For the best writing productivity, we all need a balance of routine and novelty. But how do we get it? When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to change the furniture around in my room. I’d take an hour or so, close the door,Continue Reading
What do you like about writing? We writers struggle from time to time. We describe the writing life as a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. But in the end, we do it because when it’s all said and done, writing benefits our lives in one way or another.Continue Reading
What do writers have to be grateful for? Sometimes it’s hard to remember. We have a lot to complain out, after all. We’re overworked and underpaid, and we often toil for years with little to no encouragement from the outside world. We all know what’s tough about this gig, butContinue Reading
by Beth Castrodale In late 2014 and early 2015, both of my elderly parents died within four months. Although their deaths were far from unexpected, I found myself unable to forge ahead on the novel I’d been working on over the previous two years. Against the loss of my parents,Continue Reading
Congratulations Mel and Celia! You are the winners of Jadie’s giveaway. Watch your email for details and thank you to all who entered! by Jadie Jones When Colleen asked me if I would write a post for her about time management… I laughed at the idea that I—a mom ofContinue Reading
by Ann Marie Ackermann I discovered a historical murder case in a 19th-century forester’s diary here in Germany, where I live. The forester detailed his role in a murder investigation. The mayor of Bönnigheim was assassinated in 1835 and a letter came from the USA in 1872 offering the solutionContinue Reading
The writer’s creative brain works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, it’s thrilling, like when you’re driving along and suddenly a new idea pops into your head for how to iron out that plot point you’ve been struggling with. Or when you wake up with the story outline of your next novelContinue Reading
by Maryanne Pope “Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft On Thursday September 28th, 2000, my husband John and I had an argument while walking our dog. I told himContinue Reading
If you’re making the commitment to NaNoWriMo this November, you can bet that somewhere along the way, you’re going to hit a wall. We’re talking about 30 days of motivating yourself to write perhaps more than you’ve ever written before. The goal is 50,000 words. That’s about 1,666 words aContinue Reading
by Pat Stoltey When I say I’m a dreamer, I mean it literally. I also have nightmares. My dreams are weird and my nightmares terrifying. A psychiatrist might wonder if I had a rough childhood full of traumas and abuse, but my childhood was wonderful. I grew up on aContinue Reading
Do you dress up for Halloween? If not, do you dress up at any other time? Do you go all out for an awards dinner, for example, dress up to give a presentation, or even dress up like one of your characters to get into his or her head? IContinue Reading
by Luisito E. Batongbakal Jr. We’ve all heard about the evils of prolonged sitting: The longer you sit, the higher your chance of suffering lower back pain. Not surprisingly, almost every corner of the Internet is advocating the use of standing desks to curb occupational back pain. It’s true thatContinue Reading