Bethany Henry: Writing & Wellness

Regardless of how we identify ourselves, we should all be writing diverse stories. And not just because it’s a buzzword or because we want to be politically correct. Diversity is important to recognize because  we are not all the same . We come in different shapes, colors, sizes, ages, beliefs, genders, sexualities, abilities, backgrounds, mental health, physical health… the list goes on. And on. Our diverse world is a beautiful place filled with beautiful souls. So what does this mean for us writers? Well, it means our stories should reflect that diversity. Diversity is important because: We want to be authentic and true The world is diverse. If our writing doesn’t reflect that then we aren’t writing about the real world. We want to connect with our readers Our readers contain many different types of people. By including diversity in our writing we can better reach our audience. We want to teach our readers Education and broadening minds is a part of art. We can help teach our rea...

Wellness for writers, self-care, grace, sustainable living… no matter what we call it, the truth is that it’s important for us to find ways to be healthy both body and soul. Wellness can be especially tricky for writers at times since we’re often isolated, dealing with criticism both from ourselves and others, and overall engaging in emotionally draining work. So let’s make sure to be taking care of ourselves! Note: If you are in crisis, there is help available to you! You are not alone. Please connect with emergency services around you or contact these numbers where trained staff can help. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or  Live Online Chat SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline: 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727) This worksheet is not to replace personal or professional advice. If you’re having a hard time, I’d encourage you to contact a counselor or other professional for support. Today I’m walking us through a wellness worksheet that’s similar to something ...

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon (one of my latest nonfiction reads) is a short, to-the-point book chock filled with truth and fun doodles for creative people everywhere. I enjoyed this book immensely and plan to refer to it regularly as a guide to keep me on track when writing and creating is hard. Because let’s face it, writing is hard! Having guidance, encouragement, and reminders of truth along the way is critical. Steal Like An Artist walks us through “10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.” All 10 are great truths and I recommend you track down a copy of the book if you get the chance! Today we’ll look at 2 of Kleon’s points from the book that stood out to me this week (numbers 5 and 6, for those of you reading along). 2 Creativity Truths from Steal Like An Artist Truth 1: Side Projects and Hobbies are Important Are you a writer but also love to paint? Are you a mechanical engineer who plays piano? Do you find yourself with several passions instead...

Today I am super excited and honored to be guest posting over at  Fiction University ! Fiction University is a blog hosted by Janice Hardy that is chock filled with information, great advice, and a million resources for writers. In my post  5 Tips on Writing with Small Children , I’m sharing some writing mindset and time management strategies I’ve developed with the help of my two little girls. Whether you have children in your life or other forms of chaos that make writing a challenge, I hope you find these strategies helpful! 🙂 So please check out  my post ! And definitely check out  Fiction University  and all the great stuff they have going on over there. Originally published May 17, 2019 on Bethany-Henry. com.

Why worry about character motivation? Our characters are critical to bringing our story to life and in keeping readers engaged. Which means we need characters that are real, that entertain, and that aren’t shallow. We don’t want our characters to just be pretty good, we want  great. To create great characters we need to dig deeper than hair color and surface questions. Character motivation is the key here. And no, their motivation can’t just be to fulfill our plot needs and to do what we tell them. That makes for an easier job for us as the writer but a frustrating read for anyone else. Every single character in our story should want something. Even if they just want things to stay the same, that’s still a motive. What a character wants will influence their actions, what they say, and ultimately the shape of our story and plot. 2 Questions to Ask For Each Character 1. What does this character want? What are their dreams, goals, and plans? What do they want in the next five minutes?...