Unlikely Places
What Emily Dickinson’s fictitious life teaches about fame
I didn’t know much about Emily Dickinson until recently. I’m sure we studied her poems in high school, but poetry was never my strong suit. As such, knowledge of the American poet escaped the folds of my brain.
I recently watched the AppleTV+ series, Dickinson, based(ish) on her life. The show, staring Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson, is full of intentional anachronisms and 1850s young-adult angst. While Dickinson is historical fiction, it provides a compelling introduction to the poet.
Emily Dickinson wrote over 1,800 poems on scraps of paper hidden until after her death. While a few of her poems…
Want to know how I developed a 3+ year daily writing habit? Follow this guide to build a Siri Shortcut, and you’ll write every day, too!
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Day One app. I write in the app every day. At the core, Day One is a journal app. It supports end-to-end encryption, media embeds, tagging, templates, and more. Day One is essentially a private blog. For this reason, the app and team were acquired by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.
My first Day One entry was saved on August 1, 2012. Since then, I’ve amassed 3,466 entries across 2,729 days. I’m currently supporting a 1,264-day streak of daily entries.
Shortly after Siri Shortcuts launched in iOS 12, Day One…
Write Now
How one author uses his birthday to guide and challenge his writing
David A. Shaprio has one of the most unique word-goal challenges I’ve seen. He writes 327-word essays as a hobby because his birthday is March 27. Landing on an exact word target is never an easy task and I love the simplicity of David’s 327-word goal. Enjoy David’s interview.
Who are you?
I’m David A. Shapiro; I’m a philosopher, educator, and writer, based in Seattle, Washington. …
📝 This Week’s Goal: Don’t dismiss the power of the muse.
I have a sporadic series here on The Writing Cooperative called Unlikely Places. Each entry explores writing advice inspired by pop culture. The thing is, I never plan out any of the entries in this series. I consume pop culture, and then my brain is inspired to analyze and write. That’s why there’s no set schedule for the series.
I’ve never been able to fully understand how the muse works. The muses were a cult of poetry patrons found in originated in Greek mythology. Today, we tend to blame the muse when we lack inspiration. As far as I know…
Everything is fun and games until someone adds you to a reunion group.
Last week I minded my own business. Life was great. Then, out of nowhere and completely unannounced, someone added me to my 20th high school reunion Facebook group.
Over the last week, I’ve been lurking through the photos, memories, and slam book revelations. Yeah, you read that correctly. Apparently, some of my classmates thought it was a good idea to reveal the secrets they’ve been holding onto for <checks watch> 20 years.
One reoccurring meme I did give into is comparing senior pictures with current ones. I felt the need to represent my fellow bowl-cut babies and share my 20-year…
Write Now
How an unopened bottle of wine keeps this writer motivated
In today’s interview, Hilary Hauck reveals she has a bottle of wine labeled “Writer’s Block” sitting in her office. The bottle, never opened, symbolizes her avoidance of the dreaded concept. Though, Hilary admits she occasionally needs “Writer’s Nudge” to keep writing. Enjoy her interview.
Who are you?
I’m Hilary Hauck, author, and translator of Italian to English. I’m from the UK, lived in Italy for over a decade, and now I’m based in rural Pennsylvania.
Connect with Hilary on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
What do you write?
I write the stories that take hold of me and won’t let go. I draw a lot from real life…
📝 This Week’s Goal: Consider what fuels your growth and share it with the community.
My wife and I planted chia seed in the backyard earlier this year. It was really an experiment to see if the same seeds we mix into oatmeal and smoothies would grow naturally in the backyard. Turns out, it grows incredibly well.
The main chia stalks (that’s the best way to describe them) are now over six feet tall. Every time it rains, which is daily here in Florida, they grow another few inches. While they haven’t produced new seeds of their own yet, it’s only a matter of time.
🚨 Applications for Community Cohort 002 and 003 are due…Write Now
How recognizing self-doubt is liberating for writers
Do you struggle with self-doubt? What about insecurity? Yeah, those are all natural feelings everyone experiences. We can let them debilitate us, or we can recognize them for what they are: misunderstandings. Bella Mahaya Carter explains in her interview how these feelings often manifest as writer’s block. The key is not taking our doubts seriously.
Who are you?
My name is Bella Mahaya Carter. I’m a creative writing teacher and coach. I was born and raised in New York, but have lived most of my adult life in Los Angeles.
What do you write?
I write inspirational articles and blog posts for writers, dreamers, and seekers of…
📝 This Week’s Goal: Fact-check your content and don’t forget to cite your sources.
A few weeks ago, I sent a newsletter with what I thought was a common issue we could all rally behind: plagiarism. I made the simple request that all writers are responsible for, you know, not stealing other people’s words. I also announced an update to our submission rules requiring citations for quotes, ideas, and images that don’t belong to you.
It turns out some of our readers thought this was an appalling request. I received multiple emails claiming that citing other people’s work is an overreach. One email said it was “impossible” to link to “everything.” …
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anything, and never let anyone convince you otherwise
My wife and I visited Japan a few years ago. We cashed in a ton of airline miles and flew Japan Airlines business class. It was a fantastic experience, and we took advantage of all the perks afforded in our little pods.
One of the inflight meals came with a purple finishing salt we’d never seen before. The flavor is completely indescribable. I’m not just being cliché; I can’t describe it. I wish I could. We’ve looked everywhere possible for the last four years, trying to find this purple, Japanese salt. …
