Tweet If you’re reading this, you want to be published. You want to become an author or be published in a mainstream magazine. Congratulations on acknowledging this HUGE first step! As someone who has walked this path from absolutely no writing experience aside from an internship to working full-time as a copywriter to eventually getting published in newspapers and magazines, I know how simply COURAGEOUS it is to just admit your dream. And I know how difficult it is to want to share it with others who end up telling you why being a writer is a dismal job with…
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Tweet Don’t you wish people would post neutral news on social media? I’m not talking about what someone ate for dinner. But lately, my Facebook feed is filled with a monopoly of good news. Maybe it’s because we all need to hear some right now. I just saw a commercial talking about the joy of seeing the bright side of things and then I saw it was an ad for wine. The message was mixed. Do we need alcohol to see sunshine these days? Hopefully not. Here’s some neutral news. The publishing industry is getting flooded. I know that sounds…
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Tweet I’m a big fan of nonfiction books. At any time of year, there’s a teetering tower of books on my nightstand. I love reading everything from health and healing to writing craft books. No matter what I read, I can parse something to my writing life and every word seems to wind itself into my prose. I’m also taking 7 courses and homeschooling. In fact, I wrote about it in an article for ASJA this month. With all the information I’m garnering, I thought I’d share a few pearls of wisdom from experts that offer a fresh perspective…
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Tweet I’m going to share a weird secret about myself… I call myself an author even though I haven’t been published yet. I only tell this to myself and my husband because I know the word author comes with years of hard work and rejection, which I haven’t yet earned. But I’ll tell you why I think of myself this way. Seeing myself as an author dictates the decisions I make. It motivates me when my inbox is quiet. It prepares me for the opportunity if and when it should arise. It silences the voices that say you’re not good…
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Tweet Usually when writers blog it’s because they’re already published or about to be. But I’m blogging in real time, before I’m an author or agented so you can know what the journey is really like. Here’s the truth of it. While there have been wonderful news like having my first children’s story published with audio and illustrations to boot, an article in ASJA magazine and an essay published in spring for a journal I’m super excited to eventually share, there have been rejections. Or no news. My 2020 PBChat mentorship has ended and I haven’t left with an agent…
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Tweet It’s the top of the new year. While you’re still returning gifts and spending those gift cards, I bet writing’s in the back of your mind. And here’s what it’s saying. You shouldn’t write because: You’re not a “real” writer. This could mean different things depending on your triggers. You may equate real writer, for example, with paid or published writer. Maybe it means being an author or a traditionally published author. You have nothing to write about. Sometimes the belief that we have to write something profound and award-winning can make us feel like what we have to…
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Tweet If you’re on here, it’s likely you’re a writer so you know what you really want for Christmas. But this gift is for you to share with all your nonwriter friends and family members who say hurtful things unintentionally. Pass this along so they get what you truly desire this holiday.
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Tweet I want to tell you a secret. There is something I LOVE more than writing (well, besides my husband and kids, of course.)! It’s coaching. I took a quiz recently and between a creator and guide, I actually scored guide. I think my heart is in helping others find and pursue their calling. I’ve helped my clients achieve everything from becoming first-time authors/motivational speakers to losing weight and fulfilling their dream of traveling. For most of them, it only took 2-5 sessions to get there. So it was an affordable life change. But for those of you who are…
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Tweet Being a writer requires fierce tenacity. Not just to write every day when there’s no deadline, but because rejection comes with the territory. You could devote eight hours a day six days a week to writing, thousands of dollars in classes, memberships, and coaching, and still get those template rejections. The ones that say writing is subjective so don’t take it personally. In other words, “It’s not you, it’s me.” None of that softens the blow. It’s a dodgy game with few winners. Even the ones who “win,” don’t get the accolades, validation or acknowledgment for the hours of…
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Tweet I was interviewing another writer who shared the same insight that I had this year. That with everything else that has combusted in 2020 (vacation plans, truth in government, belief in humanity) one thing stood out as being the lone win. For once in my writing life, the whining insecure I’m not a real writer was shot, and a real-er more likable writer took her place. Somehow while everything else went down the drain, my self-esteem came out intact. Not only that, but I gained the balls to query places and apply to opportunities that I would no way…