Tweet It happens to the best of us. Sometimes creative blocks last a few hours after a walk or shower. Sometimes they drag on for months, even years. It’s during these times that we’re likely to give up. That brilliant premise that got us to our feet every morning now seems like a distant dream or worse a terrible idea. Yet we hear of writers who became authors after years, a decade even, after slogging through a single manuscript. If we give up, the buck stops there. But what if there were ways can we reignite that flame of passion for…
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Tweet Lately, I’ve been resting in between writing articles. I know my greatest asset is not my writing, but my ability to stay healthy and strong despite waves of doubt, unpredictability and chaos of our pandemic world. I realized while there is a multitude of classes provided on the craft of writing, I seldom see posts devoted to a writer’s inner world. How do we nurture our creative selves? How do we protect it from burnout, desensitization and overwhelm? This is the reality for many of us who are sensitive souls. I am an INFJ so making sure I don’t…
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Tweet Lately, everything seems to be coming to the forefront. We can no longer stay silent and hidden, sweeping our historical systemic racism under the rug. There are people in power triggering all of our old wounds, inciting violence, but also causing us to reflect and revisit the ways we’ve been hurting each other. Racism is a fact of life. The pandemic is a reality of our new life. Writing is a tool that can be used to make changes. But how do we write and create when everything in the world is overwhelming right now? I listened to an…
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Tweet Deb Hunter is a bright soul with a good heart. A southerner that you want to sit down on the porch and have a glass of iced tea with. She’s an author who follows the call of her passion which has led her to write her upcoming novel I’ll See You In My Dreams. She’s also a Stage IV cancer survivor with a heart of gold. Grateful doesn’t describe how I felt when I spoke to Deb. She’s so inspiring and a real sweetheart. She shares her writing schedule, what class has given her a deeper understanding of her characters,…
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Tweet I’ve been hearing a voice saying to me, “Do a podcast,” since last year. But why would I? I’m terrible at speaking. If it wasn’t for Tara, I wouldn’t have the courage. But Tara inspires courage not just in me. Her bold vulnerability, her passion, and the way she makes you feel less alone are all reasons why Tara is a writer to know. She’s a Best of the Net–nominated writer and editor and you may have read her work in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and recently became an author as a contributor to new book Big: Stories About Life…
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Tweet Recently, I took a free Coursera course on “How to Craft Contagious Content.” The information was so compelling I realized that you could use it to write anything. Emotional. How many times have you received a rejection or a critique that your story wasn’t emotional? It didn’t have enough heart in it. This is the emotional pull that makes people keep reading or unable to turn away from the television during a commercial. What affects you on an emotional level is what you remember. A social worker once told my mother that while my grandmother wouldn’t remember details, she…
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Tweet Hawaii is in lockdown. Many of us are in shelter mode while we’re juggling normal daily tasks and the added joy of homeschooling our kids. It’s not easy to find the silver lining on days when the kids are not listening, jumping on beds, and oh yeah writing hasn’t happened in weeks. While you’re fantasizing about the freedom to sit in a coffee shop, here are a few good things going on now. And don’t we all need good news? Writer’s Digest free tutorials for a month. Always wanted to learn how to write the best middle-grade query or…
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Tweet There’s legitimate fear in the air and it’s not just for us anxiety prone writers. Yes working at home and cancelled events may give you more time to work on your novel, but it’s also being monopolized by worries: Financial, Health, Familial. While I don’t have the magic wand to dissolve our global fear right now, I can offer solutions and maybe even hope, which is not readily available these days. I know. I’ve looked. So here it is. It might not be much. But I hope it helps a little. Turn off the news and limit social media. …
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Tweet Lately, I’ve been really into all these Twitter writing contests. And learned that while I love a good photo on Instagram, Twitter with it’s purely wordy platform is where it’s at. This could be why I have more Twitter followers and why I’m still figuring out being a writer on Instagram. I’ve also been entering writing contests like crazy. For months I’ve been pitching, querying and entering. And here’s what I learned. If you’re new to the entering Twitter and writing contests game, you’ll want to read this. You need to get your ducks in order way before the deadline. …
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Tweet I follow her on social media and she’s someone who constantly inspires and impresses me with her publishing success. When she reached out about her upcoming nonfiction book, I was eager to feature her on Author Q&A. She happily agreed. I think you’ll enjoy our conversation. It’s real insight into what it’s like to be an author of both fiction and nonfiction. You’re no stranger to authoring a book. You have two successful novels out, All Different Kinds of Free and 2018 Arizona Book of the Year Peculiar Savage Beauty. But this March you’re coming out with a nonfiction…