There’s no such thing as failure. Mistakes happen in your life to bring into focus more clearly who you really are. —Oprah Winfrey Since college, I’ve been both a fiction and a non-fiction writer, and I’ve had two main goals. I would go beyond the poetry and short stories I was writing, and I’d also … Read more
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.—President Franklin D. Roosevelt Overcoming fear requires effort no matter what you’re afraid of. It could be anything from a full-fledged phobia—of spiders, for example—to feeling nervous around someone like your boss or a celebrity. Fear can be healthy. If you’re afraid of a shadowy figure … Read more
The blank page stares back at you. Suddenly, smacking your head against a wall sounds like a good idea. You rock back and forth. You rub your chin and start picking at cuticles. Maybe you crack your knuckles. And the minutes tick by as you ponder the meaning of writer’s block. How do I start … Read more
Writers read—if you can’t read, you can’t write, plain and simple. And one of the best ways to improve your writing is to read good books, articles, or heck, read the backs of cereal boxes. I don’t care. Just read. Think about it. Kids learn language because they’re immersed in it. Special tutoring or teaching … Read more
A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper. —E.B. White The “best time for writing” has been debated over and over. Morning. Afternoon. Peak time. Off-peak time. After a workout. In the shower. While walking and recording. Some claim with 100% certainty—backed by “scientific” … Read more
You’ve heard the advice: passive verbs are a big no-no and active verbs are essential to good writing. But do you know the difference? Can you spot active and passive verbs in your own writing? Do you know when passive verbs should be used? Knowing active verbs are usually better than passive verbs is one … Read more
Writer’s block is a symptom, not an ailment you have no control over. Still, it’s hard to know why it happens and harder still to get past it. You might be tired. Sick. Worried. Stressed. Too much on your mind. Too many chores undone. Not enough time to relax and generate ideas. No time spent … Read more
How’s your writing going? Are you reaching your goals? Rolling around in the guilt and regret much? My answers: mediocre, no, and no. What? Not regretting that you didn’t do this and didn’t complete that? Nope, I’m not regretting anything. Here’s why: Regretting the past steals time from the present and future. Plus, I had … Read more
Writers need websites, end of story. No matter what kind of writer you are—a novelist, a non-fiction book writer, a freelance writer, or even a brand-new writer without a clue—you need a website. Why? Before I get into the why, let me discuss the what. Websites generally fall into two categories A static website is … Read more
“The thing all writers do best is find ways to avoid writing.” —Alan Dean Foster If you’re like most writers, staying focused isn’t your strong point. You start the novel, and you lose momentum. You want to get back to it, but you don’t. You hit a rough patch with your blog, and you get … Read more