As we come to the end of the year, I’m reflecting on the writing advice I’ve received. I’m so grateful to those mentors, editors, and writers who have helped me along the way. Where would we writers be without people like that? 1. There is no “right way” to write—soContinue Reading
As is so common with writers, there were years and years of work with barely any acknowledgment, interspersed with plenty of self-doubt. Writing is such a lonely pursuit, which is why when you finally get writers together at a conference, we are all practically panting with excitement to be aroundContinue Reading
What’s the best investment you can make in your book? My mom—a big reader—just finished reading a self-published book by an author she had read before. The first book she enjoyed. The second one, however, was frustrating for her. Because it was filled with errors. Was the author aware ofContinue Reading
by Andrea Johnson I wish I had an inspirational story about how I chose to write cozy mysteries. But really, mysteries chose me. I originally started writing romance then quickly got this innovative idea about a series that was part cozy, part legal thriller where the trial stenographer rather thanContinue Reading
Ready for some health tips? If you want to live longer so you can pen more masterpieces, you have to take care of your health. I hear you groaning. An hour a day of exercise. Drinking kale smoothies. Snacking on rice cakes. No. You don’t have to make those sortsContinue Reading
I sincerely believe a lot of factors are involved [in emotional wellness]. Rejection hurts and nearly every author has been rejection at some point in their career. I don’t think I’ve ever really been depressed. After all, my friends call me Queen of Denial. I think I focus on theContinue Reading
Did you know that November is National Manatee Awareness Month? Me either! Until now, of course. And I’m excited to talk about it for a couple of reasons. First, we writers could learn a lot from manatees. I’ve got four important lessons they have to teach us below. Second, manateesContinue Reading
Before I became a writer, I was a reader who enjoyed historical fiction more than other novels or non-fiction. In middle school, I enjoyed books written by Jean Plaidy, (one of Eleanor Burford Hibbert’s several pen names), because she depicted her characters as real people rather than names in aContinue Reading
Usually, when we think of writing goals, we think about setting them at the beginning of the year. But here we are nearing the end of the year, and I’m challenging you to set some goals NOW—ones that you can accomplish before the end of the year. There are severalContinue Reading
Because I am writing to provide insights and information, I have never doubted that what I was doing had worth. That’s huge! I really do think it empowers people to know about ecology, history and how systems function. How a Writer Sees Criticism The biggest emotional challenge is right-sizing feedback.Continue Reading
[Photo caption: Author Jason Offutt and his wife Kimberly Offutt on a recent vacation at Rathbun Lake, Iowa. Yes, Iowa has lakes.] There are different levels of emotional stress that come with where a writer is in their career. Early on was rejection, until I learned that EVERY writer getsContinue Reading
If you’re writing creativity has stalled a little bit, Halloween is the perfect time to jumpstart it again! Insert some fun into your writing life, and you may be surprised at what it does for your story! Writing Creativity Tip #1. Dress up as one of your characters. When IContinue Reading