You promised yourself you’d get chapter twenty-one done today. But the day is gone and it didn’t happen. Oh well. You’ll get to it tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and goes and the chapter still isn’t done. No problem. The weekend is coming. You’ll get it done then. We all tell ourselvesContinue Reading
Do you find yourself slipping into destructive self-criticism sometimes? If so, these statements may sound familiar: Another rejection. I guess my writing is just not good enough. My book’s not selling. Why did I think I had talent? Why did I say that in my interview? I sounded so stupid!Continue Reading
by Mindy Halleck My cancer doesn’t have a month. You know, when everyone runs, raises money, wears pink and celebrates the boobs or testicles they do or do not have, grateful for life. Yet in all of those festivities I, too, rejoice in the joy of surviving. And as aContinue Reading
How is your writing career going? No matter where you are, there is a way to take a giant leap forward. Slow and steady may win the race, but sometimes we need to add some gas to the fire lest we languish away in the same place for years. IfContinue Reading
by Trisha Faye When my step-father got cancer many years ago, I scurried to the health food store. I took all the classes I could on healthy eating. A few years later, a precancerous diagnosis sent me running to my favorite spot—a mountain stream in southern California. I sat byContinue Reading
Usually on Writing and Wellness, we focus on how writers and other creatives can encourage, support, and pump themselves up. We’re our own worst critics, and typically we need to pat ourselves on the back more than we need to kick ourselves in the backside. Writers are humans too, though,Continue Reading
This story is crap. I know it is. I’ve been working at this for five years and I’m not getting anywhere. Am I just fooling myself? I’m afraid I don’t really have any talent and I’m just wasting my time. This novel has gotten too many bad reviews. I’ll neverContinue Reading
Do you have the writing blahs? You’ve probably heard of “seasonal affective disorder” or SAD, that form of depression that can take over in the winter months. Symptoms of SAD can include lack of energy, a low mood, social withdrawal, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Sometimes winter weather can be aContinue Reading
By Mindy Halleck As an author and cancer survivor I believe writing aids us in understanding life’s challenges, and that through understanding we become better writers. When we translate painful or confusing events from the unspoken into written language we alter our perceptions and fundamentally make the experience graspable. YouContinue Reading
Rejection. Ack! Poor review. Help! Lackluster sales. Eek! Writer’s block. Ugh! What’s the cure for all these writer afflictions? Appropos for this time of year: Gratitude. Practicing an attitude of gratitude can save a writer on many occasions. Ready to throw in the towel or tear your hair out? TakeContinue Reading
My mom raises goats. She enjoys most parts of the process, but there are a few things that get her frustrated. One of the biggest ones is when one of her goats gets out of the field. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s usually because of oneContinue Reading
Funny thing happened to me this past weekend. I had planned a 10-day writing retreat by the ocean to pound out the edits for my literary novel that’s coming out next April. (Read more about Loreena’s Gift here.) The plans had been in the works for months. To accomplish theContinue Reading