The biggest emotional challenge of being a writer? Trying to make a living off my art. Among writing circles, authors often joke about how they went into book-writing for the money [insert sarcasm here]. Making a living off of writing is a challenging pursuit, because hard work does not necessarilyContinue Reading
It’s a common affliction for writers: painful sciatica. Perhaps the worst thing about it is its persistence. Just when you think you’ve seen the last of it, it shows up again to make your writing time miserable. If you’d like to say “goodbye” to sciatica for good, read on. WhyContinue Reading
by Angela Ackerman My co-author Becca Puglisi and I both struggled with how to show our characters’ emotions in a compelling way. We found our characters were always frowning or shrugging and it pulled down the effectiveness of our scenes. So, to force ourselves to think beyond the first descriptionsContinue Reading
I’ve talked about the benefits of writing retreats in other posts. Check them out: “Serious Writers Permit Themselves to Go On Writers’ Retreats” “How to Get the Best Creativity-Boosting Results from Your Writing Retreat. Because they help reduce stress, nourish creativity, promote reflection, and sustain motivation, retreats are essential toContinue Reading
Are you struggling with an unfinished writing project? Ask yourself this: Have you developed the one skill you must have to succeed as a writer? To find out, look at the following list, and see if any of these statements sound familiar: I’ve been working on this book for years,Continue Reading
by Suzanne Rogerson The Silent Sea Chronicles series was a joy to write, most of the time. My three biggest challenges during the process were as follows. 1. The Challenges of Planning a Trilogy I have never been very good at planning my writing. I prefer the story to growContinue Reading
If you’re a writer who works from home, you may love the flexible hours, cozy office space, and lax wardrobe requirements, but you may also have one very concerning problem: keeping your creative juices flowing. Without the proper precautions, a work-from-home routine can sap your brain of its creative energiesContinue Reading
by Chad Turner If you’re reading this article, you’re probably seated—whether you’re sitting at your desk or lounging on a couch. In truth, I’m sitting down as I write this. There’s simply no getting around it, modern life is more sedentary than ever—especially for us writers. A career spent writingContinue Reading
Today’s technology could be putting your eyesight at risk. Blue light emanating from televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones contributes to dry eyes, eyestrain, and computer vision syndrome. Recent studies have suggested high levels of exposure may even change the makeup of your tears, increasing the risk of dry eye syndrome,Continue Reading
by Leah Roper In the world of creativity, nothing is worse than hitting that dreaded wall. You know the one I mean…bloc de l’auteur. Though that’s only one way of saying it. You may be more familiar with other descriptions for writer’s block—burnout, work paralysis, brain strike, or creative constipation.Continue Reading
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but as writers, we all need one skill perhaps more than any other: patience. Below are five reasons why, along with five tips on how to develop yours. The Health Dangers of Being Impatient First, let’s be clear about what patience is. According toContinue Reading
by Melinda Rucker Haynes I love to laugh so I always open with—I learned to write fiction when I was a grant writer. In that reality, we also used to joke that grant proposals were judged by the weight. Therefore, repetitive and wordy details, explanations, descriptions, and narratives (much likeContinue Reading