The poet Robert Frost once said, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” This sums up the emotional challenge of writing for me, which is to place myself so entirely in the world of my characters that readers experience their joy and sadness. A recent example fromContinue Reading
Would you like to boost writing productivity, but you’re not sure how? Sometimes the smallest changes can create the largest impacts, so below I have 11 small changes you can make to increase your writing productivity. I’ve made all of these changes at one time or another and they allContinue Reading
As a young musician, I used to joke that every solo performance was an excellent way to lose weight. I’d get nervous, you see, and my nerves would rile my stomach. It didn’t cost me any extra money or require special foods and it worked like a charm. Over theContinue Reading
by Charlie Fletcher Many highly-revered writers throughout literary history suffered from depression. Classics like Mark Twain and more recent celebrated authors like J.K. Rowling have been known for their struggles with mental illness, and they are far from the only ones. The reason for this correlation isn’t clear, but thereContinue Reading
As the years pass by, there’s one thing that writers often say they’re worried about: running out of time. We’re given only so many years on this Earth to share our stories, and usually, we have more ideas than we have time to implement them. “The trouble is you thinkContinue Reading
If I whittle away all my excuses, I’d have to say the two biggest issues are self-doubt and perfectionism in my work. Since my early teens, I’ve struggled with depression. Writing became a way to combat the darkness. It helped to sort out the confusion and the emotions that wantedContinue Reading
Surveys show that most Americans want to get in shape. You may have this as one of your New Year’s resolutions. We also understand that daily exercise is important for good health. Yet those same surveys show that despite these two facts, the majority of Americans don’t commit to dailyContinue Reading
by Ken Marshall Could a Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ disorder or TMD) be cramping your writing style? Are long days at the desk straining your jaw? You might not think of your jaw when you think of writer’s block but a TMJ disorder can cause a whole host of problemsContinue Reading
Setting goals for the New Year isn’t as popular as it used to be. A decade ago, if you looked for information on goal-setting, you’d find all sorts of advice on “how” to set the right kind of goals—those that were more likely to bring you success. Today, if youContinue Reading
by Lauri Ellis Do you, as a writer, wonder if what you do matters? Are you plagued by writer’s block and physical ailments from sitting staring at that screen or writing pad? Do you wonder if you are wasting your time? Ah, you’ve joined the writer’s club! In the movieContinue Reading
Through conversations with other writers over the years, it’s become clear that issues including fear of rejection, occasional self-doubt and writer’s block simply come with the territory for novelists. I’ve experienced all of that, but for me, the biggest emotional challenge to writing on a regular basis is struggling toContinue Reading
Need some inspiration for a new year of writing? It’s become a yearly tradition on Writing and Wellness to gather some of the most inspirational, thought-provoking, and encouraging quotes from this years’ author features into one grand end-of-the-year post. If any of the quotes grab you and you want toContinue Reading