The Writing Life Archives - Page 2 of 12

To Name or Not to Name: Writing Fiction in a Real Place

June 15, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

When Fiction Meets a Real Place Anne Tyler amazes me with how she writes about real places, Baltimore, especially, and yet somehow makes them entirely her own. Her fictional neighborhoods feel … Continue reading >>

The Unexpected Comfort of a Spreadsheet: Trying New Things

June 8, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

What We Resist Until We Don’t For years my husband has been extolling the virtues of spreadsheets. Whenever I felt overwhelmed with tasks, he’d calmly say, “Why don’t you make a spreadsheet?” I’d … Continue reading >>

Five Months to Release Date: A Magical Week in Ocracoke

June 1, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

It’s five months before my novel’s release, and I’m freaking out a little bit. But visiting Ocracoke — the tiny Outer Banks village that became the setting for the story, and where my heart is— … Continue reading >>

Stop pitching your work and start telling your story

May 11, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

woman holding a blank book in front of her face.

For Writers Who Hate Self-Promotion: I recently attended a Zoom workshop given by Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo on how to talk comfortably about your work—your writing, your art, your book—without … Continue reading >>

Blogging isn’t dead—maybe you’re just using it wrong

May 4, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

Is blogging still a valid way to create a platform? Maybe you’ve seen headline titles: “It’s Time for Authors to Stop Blogging” or “Why You Shouldn’t Blog Your Book.” And then there’s the … Continue reading >>

What We Owe Each Other as Writers

April 6, 2026 By Linda K Sienkiewicz

When personal biases get in the way of simple congratulations: My MFA association’s Facebook page is intended to be a place where, among other things, we share our joy and celebrate the rare, … Continue reading >>

Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line