Dear writers,
Years ago, I started blogging here as a way to share fun, practical tips on writing and editing. Some of those posts became resources that I’ve continued to share with authors in the years since, but I eventually stopped writing new posts because I just had too many balls in the air. People have continued to revisit old articles, though, so today I’m dusting off this space to announce a project that I soft-launched earlier this year: Pen and Mirror, a Substack newsletter for storytellers on keeping our stories true.
Those of you who follow my editing blog are here as writers looking for specific, actionable ways to become better authors. Starting this summer, you’ll once again see posts right here that offer you exactly that. Once a month, I’ll be taking the topics that Pen and Mirror covers and bringing you unique content on putting it all into practice in your fiction writing. Keep an eye out for advice on planning your story, understanding your characters, and developing your voice, as well as updated tips for self-editing your own projects.
If that’s all you’re looking for, you need go no further—you’ll find the new monthly content right here, the same way you got this update. If you want more, consider subscribing to Pen and Mirror over on Substack. There, weekly long-form articles will explore truth in storytelling in a more in-depth way. We’ll be observing stories, talking about what’s behind the stories we tell, and exploring the writer’s toolbox.
In my most recent article, I talked about how the impact of our favorite stories can teach us to write stories that impact others.
- Why is your favorite story your favorite story?
- What kind of impact do you want to have on your readers?
- What’s the difference in impact between a story that changes us and one that reinforces who we already are?
I want to invite you to come walk through these questions with me, as well as my personal examples of how even the most unlikely of favorites can shape who you become as a writer. I’d love to hear how your favorite stories have had an impact!
In July, I’ll be focusing on character choices, consequences, and the importance of understanding cause and effect. Make sure you’re subscribed here at ElizabethBuege.com so you don’t miss an all-new worksheet on cause and effect in your own story, because it won’t be posted on Substack. I’m reserving that platform for the more in-depth conversation and this one for the monthly practical tips that are more reminiscent of what I used to share.
I want to thank those of you who have stuck around during my long silence, whether that was by staying subscribed for if and when I returned to blogging, keeping in touch about your life and writing, or letting me work with you on your story’s editing needs in the last several years. The time away from online writing was what I needed, but I’m so excited to be back writing now and hope to engage with many of you in conversation about storytelling, both here and at Pen and Mirror.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
p.s. As I was doing some website updates, I noticed a problem with my contact form where it only was emailing me about half of the inquiries people were sending me—I think an overly-aggressive spam filter was blocking them. I have a new way to monitor that contact form and hope it will work, but if you ever try to contact me and don’t hear from me, try emailing me at contact(@)elizabethbuege.com. I’m so sorry if I missed any of you!