100 Words of Advice from Crystal Rowe, Creative Nonfiction Editor

If you’re like me, typing is faster than writing by hand. Often I get stuck staring at a blinking cursor. Recently, I discovered a trick to get the words flowing. 

Print the piece you’re working on. Close the computer. Find a notebook and pen. Let your mind wander on the page. Write for ten minutes. Don’t stop until the timer dings. Writing by hand activates the sensorimotor part of the brain. Before you know it, you’ll make connections and remember details you haven’t considered before.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. No one can write your story better than you.

Crystal Rowe is a former attorney born and raised in Georgia. Homeschooling mama of two, she writes a Substack newsletter exploring the crossroads of writing, cooking, faith, and motherhood. She currently resides in Beverly, Massachusetts with her husband, two daughters, and adorable labradoodle, “Leonardo ‘dawg Vinci.” Her poetry has appeared in The Elpis Pages, Tweetspeak Poetry, and The Order of Us, and her essays can be found at Coffee + Crumbs, Emily D. Tea Traveler, Farmer-ish, and Literary Mama.

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