by Will Williams Being a writer tends to involve lots of deadlines. Generally speaking, they are a helpful part of the creative process. In fact, many books may have remained unfinished without them. Yet no matter how necessary they may be, looming deadlines can be difficult. Knowing that the clockContinue Reading
The other day, I spent the afternoon looking at bikes. The last time I rode a bicycle was over 10 years ago, and it wasn’t mine. I haven’t been on one since then, and have preferred to jog rather than ride anyway. But lately, I’ve been thinking that biking mightContinue Reading
by Sienna Tristen It took me five years to write my debut novel, The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming, and I credit it with both the total loss and the safeguarding of my sanity. It would be a different kind of writing, I knew from the start—slower, more introspective, more SocraticContinue Reading
I had the good fortune to hear humor writer Chuck Sambuchino speak at a writer’s conference several years ago. And I’ll never forget how he closed his speech. He was sharing some writing and productivity advice based on what he’d learned over the years, and after his wrap-up, he addedContinue Reading
by Anita Kushwaha Ernest Hemingway famously said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed.” While this quote might seem a tad hyperbolic, it nevertheless speaks to the costs of leading an artist’s life. The deeply personal investment it takes to share partContinue Reading
Americans are the most stressed out people in the world. That’s the news according Gallup’s most recent annual Global Emotions report. A total of 55 percent of Americans said they’d felt a lot of stress the day before the survey. The global average was 35 percent. If the survey hadContinue Reading
My biggest emotional challenge is balancing writing with promotion. And frankly, I often feel it’s a challenge I’m not mastering. I find it difficult to carve out the time to write when I’m in the midst of promoting a book. I admire writers who seem to manage it all soContinue Reading
Fear is blocking your writing…if you’ve made any of these statements recently: Oh man, I’m just sooooo busy, I haven’t had time to get that story done. Those stupid editors! They don’t know what’s good anyway, so I’m not going to try submitting. Why do I feel so tired lately?Continue Reading
by Melissa Muldoon As I was finishing my second novel, Waking Isabella—a story set in Arezzo, Italy that tells the story of Isabella de’ Medici and her portrait that was lost during World War II—I realized I didn’t want my writing experience to end. So, before I had even publishedContinue Reading
Are you feeling some mental exhaustion? You probably need more sleep, but there may be something else going on, too. We writers place a high “cognitive load” on our brains. Not only do most of us do everything that everyone else does—go to work every day, raise families, run errands,Continue Reading
by Ulrike Selleck Have you ever considered yourself a cosmic writer-creator? I certainly hadn’t! Most of us think of ourselves as localized identities, beings with ups and downs. Lack of inspiration. Fatigue or burn out. Low energy, or even depression. Writer’s block. Self doubt. Perfectionism. Insecurity, and lack of self-confidence.Continue Reading
Getting the writing done. It’s not easy. We all have the best of intentions. We set up new schedules. We plan writing times. But then months go by and we realize we’re behind, or that we haven’t accomplished nearly as much as we wanted to. We blame ourselves. We lackContinue Reading