by Carol Rose Don’t get me wrong, being an author has many challenges, whether the writer chooses to pursue traditional publishing or goes the indie route. Still, words make me happy. I’ve been a reader since I was very young. In fact, one of my earliest memories is of wakingContinue Reading
How can you boost productivity in the morning? Most writers spend only about an hour or two a day actually writing. But how the day begins can have a big effect on that one-to-two hours. Take the other day, for instance. I was knee deep in my usual morning routineContinue Reading
I’ve struggled with bad posture all my life. At 6’ 1” I tower over most people. I hated my height when I was younger, so I slouched to make myself smaller. I can still hear my mother’s voice in my head… “Throw your shoulders back!” As I grew older, IContinue Reading
In a recent survey, I asked subscribers to share with me some of their biggest struggles when it comes to managing the writing life. One of the answers I received from several participants was that they needed help managing the “emotional roller-coaster.” More specifically, they didn’t want to feel soContinue Reading
I would say back pain and headaches are the biggest problem for me. I work on a laptop (I have no room for a proper desk set up) so I’m often hunched over it, or sat at the dining room table. Dining room chairs aren’t exactly built for perfect lumbarContinue Reading
Are you struggling with writer weight gain? In featuring many writers on this site over the years, one thing I’ve found is that weight gain is a common struggle for us. And no wonder. We spend much of our days at the computer and often have a hard time fittingContinue Reading
The biggest physical challenge for me, at first, were the dozens of paper cuts from rejection letters. Adapting to the demands of writing was a huge adjustment from working in a prison environment. I worked nearly thirty years in prisons, parole, probation and managing prison operations. There were no longerContinue Reading
Would you know if you were suffering from writer’s anxiety? A friend of mine wasn’t getting her writing done. It had been over a month since she’d made any progress, or even sat down to focus on the work. It was her second novel and for a long time sheContinue Reading
Back pain seems to be the biggest physical challenge when I’m writing. Sitting in one spot for too long triggers off a lower back issue I’ve had for years. Snacking on the wrong things can be a problem too—any excuse to get up and procrastinate, which usually means coffee andContinue Reading
Are you finding that you lack energy for writing? Do you struggle to focus, or engage in a daily battle with brain fog? If you find yourself feeling that way at the start of your designated writing time, there’s one thing that may help more than you think: drink aContinue Reading
I was a forester for over twenty years working in the private sector. My job consisted of office time behind a desk, but also field work. A good balance. Writing a novel required sitting for long hours working on a computer. Bad posture, leaning too close to the monitor andContinue Reading
You sit down for a blissful hour of writing. You carved out this time and everything worked out perfectly. You’ve got a private place to work, your favorite tea (or other drink) beside you, and your work-in-progress pulled up on your laptop. An hour later, you’ve managed little more thanContinue Reading