a brain muscle do you?

Writing makes me…


Finish that sentence in the subject line.

Writing makes me……




Here’s how I finish the sentence.



What does writing do for you?

Stop waiting for inspiration

Abstract Colorful Lights Vector Art

Let’s talk inspiration. Every once in awhile I’ll have that magic moment where the clouds open and the angels sing and a voice from somewhere beyond bestows upon me the best idea ever for a play.

That doesn’t happen very often.

More often than not I’m stumping to my laptop, grumbling as I turn it on and banging the keys as hard as I can. But I do it. And I keep doing it. And after awhile I’m glad I made the choice to stump and grumble and bang. I’m always glad.

Because if I waited around for the inspiration fairy to sprinkle me with dust I would be waiting forever.

Do you believe in inspiration? Is it important to your process?


If you like waiting for inspiration and those visits are far and few between, get proactive. Create an inspiration file where you collect anything that gives you inspiration. Pictures, headlines, articles, lyrics, poems, scraps of paper you’ve written overheard lines on. Gather everything in one place.

This can be an actual physical object (an accordian file or scrap book) or something digital like Evernote. You could just collect pictures on your phone with Instagram. Whatever works for you. If you need to be inspired to write, start gathering inspiration so that you never have to wait to write again.

Another thing you can use for inspiration is yourself. But instead of write what you know, hone in on your point of view, your opinion, your take on issues, ideas and topics. Use these sentence starters to get the ball rolling:

  • I firmly believe that….
  • I wish that I would….
  • I never have….
  • I always…
  • The thing that makes me the most angry is…
  • The thing that makes me the most sad is….
  • The thing that makes me the happiest is…
  • My opinion on the environment is…
  • My opinion on religion is….
  • My opinion on politics is…
  • My opinion on education is…

If you can articulate your opinion, you can form the opinions for your characters. Take a character who belives as you do, create a character with an opposing view, lock the two in a room and you’ve got a play.


Writers don’t need rubber gloves


Spring Cleaning


Organize your desk


Archive your work


Go through your Inbox


Reflect on your Writing Goals



What does Failure look like?









What’s in your bag?


The most interesting characters come alive in the smallest details: a favourite food, a favourite type of music, a fear of spiders, an allergy to plums, a scar from a fall at two years of age, a love of reality television. These details are what makes a character three dimensional and human.

They may seem mundane, but think about what defines you as a person. Is it the grand events in your life, or the day to day? These details of the small add a layered richness beyond the world of the story. The more you know about your characters, the deeper the well you have to draw from, the more specifically you can write for them.

This character development exercise will allow you to create the details of the small for your characters.

What’s In Your Bag?

Empty out the bag you use most regularly, whatever you take with you when you go out. If you don’t carry a bag, think about how you carry what’s necessary to get through the day – what’s in your pockets?

Look at the bag itself. Why did you choose it? How long have you had it? Do you need a new one?

Write out in a point form list each item in that bag. And then answer the following questions:

  • Why do you carry each item?
  • What purpose does it hold in your life?
  • Is there anything emotional in your bag?
  • Is everything in your bag strictly functional?
  • Is there anything in your bag that shouldn’t be?

Once you’ve answered all the questions, look back at what you’ve written. What does your bag say about you? What is expected about your answers? Was there anything unexpected?

Now, apply these steps to the main character in whatever project you are working on. Give this character a bag.

  • What does the bag look like?
  • Why does the character carry this bag?
  • If the character wouldn’t carry a bag, create the reason why.
  • How do they carry what’s necessary for their day?
  • Is this character the type of person who can’t leave the house without a huge bag?
  • Is there a job related to the bag?
  •  What does this bag tell you about this character?

Once you’ve established the bag itself, make a point for list of the items in the bag. And then answer the following:

  • What do the items in the bag help the character to do? 
  • Based on what you know of the character, what items in the bag are expected?
  • Put one thing in the bag which is unexpected.
  • What does that unexpected item say about the character?

If you want to go further, write a scene involving this character and their bag.

Exploring the world of the small in your characters is always going to give you a wealth of material to work with.

Ch – Ch – Changes












Your First Draft Is Your Best Draft?


Your first draft is your best draft.








That your first draft is not your best.





What do you want your plays to do?






Ask this of whatever you’re working on right now:

What do I want my play to do?