by Lorna Faith I cried tears of frustration to my husband. “I have a detailed outline. Why can’t I finish this book?” “I’m not sure,” he said, “but I do know this: you need to keep at it.” Murray’s gaze zeroed in on my own, his hands on my shoulders.Continue Reading
Are you suffering from hand pain as a writer? Back when I first started working as a copywriter for a corporation, I experienced some hand and wrist pain. A little research compelled me to ask for a split keyboard, and once I got it, the pain disappeared. Since then, I’veContinue Reading
For me, the biggest emotional challenge of being a writer is allowing myself to be vulnerable. Fiction writing is an introspective experience. The characters and their journeys exist in a deep, private part of me. Yes, they’re entirely fiction, and yet they feel completely real. I experience their emotions whileContinue Reading
“Every single relationship you will ever have in your lifetime is going to end,” writes author Ann Patchett in This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. But if you’re lucky—and smart—there’s one that won’t. There’s one relationship that unlike any other, you have complete control over. As long asContinue Reading
The biggest emotional challenge I struggle with would probably be self-doubt. It’s very intimidating to send off your writing for others to read and judge, and sometimes hate. I put a lot of myself into my writing and my characters and I hold them very dear. Having someone read it,Continue Reading
When writing, do you protect your eyes? For years, we thought the worst screens could do was cause computer vision syndrome (CVS), which is bad enough. Newer studies, however, suggest the blue light from our gadgets could actually damage the eye’s retina, increasing risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—a leadingContinue Reading
by Veronica Miller Imagine sitting down at a clean desk, your computer humming as you contentedly type away on your manuscript. In fact, you’re writing faster and clearer than ever before because you have nothing to interfere with your creative process. You wake up every morning ready to write creativelyContinue Reading
Do you get easily discouraged as a writer? Most writers do, some more often than others. The more important question, then, is: Are you easily discouraged? And if so, what can you do about it? How to Tell If You’re Easily Discouraged I have to admit that I’ve been guiltyContinue Reading
by J. P. McLean As writers, we’re used to getting feedback. We ask beta readers to take our books for test drives. We ask developmental editors to critique our plots and characters. We ask copy editors to tease out our poor grammar and awkward word choices. We even ask readersContinue Reading
Do you find that you hate your writing lately? You look back over those pages full of the words you’ve written and become overwhelmed with the urge to light a huge bonfire. “Twenty thousand words and a good handful of chapters in,” says author J. M. Frey, “and I hatedContinue Reading
by Marcus Lopes I’m the type of person who needs rules to ground me, and a routine to stay focused. That was never more true than from my late teens to early twenties. That was a period in my life when I was trying to find my way in theContinue Reading
Overcoming procrastination is critical if you hope to make your writing dreams come true. You may blame yourself for not getting your projects done, but new research shows that approach won’t help. In fact, the key to getting past procrastination may be something you’ve never tried: compassion. Why A Writer’sContinue Reading