This post came at a perfect time! After just spilling my guts about how I sometimes fake it as a writer, I received the post below from author and editor Sarah Nagel who I’ve been following on Twitter. It gives practical advice to overcome the self-doubt that writers and all creatives face. I’m so grateful to have her here. You’re going to gain a lot from this post. by: guest blogger The first time I saw my name in print, I was ridiculously excited. I yelped and called my sister over to the magazine rack to show her the quiz…
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A lot of writers I’ve talked to and read about say that no matter how much they’ve written, published, or even obtained awards for, they still feel like a fake. And I’m one of them. I sometimes wonder what it would take for me to feel validated as in the words of one writer friend, “a real writer.” As if, there was such a thing. Although I enthusiastically try to point out all the reasons he is a writer: the fact that he actually writes (writing a novel, in fact) and has a tremendous passion for it, I can hardly do…
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Boggled by how to write a press release? When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different types of writing out there. But once you learn how to write it, it’s just one more thing you can add to your portfolio. This time I’ve got help from a guest blogger to show you how to do just that. by: guest blogger Four Things to Remember When Writing Press Releases Not everything that a reporter writes is scooped by him or her. A lot of times, the news finds the reporter. Press releases are tools used…
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This post was inspired by two writers. If Cathy Miller’s post and Michelle Rafter’s post got married, then in my warped mind, they’d created this baby of a post. I don’t know if this is a Hawaii thing, but my friends and family loved the 12 Days of Christmas (the song, not just the real thing). So this is my ode to both the holidays and freelance writers. Here we go: On the first day of Christmas my clients gave to me a payment sent effortlessly On the second day of Christmas my clients gave to me two dollar a word…
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{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 believe…
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I went to Arizona for a little over a week. And while I still believe that trip was life-changing, I returned also feeling extremely disappointed. As if a weight I had been hoping to release off my shoulders became even heavier. Not only did I fail to work on my work-in-progress, but I came back with this: {and no I wasn’t trying to delete my husband from the photo.} It disturbed me on many, many levels. (In fact, I’m still not ready to talk about it and when I am, I’ll probably discuss it on my inspiring blog.) But it…
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It’s Friday. I’m holed up in bed recovering from the flu. It’s the holidays. And I have had a lot of Christmas parties and events planned. Plus, writing goals. But I’m sick. It’s Friday. And all I want to do is crawl back into bed in my PJ’s and dream of the day I was healthy and be that way again. In the meantime, I think I’ll dedicate today’s post to the writers that have really helped me to keep going. They’ve given me much more than I’ve given them. All around best commenter: @millercathy Wittiest tweets: @NataliaSylv Thoughtful commenter: @maheshrmohan True…
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Ever notice on the days you hem and haw over an article, your head suffers and your writing suffers too? And the pieces you don’t sweat to pieces are your best ones? Weird how that works isn’t it? I find it amazing that the weather is less consistent than this extraordinary fact. I could spend hours, days, weeks pouring out my soul to molding ideas into words and words into a story. I put it aside. Unhappy with it, I rework again. And again. And again. And when it’s finished I’m shaking silly, drained, brainless. Then I offer it on a…
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It’s the end of National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo for those in the know. And I have to tip my hat to you all. Writing a novel in a month scares me more than public speaking. Just the thought of it brings back an old episode of Golden Girls. You remember the one where Blanche was up all night writing the greatest novel ever? After she got sleep, she realized all that hard work was for naught. Her words written on black and white marble journals didn’t make any sense. That’d be me if I did it. Instead, I spent…
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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 tips…