Writer envy. You don’t want to feel it. You’re happy for that other author. You know you are. Yet you can’t help that little twinge that pinches your heart. You want to deny it, but you can’t. And it feels lousy. Envy is an uncomfortable emotion to begin with, andContinue Reading
by Laurie Buchanan I ran away from home—sunny southern California to the overcast Pacific Northwest—when I was fifteen. Lying about my age, I applied at one of those everything-under-one-roof superstores and got a job. Over the next five years, I worked my way from entry-level cashier to management. During thatContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ When you go for a walk, how fast do you go? I’m not talking about whether you push yourself to go fast or slow. I’m asking, when you go for a walk, and you’re just walking your “normal” pace, what is that pace like? Walking speedContinue Reading
If you feel like your limitations are stopping you from reaching your goals, I invite you to meet Alexis Bingham of Colorado, also known as “Lexi.” I met her at this year’s Mesa County Fair in Grand Junction. I was there to cheer on the 4-H students who had boughtContinue Reading
Writers face many challenges, including rejection of their work on the path to publication. I wrote four full-length manuscripts before securing a contract, and, even though it was part of the process, each rejection stung. Still, I used the feedback I received to make my writing better, even little tipsContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ Have you taken a vacation yet this year? If not, are you planning one soon? A recent survey by Project: Time Off found that even though Americans took an average 17.2 days of vacation in 2017—the highest level in seven years—about a quarter of employees hadContinue Reading
What do you struggle with as a writer? When I asked myself that question, my immediate answer was “marketing.” I’m sure a lot of authors would agree with me. I enjoy certain things I do that are considered marketing—like staying active on social media, maintaining a robust blog and newsletter,Continue Reading
My biggest emotional challenge as a writer has undoubtedly been fear of judgement. In so many ways, I insulate myself from the scrutiny of others. I put up personal walls on which graffiti might read—I don’t care what other people think. But, that’s not always true. While I do myContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ Whether you’re traveling to your next writer’s conference or jetting off to a book signing or speaking engagement, you may want to think twice about how you handle your carry-on luggage. The standard advice has been to avoid packing your irreplaceable things in your checked luggage,Continue Reading
September 13 is “fortune cookie” day. When I read this, it got me thinking about the fortune cookies I’ve enjoyed over the years. The older ones were definitely better. They were more like actual fortunes—“a very attractive person has a message for you”—rather than today’s more inspirational sayings, like “aContinue Reading
by Jo Ann Simon I lost the love of my life, my second husband Tom, to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). We had a storybook love story that most just dreamed about. It started with a tick bite, Lyme disease and then a death sentence. We made the most of everyContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ Eyeglasses may be critical to your daily writing work, but do you have the right ones? It used to be that as long as you had the right prescription, that’s all you needed, but technology has created more choices for us. Now, you can customize yourContinue Reading