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 say…
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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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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 not…
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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 sleep,…
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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 even…
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This is a great holiday gift idea if you’re one of those early Christmas shoppers who like to get presents done before Thanksgiving. But it’s also a perfect pick me up if the world has got you down lately. Admittedly, I’ve become a big fan of subscription boxes from kid-themed like this one to spa-indulgent. Right now, getting a box or two in the mail is a must-need ray of sunshine on an otherwise dismal stay at home day. If you’re in need of a little writing inspiration, you might choose to go straight to the Scribbler Subscription box, which…
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Most people are not fans of difficult emotions. So we evade it. We distract from it. We eat. We shop. We gossip. We watch mindless TV. All to escape feeling something that isn’t bad. It’s the things we do to try to avoid it that’s bad. But feeling it is just well uncomfortable. And yet, to sufficiently deal with anything hard like grief or disappointment, we need to actually feel it. Right now there’s a lot of pain in the world. But everywhere on social media and in life we hear the same things: Buck up. If it’s not meant…
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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 our…
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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 give…
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As writers, we love to write and create, and sometimes even edit. But talk about ourselves? Work on our finances? Market our books on social media? It’s enough to send us back behind the safety of our computers. Introverts as most of us are, are deeply uncomfortable putting ourselves out there. But being an author is a business. It requires us to share who we are with the world and to do so in a real, authentic way. This is why meeting author and business consultant Mitch Mitchell was such a breath of fresh air. Everything from his website, which…