Tweet guest post by: C.J. Quinn Does your child enjoy reading fantasy books? If so, your child may be smarter than you think. Reading the genre of fiction and fantasy has many social and behavioral advantages. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was once considered the golden standard for measuring how smart a person was. However, in 1995 Daniel Goleman, an internationally known psychologist, proved that we weren’t taking into account emotional intelligence when determining a person’s intellect. According to Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a person’s ability to identify, evaluate, control and express emotions.” Since Goleman’s theory, both IQ and EQ are now…
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Tweet {by guest blogger: Marcia Zina Mager, The Write Coach} One of my all time favorite quotes about the writing process comes from one of the world’s greatest painters, Vincent Van Gogh. “Mediocre I do not despise at all. And one does not rise above that mark by despising what is mediocre. In my opinion one must begin by at least having some respect for the mediocre and know that it already means something and that it is only reached through great difficulty.” Whether you’ve written for decades or are just beginning, Van Gogh’s insightful wisdom can take you far…
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Tweet {by: guest blogger} My freelance lifestyle wasn’t born out of a dream to forge my own path, pursue my innate sense of creativity at all costs or even break free from the corporate grind. Nope, my motivations weren’t as lofty as all that. The way it really went was something like this: My husband was given a career-boosting opportunity that involved nine months of schooling in the Washington, D.C. area, with no idea where we would be moving next. We talked it over and decided together that he should take the opportunity, and before we knew it, we…
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Tweet {by guest blogger: Lauren Boyd} When I was growing up, I participated in a lot of extracurricular activities. However, I never truly mastered any of them. I took gymnastics, but my lack of abdominal muscles – and my hearty appetite – kept me from advancing very far. I took tap, but when it came time to wear the high-heeled tap shoes, I didn’t want to, so I stopped taking tap. I played the piano, and was the best among my peers, but when my studies began to consume most of my time in high school, I gave up the piano. What was my…
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Tweet {Guest post by: Jessica Kristie} Each hand behind the pen is different in flow, technique, and ability. The spectrum covers a massive space and the outcome is always different. With all the many walls thrown up and doors slammed, still the greatest hurdle to overcome is often our own inability to continue. We ignore our unique voice and fall prey to the weight of the world’s negative intervention. I have been writing for well over twenty years and it has been only the last five to seven that I have been fully dedicated, and giving the attention my pen…
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Tweet I love hearing about the journey that prompted other writers to write. Some writers believe they were born with it-a passion for writing that began as soon as they learned how to write. For others, writing came later in life. Something spurred them to get words down on paper and their career took off from then. My guest blogger this week is author Jessica McCann. She’s another writer that I’ve admired from afar and it brings me great pleasure to share where her writing story began. It’s a good one! by: guest blogger One Saturday morning, not long ago,…
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Tweet {guest post written by: Mahesh Raj Mohan} I’ve always liked the concept of a mentor: a sagacious master of an art, craft, or trade who passes knowledge to seekers, students, and adventurers. Bonus points if s/he is a kind person who patiently corrects rookie mistakes and helps an apprentice grow. Teachers usually fill that role for us, as well as parents and siblings, if we’re fortunate. I’ve been taught by many wise mentors throughout my life. But more importantly, I’ve learned to face several challenges on my own. Getting to a place of self-reliance can be difficult. But I…
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Tweet Ever feel blogged out? Or that your world is filled with headlines and blog ideas? I sometimes get so zoomed into social media that when I zoom out to real life, my head spins. (Not the exorcist kind, the vertigo kind) So to take us all beyond this blog, I’m doing a short post to a few things outside the box: 1. Bit o’ holiday inspiration. You probably know that I write an online column for The Writer called, “Inspiration Zone.” Well this month I was fortunate enough to interview author and writing coach Rochelle Melander. She’s got great…
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Tweet {by guest blogger Cathy Miller} I cherished my sister’s Nancy Drew books. Like so many things in a family of seven children, the books I loved were hand-me-downs. Okay, to be honest, they were never mine. But, I read them from cover to cover and back again. I think it was then I realized I wanted to write. To say there were a few twists in my journey is putting it mildly. Doomed From the Womb I am the middle child of those seven, and the first born under insurance. Little did I know that sealed my fate. I…
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Tweet {She’s one of the first people I connected with via social media and one of the kindest. Since then, Natalia has continually impressed me with her talent, wit and her ability to draw people together. I was so honored when she agreed to write something for my lil’ blog on her journey as an author. Read what she’s learned in the process of writing her first book and how she’s using that knowledge to make her next book that much better.} photo via pinterest. originally from here. by guest blogger: Natalia Sylvester The hardest thing is to keep starting…