I have chronic back and neck pain, along with chronic migraines, which makes it impossible for me to sit at a computer all day long. Still, that would be true if I was a programmer or an actuary, so I try and keep that in mind. At least as aContinue Reading
by Sydney Scrogham I wrote this story as a way to do an emotional cleanse after a bad breakup. It was easy to me to pursue because as I wrote, my emotional health increased. It was like I could breathe again. For some reason, Ariel: The First Guardian was theContinue Reading
You know green spaces are healthy for you. But do writing and gardening go together? It depends on who you ask. George R. R. Martin famously said, “I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners…. And I’m much more a gardener than an architect.” HeContinue Reading
I knew early on that I wanted to write mysteries, but didn’t begin until my two kids were in daycare and I found a little time. We had a connection to the Atlantic City Race Course, so I cooked up a mystery plot and set out to interview people doingContinue Reading
What’s the key to future writing success? It’s the season for planting, and if you’re thinking only about gardens and flowers, it’s time to expand your point of view. The key to writing success lies in planting seeds. It’s what we do today, tomorrow, and next week that determines whatContinue Reading
I typically cook very off the cuff and by taste. I don’t use measurements unless I am trying a recipe I found and hadn’t cooked before. It doesn’t take long until that recipe is altered and I no longer have a recipe written down! Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons of Olive OilContinue Reading
By Ben Allen J.K. Rowling once described her experience with depression in an interview with The Times: “Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced…It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope. That very deadened feeling, whichContinue Reading
My eyes are horrible. Nearsighted, farsighted, astigmatism—I have it all. There have been days where by 1:00 p.m. I can’t even see the words on the computers screen. Everything is just blurry, and my head is aching. Adjust the Colors On Your Computer to Help Your Eyes These are mostlyContinue Reading
If you’re a full-time writer—or even a part-time writer working at a desk for your day job—you know it’s true. We’re at risk for weight gain. It’s all that sitting. Plus we’re likely to eat the wrong things when we get hungry. We don’t want to leave our chairs, butContinue Reading
The biggest physical challenge for me is sitting for a long time in one spot! That activity—or lack of activity!—aggravates a lower back problem I have. To counteract the stiffness I develop from sitting too long, I take frequent breaks to walk around. Sometimes I just have a coffee andContinue Reading
As a writer, you may sometimes find that you lose faith in your work. I got a chance to check out the new movie “Keanu” a couple weeks ago, and it reminded me of this. Too hilarious, by the way, if you haven’t seen it. In the movie, the charactersContinue Reading
For the past five years, I’ve had a sore back off and on, but I thought it was just a part of living and getting older. However, two years ago, while I was about four months pregnant with my first child, something in my back gave out while I wasContinue Reading