The other day, I spent the afternoon looking at bikes. The last time I rode a bicycle was over 10 years ago, and it wasn’t mine. I haven’t been on one since then, and have preferred to jog rather than ride anyway. But lately, I’ve been thinking that biking mightContinue Reading
I had the good fortune to hear humor writer Chuck Sambuchino speak at a writer’s conference several years ago. And I’ll never forget how he closed his speech. He was sharing some writing and productivity advice based on what he’d learned over the years, and after his wrap-up, he addedContinue Reading
Americans are the most stressed out people in the world. That’s the news according Gallup’s most recent annual Global Emotions report. A total of 55 percent of Americans said they’d felt a lot of stress the day before the survey. The global average was 35 percent. If the survey hadContinue Reading
Are you feeling some mental exhaustion? You probably need more sleep, but there may be something else going on, too. We writers place a high “cognitive load” on our brains. Not only do most of us do everything that everyone else does—go to work every day, raise families, run errands,Continue Reading
Getting the writing done. It’s not easy. We all have the best of intentions. We set up new schedules. We plan writing times. But then months go by and we realize we’re behind, or that we haven’t accomplished nearly as much as we wanted to. We blame ourselves. We lackContinue Reading
How are your writing mornings going right now? My parents loved to quote Benjamin Franklin when I was growing up: “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Personally, I’ve always hated this saying. I was born a night owl, and despised being awakened inContinue Reading
You need to decide which writing project to work on next. How do you do that? Decide Which Writing Project Tip 1. Make a Commitment to a Select Number of Ideas Writers are great at coming up with new ideas, and we looooove those new ideas. They’re so exciting andContinue Reading
by Lorna Faith I cried tears of frustration to my husband. “I have a detailed outline. Why can’t I finish this book?” “I’m not sure,” he said, “but I do know this: you need to keep at it.” Murray’s gaze zeroed in on my own, his hands on my shoulders.Continue Reading
by Veronica Miller Imagine sitting down at a clean desk, your computer humming as you contentedly type away on your manuscript. In fact, you’re writing faster and clearer than ever before because you have nothing to interfere with your creative process. You wake up every morning ready to write creativelyContinue Reading
Overcoming procrastination is critical if you hope to make your writing dreams come true. You may blame yourself for not getting your projects done, but new research shows that approach won’t help. In fact, the key to getting past procrastination may be something you’ve never tried: compassion. Why A Writer’sContinue Reading
Are you one of the few energetic writers getting a lot done in January? Or would you rather pull the covers back over your head? If you feel tired and draggy during the month of January, you’re not alone. January Can Feel Like an Energy Drag It’s so common toContinue Reading
I’m an avid list-maker. I make lists for everything, including writing-related projects I want to complete. I find them motivating as I enjoy scratching through finished projects, and particularly like it when there are enough scratched off that I have to make a new list. But recently I came acrossContinue Reading