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
You’re blogging consistently, but you feel like you’re talking to the wind. Few people actually read your blogs. You don’t understand it. You’re doing the best writing you can do, so why aren’t they interested? I’ve found blogging to be the best way to get more readers for my books.Continue Reading
by Melissa Muldoon Nobody warns you when you set out to write a novel that it could be detrimental to your health! I found out the painful way! During the past five years, I’ve been glued to my computer pounding out three novels set in Italy that celebrate art andContinue Reading
Should you start napping, if you haven’t already? Research shows that the health benefits are many and the effects can be cumulative. It is important, though, not to allow your naps to last too long. If you do, they can damage rather than enhance your health and creativity. How longContinue Reading
Self-doubt by far is the biggest emotional hurdle I deal with. It creeps up on me right before I publish something—whether it’s a book or a blog post. I really have to talk myself through it right before I hit that publish button. Fortunately, it hasn’t ever completely derailed myContinue Reading
Struggling to make any real writing progress in your busy life? Writers dream of having uninterrupted months to attend solely to writing. If you’ve ever managed to grant yourself an extended weekend or even a week or two to write, however, you may have noticed—it doesn’t make it easier toContinue Reading
Here’s what we writers tend to do: We work super hard for long periods. We strive, push, try new things, spend our nights and weekends learning and writing and editing and publishing, take classes, go to conferences, write and write some more, blog, present, do public readings, and on andContinue Reading
I’ve been writing for over 25 years now, and I did some reflecting recently. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and I can see now where I made some important mistakes early on. I’m sharing those mistakes with you here, in the hopes of saving you from making the sameContinue Reading
I’ve wrestled with self-doubt, especially since I used to compare myself to other, more experienced, writers. When I wrote my first book, I expected certain people in my life to be happy for me, but instead, they didn’t even acknowledge my accomplishment. That hurt me. Anxiety also torments me fromContinue Reading
We writers rely on our emotions. They propel our stories. They help us empathize with our characters. They pave the way to story themes. Our emotions keep us dreaming big. They provide the rich tapestry from which our creativity emerges. Without emotion, a writer is no more than a wordsmith.Continue Reading