Are You Making These Mistakes That Lead to Carpal Tunnel?
2015-01-13
Could you be making mistakes today that increase your risk?
Featured Writer on Wellness: D. J. Lutz
2015-01-08
In 2007, I retired from a very successful career as a performing musician and bandmaster in the Marine Corps. Along with many gifts and letters of appreciation, I left the Corps with backaches, sore feet, and arthritis in my shoulder. I also discovered I had a form of tendinitis inContinue Reading
The One Reason You Should Not Set Goals This Year
2015-01-06
There are a lot of blog posts published at this time of year telling us how to set goals. It’s rather of a useless activity, though, if you’re doing it simply because you think you should, or because everyone else is doing it, or because you did it last year.Continue Reading
10 Ways to Maintain a Writing Routine During the Holidays
2014-12-30
We’re knee-deep in holiday season this week. Are you still getting your writing done? It’s probably one of the most difficult times of the year to stick with a daily writing practice. Most of our routines are completely upended, and routine is the writer’s friend when it comes to gettingContinue Reading
Three Forces You Must Defeat to Find the True Self
2014-12-23
“There are many ways to kill off the true self,” writes former Presbyterian pastor Paul Rademacher. “My weapon of choice was the ministry.” A great book about personal discovery and finding one’s own inner voice, A Spiritual Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe by Rademacher tells the story of one man’sContinue Reading
Keeping a Journal Can Help Chart a Path to Your Unique Voice
2014-12-18
My step dad just passed an important anniversary—a year ago, he went through a double knee replacement. I remember that day well. One of the things that struck me as particularly challenging was the near endless process of medical-record-taking, from the initial registration to the consistent stream of nurses andContinue Reading
The Secrets to Your Progress: Are You a Better Writer Today Than You Were Last Year?
2014-12-16
At this time of year, I always find myself slipping into a period of reflection. How has the year gone? Where am I, in terms of my professional and personal growth? How did I do on my goals? Underneath all of this is perhaps the biggest question on my mind,Continue Reading
7 Reasons to Enjoy Your Morning—or Afternoon—Cup of Coffee
2014-12-11
My father always loved coffee, but when he got into his later sixties, his doctor recommended he avoid it. It’s an acidic drink—hard on aging or sensitive stomachs—and my dad was swallowing too many antacids. If you have a sensitive stomach, too, you may want to avoid coffee, or atContinue Reading
7 Ways to Beat the Winter Writing Blues
2014-12-09
This is the time of year for the winter blues. You’re dragging yourself through your workday. You’re dreading your exercise routines. You’re sleeping in on weekends until noon. And you’ve got a deadly craving for frosted brownies. Worst of all, you’re writing has slowed down. Maybe you’re struggling more thanContinue Reading
Featured Writer on Wellness: Amy Kathleen Ryan
2014-12-04
I find I get very stiff if I sit in one position for too long. I’ve had neck pain for years, and I have to be pretty careful of my position. Also, I’m very antsy. I have trouble sitting for longer than about twenty minutes at a time. The Problem of SittingContinue Reading
Serious Writers Permit Themselves to Go on Writers’ Retreats
2014-12-02
I was slumped against the passenger side door of our old Dodge station wagon. Its claim to fame was that it resembled the Ghostbusters’ prized vehicle, minus the sirens and lights. My younger brother was extremely proud of that. My mom, on the other hand, wasn’t so thrilled. Like it’sContinue Reading
What to Do When You Doubt Yourself
2014-11-25
Interviewer: You’ve acknowledged that as writers, we all have moments when we think what we’re working on is crap. Author Harlan Coben (Caught, Long Lost, and Hold Tight): Always. Every writer has that, if they’re worth anything. I don’t think it matters if you’re a writer, musician, new mom, orContinue Reading