Yesterday we talked about how to Combine Babies and Bylines. There are challenges galore when writing with newborns and babies in the house. At that stage, we usually daydream of that magical day when the kids will be in school and we’ll have all those uninterrupted hours to write. Yes, it is easier to write […]
family
Combine Babies and Bylines
I started writing when I had an infant, a two-year-old, and a preschooler. I wrote throughout their school years, their teen years, their college/adult years, and now full circle when I am babysitting grandkids. The (survival) skills you need to both write and parent change with each stage of your children’s lives. (Sometimes your […]
Key #2: Think Like a Writer
We’ve talked about the benefits of writing in flow, in that relaxed timeless state, and we’ve talked about the first key to developing this skill: have a reason to write. Today let’s look at Key #2: thinking like a writer. These keys are based on Susan Perry’s Writing in Flow. CHANGE MY THINKING? We all […]
Writing on the Road
If you can’t be flexible, don’t be a writer. Deadlines. Emergency phone calls. And you’re on the road again! Sometimes there is just no choice. Family needs you. Deadlines won’t budge. So you do what you have to do. It may not be ideal, but writing in the car can be do-able. Writing in a […]
The Writer's Holiday Household
Because so many of us on the Holiday Writing Challenge are dealing with juggling our writing and multiple holiday events and jobs and families, I decided to run an older article today on “Household Have-To’s.” I think during the holidays it is especially appropriate. ************** Families: what would we do without them? Writers want to […]
Journal Through the Summer (Part 2)
(First read Journal Through the Summer–Part 1) Journaling has many purposes and uses–and here are some more! ********************* Journaling Dreams Journal through your summer by exploring your dreams and daydreams. Give yourself free rein to imagine the kind of life you’d love to live. No restrictions. Journal about where you’d like to live, things you’d […]
Journal Through the Summer
I’ve received a lot of email from writers and blog readers about the difficulties of writing during the summer. Kids and grandkids are home from school, vacations are taken, company arrives. Is there a way to keep writing, despite all this? Yes. You can journal through the summer. I wrote this article (first part below, […]
Calming the Writer's Soul
I sat down to write four times this morning, but my mind simply wouldn’t stop jumping the tracks. One second I’d be thinking, “This backstory paragraph slows down the opening and should be moved.” The next minute, with a catch in my throat, I was thinking about Laurie again. Get a Grip! My daughter is on her […]
Fillers and Drainers
I heard a sermon awhile back about life being filled with “fillers” and “drainers.” The pastor was talking about people, of course. Fillers are people who know how to encourage you and build you up. Drainers are in your life because they need encouragement and help; however, they don’t have time for you if you […]