Michelle's Mindworks

Writing, filmmaking, & other creative pursuits.

  • The Contradiction of Consumerism

    “Live simply so that others may simply live.” Mahatma Gandhi In other words, consuming more than your fair share impoverishes others. But J.B. MacKinnon finds that “in capitalist countries, it rarely if ever works out that way. Live simply, and it’s much more likely that the wealth you’ve forsaken will…

  • Organize Your Writer’s Notebook Like a Pro!

    You probably already know this, but a writer’s notebook is a place to brainstorm, journal, jot down ideas, draw maps, get creative, and write whatever else you desire. It can be digital, physical, or a mishmash of both. I prefer a mishmash of both. Ideas flow differently when you put…

  • The Contradiction of Minimalism

    The bedroom looked ransacked. Bags, stuffed with clothes, littered the floor. Kris’s dresser was missing a drawer. It sat between us, bare from being turned upside down. She separated the shirts into keep and discard piles while I folded and filed the keeps. Ten minutes later, I slid the half…

  • 7 Tips to Improve Your Writing Workflow

    Whether you’re the stereotypical coffee chugging, keyboard pounding novelist or more of the cabin dwelling bohemian type, here are seven tips to incorporate into your writing life. 1. Take Advantage of Your Local Library Writers write, but they also read. Whether you’re looking for a quiet place that isn’t your…

  • Will This Book Help You Write Your Novel In 90 Days?

    “I don’t understand why most writers don’t write more!” ~Joyce Carol Oates I found 90 Days To Your Novel by Sarah Domet on a library bookshelf. Of course I checked it out! Three months to write a book? At that pace, I could write up to four books a year.…

  • Fight Writer’s Block with Gamification

    I stared at the story outline on my wall. Thirty minutes passed. I kept staring. Every idea felt out of focus and awkward. What the hell was wrong with me? It shouldn’t be this hard. I’m writing my first novel, but it isn’t my first novel length work. By fourteen…

  • How To Outline A Story

    I’m pretty sure every writer with a blog, a book, or a buddy with half an ear has an opinion about the necessity of outlining their story. From the Snowflake Method to simply winging it, there’s a plethora of strategies. I don’t have a catchy name for mine, but I…

  • Personal Finance Made Simple

    When it comes to personal finance, public education low key sucks. In my high school, every senior took an economics class every other day for half a year. I remember putting together a fake budget and following the stock market for a week, but that was about it. It isn’t…

  • How To Stay Warm on a Winter Film Set

    My first full time PA gig was on The Puppetman (2023.) We shot in February of 2022. February is one of the coldest months in Buffalo, NY. We spent the last two weeks nice and cozy in the largest film studio in Upstate New York. The first two weeks were…

  • The Google Calendar Strategy That Changed My Life.

    After graduating college, I wrote and produced my short film “Bartleby.” I scored a managing job at my local movie theatre. I wrote and rewrote a spec script, moved in with my girlfriend, and picked up production assistant gigs where I could. Listing it out like that makes me sound…