Back in January many of you joined me in the “31 Minutes for 31 Days Challenge.” That jump started many of us for the new year. In February I did my first 28-Day Challenge with two writing friends, and March began our second 28-day Challenge. (The Challenge has been to write at least 30 minutes […]
writing challenges
What Fear is Holding You Back?
I’ve been reading a book on how fear affects writing (and art-making of all kinds). Fear is what holds many (even most) of us back from being the writers we dream of being–and probably could be. Art & Fear suggests that these fears fall into two main categories: (1) fears about yourself, and (2) fears […]
Marketing Help is Here!
The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher. I very rarely read an e-book and then buy the hard copy–but I did in this case. I have to mark it up, add my colored flags and post-its, and turn down page corners. Why? […]
Drains in Disguise
I was wrong–again. For twenty years, I’ve told students and wannabe writers that you have to put the writing first! Do it before other things take over your day. Fight the impulse to clean your kitchen first, or straighten your office, or clean up the mess the kids made before leaving for school. “But I […]
Authors with Learning Disabilities
Did you know that many famous authors–including such popular children’s writers as Avi–have learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADD, and ADHD? Many of these authors had trouble in school–including failing or dropping out. Many of them were distracted and often in trouble for it. Lots of them couldn’t spell. Inspirational Overcomers If you’ve ever struggled with […]
How to Create the "Not To-Do" List
Back in March, I wrote about pruning some things from life in order to have more time to write. (See my former post “The ‘Not To-Do’ List”.) In order to make time for anything new in your life, it requires some necessary endings. Help Is on the Way So I was thrilled yesterday when my […]
Friday Follow-Up
Wednesday’s blog entitled “Unhappiness: A Positive Sign” sparked more private email than usual! Glad it got you to thinking about this. The tension you feel at the beginning of a project–that itch to “go for it!”–seems like a positive sign to me. So what is the “unhappy” part those authors were talking about in their […]
For Your Holiday Weekend
When you take a break on this hot Fourth of July weekend, try some of these articles. They’ll keep you in a writing frame of mind! What If You Think You Might Be a Mediocre Fiction Writer? Every novelist hits the point, sooner or later, where they think they just might not actually have any talent. What do […]
Stage Three: Start-Up
If you’ve done the previous stages of exploration and preparation in “The Five Stages of Success,” then you’re probably eager to begin “Stage Three: Start-Up.” Time to get the show on the road! You have your writing dream, you’ve made the decision, and you’ve taken some steps to turn that dream into reality. I found […]