Could your character traits really determine how well you succeed as a writer? According to recent research, they could. After following thousands of people over a period of decades, economist and researcher James Heckman and colleagues found that perseverance, good study habits, and the ability to collaborate were more importantContinue Reading
Having written my first novel during a break from paid employment, I then wrote and published two more alongside a day job. The juggling of work, hobbies, family, writing, and book promotion left me fatigued and frazzled, and certainly not in a place where I was truly enjoying my authorContinue Reading
Are you one of the few energetic writers getting a lot done in January? Or would you rather pull the covers back over your head? If you feel tired and draggy during the month of January, you’re not alone. January Can Feel Like an Energy Drag It’s so common toContinue Reading
by Lynn Schmidt I went back to school to get my doctoral degree in mid-career. At the time I was working in corporate America as the director of leadership development. I kept seeing women in senior level positions come and go in executive roles quickly and I wondered why. BasedContinue Reading
I’m an avid list-maker. I make lists for everything, including writing-related projects I want to complete. I find them motivating as I enjoy scratching through finished projects, and particularly like it when there are enough scratched off that I have to make a new list. But recently I came acrossContinue Reading
by Mary Avery Kabrich Like many aspiring writers, I knew early in my life I wanted to be a writer. I loved to make up stories and was quite imaginative. However, I had severe dyslexia, and was told by my teacher in grade school, if you can’t read, you can’tContinue Reading
Want to make this your best writing year? Do one thing: take more action. Of all the things you can do to increase your odds of reaching your goals, this one will by far have the greatest impact on your future. Simple, yes. Easy? Absolutely not. If it were, moreContinue Reading
The biggest emotional challenge of being a writer occurred when I was shopping an older draft of my first Skylar Robbins mystery, Skylar Robbins: Secret Agent. It took weeks, even months to hear back from prospective agents, and they hated it when an author submitted simultaneously to more than one.Continue Reading
If you state your goals publicly, you’ll be more likely to achieve them. According to research by the American Society of Training and Development, your chances of actually achieving your goals can be broken down as follows: 10% — You have an idea or a goal 25% — You consciously decide you will achieveContinue Reading
Many times I question myself about why am I doing this because it is a hard business. I don’t ever have writers block because there are so many things to write about that I feel like my brain is working overtime. Many times I will be working on a new ideaContinue Reading
by Chris Patchell Pets for Vets was created to improve the lives of both Veterans and animals by bringing them together in a thoughtful, caring way. Their goal is to give back to the brave servicemen and women who have given everything to our country, while finding homes for deservingContinue Reading
Need some inspiration for a new year of writing? It’s become a yearly tradition here on Writing and Wellness to gather some of the most inspirational, thought-provoking, and encouraging quotes from this years’ author features into one grand end-of-the-year post. If any of the quotes grab you and you wantContinue Reading