How to Take Charge of Your Writing Life

Welcome! I’m glad to see that you found me at my new “home.” As promised, starting today I’m giving away a free e-book for frustrated writers. Rx for Writers: Managing Your Writing Space and Your Writing Time is short, but it contains solid advice for three of a writer’s biggest problems: 1. following through on our […]

Habits: Anchors for the Writer's Life

“Habits are the little anchors that keep us from straying very far from the lifestyle to which we’ve become accustomed, whether that lifestyle makes us happy or miserable.”  ~~from Karen Scalf Linamen’s book Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight. Habits: Help or Hindrance? We all have habits that either support or hinder our writing lives. [NOTE: I’m […]

Writing Habits: Borrow Good Habits from Yourself

Writing habits can make or break your writing career. With NaNoWriMo starting tomorrow, I’ve been getting organized and ready. But I know from past experience that all the organizing in the world won’t do any good without the writing habits to back it up. Did you ever wish you could magically transfer some good habits […]

Writing Habits: Routines–or Ruts?

I love routines! It streamlines the daily business of life and lets me get more done. I have some habits (like how I brush teeth or do dishes) that haven’t changed in years–maybe decades. They work efficiently. Writers have habits too, and I think that’s a good thing. It streamlines daily chores like email, website updating, reading […]

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 […]