Several days this week I was tired and headache-y, yet I needed to get some writing done. I don’t know about you, but I find writing a grueling challenge on the rare days I feel rotten. That’s why I found one particular chapter in The Write Type by Karen E. Peterson very encouraging. The author […]
balance
Warning: Two Toxic Areas in Your Writing Life
I am fascinated by brain books for the layman, and seeing how that information applies to writers. (See three book links at the end.) Information from the new brain research–if actually applied–could change your writing life. One book, Who Switched Off Your Brain?, deals with what the author calls “the Dirty Dozen” areas in our lives […]
Inner Critics: Valuable Editor or Time Waster?
Writers are opinionated people. Our brains never seem to stop. We criticize because we “know” how things and people should be. This “critical editor component” of our personality is absolutely invaluable to the editing and revision process. If you can’t spot what’s wrong with a manuscript, you can’t fix it. However, this same critical ability can […]
The Necessity of Solitude: Refilling the Well
Women are givers. Women writers are some of the most giving people I know. We tend to have stronger relationships because of it–with babies, grown children, grandchildren, friends, and extended family. But unless you learn how to balance all this giving with replenishment found in solitude, you’ll find it nearly impossible to write. Every time […]
Beware! Burnout Ahead
“Writing is not everything,” says Lisa Shearin in Writer Magazine. “And if you want longevity in this business, play isn’t just important–it’s critical. We get so intensely focused on having achieved the dream and working so hard to keep the dream going, that we’re blind to the signs that if we keep going down that […]
The Gift of Time
It isn’t my birthday or Christmas or Mother’s Day, but it feels like it today. Why? Because I’ve decided to give myself a wonderful gift now. The gift of time. I’ve been writing and publishing since my kids were babies. They’re in their thirties now, with their own children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. During […]
Writers Running on Adrenaline
What fuel are you running on? Many writers these days are frantically running from place to place, working too many hours, volunteering for too many projects, working nights and weekends hoping for approval. On top of that, in order to write, they are fueled by sugar, caffeine, cigarettes and adrenaline to keep going. Long-Term Damage […]
Key #5: Balance Between Opposites
We started this series with the goal of learning how to make the writing fun, how to enter into that timeless “flow” state more often. Five keys are needed, according to Susan Perry in Writing in Flow. Today is Key #5: finding balance among opposites. Which is it? I’m sure you’ve noticed contradicting writing advice. […]
Restoring Balance
Each person has his or her own set of priorities. However, remember that time is finite. It can’t be stretched, saved, or borrowed. The time devoted to things must be balanced. If we give too much in one area we neglect our duty in another important area. Restore Balance Now Here are Richard Swenson’s suggestions […]
How to Fix A Writer's Fragmented Life
I always blog on Tuesdays. Except yesterday. My grandkids had been here for a couple of days of hiking, water fights, reading and laughing. I had planned to blog last night, but I had a meeting at my house to plan and clean for. BUT the air conditioning went out (a big deal in summertime […]