A friend of mind got a rejection the other day. She’d worked really hard on the story, putting it through numerous edits. The journal was one she’d read and admired for years. It was a big blow. I tried to console her, but she wouldn’t really allow it. “Nah, I’mContinue Reading
Sitting at a desk for long stretches of time takes a toll on my body in many ways. When I’m chugging along, it’s hard to avoid as many as 20 hours at a computer each day. But to be fair, this is the case with all of us who workContinue Reading
If you’re going to be a writer, you gotta toughen up. People are going to criticize your work. Agents and editors are going to reject you. Readers will impale you with bad reviews. Publishers will turn their backs if your sales are lackluster. Rejection awaits at every turn, so youContinue Reading
Sitting for long periods of time puts a strain on my back, neck and legs. Sometimes my hands cramp or my elbows tingle. My shoulders ache and my neck hurts. I have the opposite of the munchies—if I’m really in the zone, I’ll go until 4:00 in the afternoon withoutContinue Reading
Could your punctuation reveal something about you? You’ve heard of handwriting experts—those people who can read something you’ve written by hand and tell you what your personality is like. A certain slant to the letters, size of the consonants, or openness between words can reveal characteristics you’d never expect couldContinue Reading
I actually ended up with tendon overstrain as I was publishing my first book and it’s basically never gone away since that time. It starts in my thumb and ends up affecting me all way into my shoulder and neck the longer I work. It requires that I always useContinue Reading
Are you ready to set some writing goals? Usually it’s a good idea, particularly for writers and other creatives. We need goals to keep us moving forward. But we have to be careful. Good goals help us improve and achieve. Bad goals lead to disappointment and discouragement. Following are sevenContinue Reading
As the year comes to a close, I was thinking of the age-old debate about whether or not you can teach someone to write. Is an artist born an artist, or can anyone learn how to be one? Human Beings are Made to Learn I’ve been a teacher for mostContinue Reading
Last year’s round-up of quotes from authors who have been featured on Writing and Wellness was a big success. (You can read those here.) So of course I wanted to do it again this year. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this became a yearly tradition. Here you go—greatContinue Reading
For me, I’ve had issues that mostly stem from sitting at my desk for too long. That can lead to problems such as: back pain, eyestrain, hand/wrist pain, weight gain, and a slew of other physical health issues. I am sure that isn’t true for all writers, but for me,Continue Reading
After interviewing over 100 writers on this site over the last couple of years, I’ve learned one thing: We all struggle with self-doubt. This one emotion can destroy a writing career. It makes us question ourselves. It stifles creativity. It makes us hesitate rather than take action toward our goals.Continue Reading
Keeping properly hydrated [is my biggest physical challenge]. I get so absorbed in my work, it’s easy to forget to drink, and that neglect can affect all sorts of things in my body. (I also used to forget to go to the bathroom—ignoring urges—but we built a small bathroom withinContinue Reading