Would you like to simplify your writing life? Most writers struggle to manage all the activities involved with writing, editing, publishing, marketing, and keeping up with the rest of their lives. Few would turn down a chance to simplify somewhere, if only to make things a little bit easier. ThereContinue Reading
Completing my first crime fiction trilogy, the Tom Stone Detective Stories, has been a challenge and reward that follows decades of writing in different forms and working despite years of chaos based on the family that my wife and I chose to raise. We became foster parents to our fourContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ Writing and alcohol seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, but recent research shows that writers may want to think twice about that second glass of wine. I know pretty much anytime I go to a writing event—conference, gathering, writer’s group, etc.—there’s alcohol involved.Continue Reading
Self-care is a popular buzzword these days, but are you doing it right? Everybody’s talking about self-care as a way to improve health and well-being. Writers need to be especially conscious about it because the writing life can lead to health issues like back pain, weight gain, burnout, and depression.Continue Reading
Writing, like growing old, isn’t for wimps. There’s always a new challenge, the next deadline, yet another hurdle to jump over. My most difficult challenge as a writer came early in my career. I Lost Control of a World I’d Created, and I Wasn’t Laughing It was an October morning,Continue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ If you’re in a room with a group of writers, you don’t have to go far to find one that’s stressed out. We have a lot of reasons to stress! Launching a book, reviewing edits or critiques, conducting a book signing, or waiting for word fromContinue Reading
Do you feel creatively fulfilled as a writer? A Writing and Wellness reader who commented on a former post (“5 Things Writers Can Do to Live Longer”) got me thinking about this. Mike was talking about his difficulty with getting enough sleep each night, not only because he likes toContinue Reading
by Rebecca Whitehead Munn I have always held a dream of writing a book; I just didn’t know what it would be about until I faced deep loss. I also did not ever imagine I would be facing a divorce with a two- and four-year-old when I learned my motherContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ Could you have dyslexia and not even know it? It’s possible. Maybe you’ve struggled with reading much of your life, but you’ve hid it from family and friends. Maybe you have wonderful stories in your head, but writing them down is challenging. Dyslexia is a learningContinue Reading
Do you struggle with migraine headaches? I used to get them a lot. Now, only occasionally. Fortunately through my regular health research and writing, I discovered what was causing mine and was able to find treatments that work for me. (My main one is butterbur—you can read more about thatContinue Reading
The biggest emotional challenge for me as a writer is guilt. This emotion completely derails my forward momentum. It’s as if I’m sneaking time to write in between day job, laundry, and cooking for a husband and our two boys. Add to that the guilt of leaving my characters inContinue Reading
~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~ If you’re walking on the road, you’ve got to be more careful than ever. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA’s) most recent report, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017. That’s a 27 percent increase over the number of pedestriansContinue Reading