This is KAMWylant and you are listening to the 127venth episode of the word play podcast.

The writing life is full of cycles.

Sometimes we're up higher than a cumulonimbus cloud, sometimes we're Jimmy the

earthworm buried beneath several tons of dirt.

As far as my writing goes, this month has been a real roller coaster.

I spent a couple weeks early on dragging myself through my daily writing sessions.

For whatever reason, I just didn't want to write. I'm usually very good about avoiding procrastination,

but during those weeks I found myself doing everything from studying the white marks under my fingernails to studiously smoothing every wrinkle out of my

dub peppermint barks aluminum wrappers. I can't blame this funk on the story

since it was going well so we'll just have to call it about of winter blues, I guess.

Thankfully, as always happens, the cycle came full circle and I'm back to racing to my desk

come writing time.

In December I always string white Christmas lights over my desk and I love writing in that warm

ambience so that helps. It might have been the extra peppermup bark I bribed myself

with too. You never know. Increase your story's suspense with breadcrumbs. The latest post in the video series on my blog

talks about the foundational reason readers will want to read all the way through your book

from beginning to end. You can watch the video on my blog at wordplay-K-M-Y-L-E-N-Y-L-N-D dot blog spot.

New videos are posted every Wednesday.

And now I hope you enjoy this week's podcast.

How do you know which story you should write?

I'm always a little gobsmacked when someone tells me he wants to be a writer but doesn't know what to write.

Speaking personally, I don't have ideas because I'm a writer.

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