My first book was published almost five years ago, and my biggest emotional challenge is the same today as it was when I started writing seriously: the nagging feeling that I’m not working hard enough. That I’m not working as hard as other authors. I’m not sure that the feelingContinue Reading
August 15th is National Relaxation Day. Fourth-grader Sean Moeller of Michigan is said to have founded the day in 1985. The Des Moines Register reported on the 9-year-old boy’s thoughts on the matter. “People don’t think enough about relaxing,” he told the paper. “They think too much about working, andContinue Reading
I think I was born with the creative bug. As a child I was always making something—paintings, crafts, songs, stories—and I get grouchy when creativity isn’t happening in my life. Two ingredients are really important for creativity to flourish, and they’re pretty difficult to find: time and headspace. I’m luckyContinue Reading
If there’s one characteristic writers share, it’s “hard-working.” Most of us have day jobs and use our leisure time to work on our writing projects. Many of us have families we’re taking care of too—kids and sometimes aging parents—and it can seem like we have hardly a spare minute toContinue Reading
by Cindy Hale I have always been a vivid dreamer and a visual learner. The stories of dreams in the Bible always fascinated me, with their strange images and symbolism leading to such profound and true interpretations. I was curious about my own dreams and what they could possibly mean. Existing Books onContinue Reading
As a writer, do you know what your writing means? We tend to get so caught up in producing our work, publishing it, and marketing it that we fail to stop and think about this important question. I encourage you to take some time to do so. Here’s why. 7Continue Reading
I have always struggled with the stress of trying to balance it all and with feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work there is to get done. It is a constant irritation to me that my website is out of date, my book promotion hit and miss, rather thanContinue Reading
In a writer’s life, a series of difficult little things can easily add up to one big feeling of discouragement. Then we can find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a crisis that can threaten our careers. If you’ve noticed this happening in your writing world lately, this postContinue Reading
Jane Nannono I have been a voracious reader since the age of six and reading books had made me a global citizen long before Vint Cerf and Robert E. Kahn invented the Internet. By 1994, I felt I had read enough books to write my own mainly to contribute toContinue Reading
Have you tried boosting creativity with hypnagogia? I’ve always hated being awakened in the morning. Alarms are the worst. I feel like throwing them across the room. For a long time, I figured I was being overly sensitive, but now I know better. Those precious few moments between being sleepContinue Reading
My motivation for writing wasn’t because I dreamed of being a bestselling author, but rather because of my son, David, born with a severe form of cerebral palsy. Although he lived a full and happy life, in spite of his health problems, David became irreversibly ill just short of hisContinue Reading
Jokes about writers. Have you heard any? Laughter is the best medicine, they say. Studies have proven it to be true. When we laugh, we ease stress and anxiety, boost the immune system, improve mood, support heart health, burn calories, and even relieve pain. Laughing at ourselves might be evenContinue Reading