What do happy writers need almost more than anything else to enjoy creative and lasting writing careers? It’s not instruction from a bestselling author, a top-notch laptop computer, or a winning lottery ticket, though these can all help. Instead, to manage the ups and downs of the writing life andContinue Reading
I began writing after a career in teaching— a profession that puts more physical demands on you than you might imagine. You are on your feet all day, teaching and trying to keep up with active children. I often came home exhausted. Writing has had a different set of challenges.Continue Reading
by Jane Dizon According to a 2013 survey, 86 percent of American workers sit with an average of 13 hours a day. That accounts for more than half of a day. Throw in your seven- to eight-hour sleep, and you’re looking at a staggering 21 hours of sedentary lifestyle, andContinue Reading
A writing comfort zone is…comfortable, but rarely leads you to success. Actor Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) is quoted as saying, “The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.” Yet comfort zones are so alluring! WritersContinue Reading
Patty and Roz met through a mutual friend in the mid 1970s. After writing separately for years, they began writing together in the early 1980s. They have five (almost six) books published in “The Val & Kit Mystery Series” (The Disappearance of Mavis Woodstock, The Murder of Susan Reed, DeathContinue Reading
by Tiffany Shand Building and maintaining an author platform is a must for today’s successful author. We know it, but it can get tough to fit it all in. I didn’t start building my own platform until after I published my first novel. I realized that to sell books IContinue Reading
When I was a kid, I used to wake up, terrified, on the floor in my room. After I realized where I was, I would experience a flood of relief, followed by an intense fear of going back to sleep. I could remember my nightmares vividly, vicious, violent experiences whereContinue Reading
by Benjamin Sobieck The pursuit of wellness during the act of writing can take some unusual twists and turns. Case in point: what began as having cold hands while I typed at the keyboard ended as an unexpected opportunity for my writing career. Cold Hands Can Equal Missed Deadlines Cold,Continue Reading
by Victoria Griffin I’ve been writing fiction for as long as I can remember. I published my first story my junior year of high school, and I knew going into college that I wanted two things: to write and to play softball. On January 26 of this year I wasContinue Reading
Do you struggle with writing demons? The great John Wayne is quoted as saying, “Courage is being scared to death…and saddling up anyway.” Writers know this feeling well. We face our own fears nearly every day in the writing life. 10 Writing Demons Authors Have to Face In honor ofContinue Reading
by Katie Harrison, a.k.a. The Girl with the Tree Tattoo I’m at a loss. I’ve started this article at least five times and five times inspiration has left me halfway through. I’m starting to seriously doubt my abilities as a writer. So, in other words, it’s a normal day. Actually,Continue Reading
To say I was skeptical would be putting it mildly. Years ago, some of my clients started asking me to write about the “dangers” of consuming sugar. Sugar? Please. I felt like John Travolta when he plays the angel in the movie, Michael. In one scene, after pouring heaps ofContinue Reading