Jenny Alexander: This Free-Range Writing Life

Jenny Alexander: This Free-Range Writing Life

Home
Notes
Newsletters
Workshops
Archive
About
My first three books for writers are still free...
...for new subscribers to Writing Magazine!
 • 
Jenny Alexander
Why do people come to writing workshops?
Many people assume there can only be one reason for coming to writing workshops, and that’s in order to become a published author. I find this…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
12
Depression, dreams and the creative life
I was listening to an episode about 'creative depression' on 'This Jungian Life' and I thought, isn't all depression ultimately creative, an emptying…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
12
'Everybody is talented, original and has something important to say...'
Brenda Ueland made this exciting, inspiring discovery as I have, through teaching creative writing, and her advice to writers is still spot on, nearly a…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
1

May 2025

The key to creative living
Clue: it's the key to creative writing and creative dreaming too.
 • 
Jenny Alexander
3
Does your mother dream?
Writing is 'dreaming awake', connecting with our inner worlds and sharing the images and narratives we find there. I talk about dreaming here because…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
2
Are you a zero waste writer?
What's good for the planet - refuse, re-use, recycle - is good for your writing life too.
 • 
Jenny Alexander
8

April 2025

Writers Dreaming
A gem of a book, by Naomi Epel - I read it in one sitting.
 • 
Jenny Alexander
Writers on Writing: Twenty Memoirists talk about why they do it
'Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature', edited by Meredith Maran
 • 
Jenny Alexander
Using creativity to make life better
One session in my 'Writing in the House of Dreams' course is called, 'The Beast in the Basement.' It's about overcoming obstacles and facing down fears…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
The Amazing Power of Distraction
When I was starting out on my writing career, an agent gave me a piece of bad advice – he said, ‘Treat writing like a job. Start at nine, work through…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
1
Writers on Writing: Donald Maass
As well as writing novels, Donald Maass is a successful literary agent so it's not surprising that his books for writers are full of useful suggestions…
 • 
Jenny Alexander
© 2025 Jenny Alexander
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture