No matter where you are in your writing career, you’re going to face obstacles to your creative fulfillment. And you’re going to have to overcome those obstacles—often, repeatedly. I’m excited to share a conversation I recently had with author and podcast host Elena Paige about these obstacles and how toContinue Reading
If you want to be successful as a writer, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s not easy in today’s world. Americans have become addicted to comfort. There’s a term for it: “comfort addition.” Like any other, this addiction keeps you seeking the next “hit” rather than makingContinue Reading
You know it’s a good idea to spring clean your house, but have you ever tried to spring clean your mind? Research shows that spring cleaning your space can help reduce stress, boost immunity, improve your mood, prevent injuries, and lead to more relaxing sleep. Spring cleaning your mind canContinue Reading
April is National Poetry Month. According to the Academy of American Poets (AAP), which launched the celebration back in 1996, this year (2021) marks the 25th anniversary of the day established to remind us all of the role poets have to play in our culture. You may be one ofContinue Reading
Are you a happy writer? You probably are part of the time, but we can all go through periods when we feel discouraged, unproductive, or uninspired. If this happens to be one of those unhappy periods in your writing life, the following tips may help boost your writing mood. 1.Continue Reading
by Jane Tucker My retirement plans were twenty years in the making. In my imaginings, I knew exactly how each day would be scheduled, down to the hour. But the reality turned out, as you may have guessed, differently. The first year and a half were spectacular. We traded theContinue Reading
by Jessica Leibe We’re told that keeping a journal is one of the best things we can do as writers. Journaling allows us to rant, plan, and even plot. I don’t know about you, but I’ve taken quite a few experiences from my journal and used it for my stories.Continue Reading
Are you struggling to maintain a regular writing practice lately? It could be because of something you haven’t considered: a lack of space. Space is important for anything in life. You can’t find a new job, for example, if you’re still expending all your energy and focus on the oneContinue Reading
There’s a lot of noise in our world today. Also called “noise pollution,” excessive noise has been linked to stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity. Writers may want to add “trouble concentrating” and “difficulty accessing the imagination” to that list. Silence, on the otherContinue Reading
by Angela Ackerman My co-author Becca Puglisi and I both struggled with how to show our characters’ emotions in a compelling way. We found our characters were always frowning or shrugging and it pulled down the effectiveness of our scenes. So, to force ourselves to think beyond the first descriptionsContinue Reading
I’ve talked about the benefits of writing retreats in other posts. Check them out: “Serious Writers Permit Themselves to Go On Writers’ Retreats” “How to Get the Best Creativity-Boosting Results from Your Writing Retreat. Because they help reduce stress, nourish creativity, promote reflection, and sustain motivation, retreats are essential toContinue Reading
If you’re a writer who works from home, you may love the flexible hours, cozy office space, and lax wardrobe requirements, but you may also have one very concerning problem: keeping your creative juices flowing. Without the proper precautions, a work-from-home routine can sap your brain of its creative energiesContinue Reading