For me, the biggest emotional challenge of being a writer is also my biggest emotional challenge in general, which is perfectionism. My standards for myself are often unreasonably high, and the (obvious) inability to live up to these unrealistic expectations can lead to anxiety, depression, self-doubt, etc. This certainly spillsContinue Reading
All of us writers are looking for book marketing tips, right? I’m still an amateur when it comes to this, but after publishing 6 books (3 traditional, 3 self-published), I feel like I’m starting to figure “some” things out. Below, I have a list of the methods that have workedContinue Reading
I am by nature an eternally optimistic person, and I believe this has served me well as an author. That optimism, combined with my dogged determination to finish things I’ve started, seems to be the perfect storm for getting books written. So while I have had my low points asContinue Reading
Acting vs. reacting: What are you more likely to do in your writing career? If you’re like most writers, you’re spending far too much time reacting and not enough acting. Here’s the difference, and how you can start acting to create much more success for yourself. Acting Vs. Reacting forContinue Reading
As someone with anxiety issues, dealing with imposter syndrome and anxiety have been the hardest part of being an author. It’s easy for me to get caught up worrying that whatever step of the process I’m in won’t work out. I would worry that I wouldn’t find an agent, thenContinue Reading
Do you find it difficult to find time to write? A lot of writers do. Life is hectic. There’s so much to do and too little time to do it. You want to write. Your inability to write is bothering you. And you blame one thing: a lack of time.Continue Reading
I find writing itself to be incredibly therapeutic. Honestly, I work through problems I didn’t even know I had through my fiction. And to be clear, I am a fiction writer; none of my published work to date is autobiographical. And yet I find myself returning to particular themes andContinue Reading
I’m excited to share the news about my friend Melody Owen’s new Author Nation community for writers! by Melody Owen I started my career teaching English to Adults in Asia and South America and loved teaching writing. I mostly worked with professionals looking to boost their career in the globalContinue Reading
The celebration known as Elvis Week began shortly after Elvis’s death on August 16, 1977. That year, mourners from around the world gathered at Graceland—the entertainer’s home and where he was when he passed—to pay tribute. Ever since the gathering has continued at the same time every year. Fans makeContinue Reading
by Sandy Vaile After more than a decade of writing and teaching fiction, I have the luxury of looking back on my journey (thus far) to see where I could have done things differently to heighten enjoyment and expediate my arrival at the place I am now. And I’m goingContinue Reading
What does it take to graduate from amateur to pro writer? You may be wondering if you’ve done it yet. Maybe you think you have but you haven’t, or vice versa. Here are five signs you can watch for that show you have left the amateur behind. Amateur to Pro:Continue Reading
The biggest emotional challenge of being a writer for me? Shyness. I’m not sure if that qualifies as mild anxiety or self-doubt. In my mind at least, many people become book people because stories offer them something they can’t find in the real world. A lot of us are turnedContinue Reading