Tweet Inspiration doesn’t have to come from tools per se. It can come from waterfalls and mountaintops and from trekking through the forest. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be pretty where you are. I once felt inspired in a bar with my husband watching football. If you’ve got inspiration covered and are enjoying the free flow of content coming through your fingers, feel free to share your techniques below. If you’re like me and you occasionally get stuck, you may need additional ideas to keep the ideas coming. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to delve…
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Tweet The Pain in My Neck I went to the chiropractor for the first time in a decade today. I’ve been having a literal pain in my neck and shoulders and wanted to find the culprit. Although the results were inconclusive, the chiropractor did tell me something intriguing. He said my posture was messed up. Okay he didn’t say that exactly, but he did tell me that I was tensing one of my shoulders and hunching my back. I realized that just as we hold onto bad ideas, dysfunctional relationships and negative thoughts, we also unconsciously hold onto our bodies…
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Tweet I only discovered it recently. But I’m more apt to write in a crazy fit of inspiration if I’m accompanied by lots of people talking in a crowded room, the smell of coffee wafting in around me and settling on my clothes, and in the rim of a nice, comfy, worn out cheeks indented chair. That and a working vintage typewriter. I scored one recently at a flea market. I got there late with only 20 minutes to spare and saw it sitting pretty amongst dusty vases, non-affordable credenzas and chotskies I would never buy. I’ve been secretly drooling…
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Tweet This may be late breaking news for those who already read this, but I L-O-V-E stories about how writers became writers. When writer and blogger Charyn Pfeuffer tweeted me from @charynpfeuffer and later emailed me about her personal journey to freelance writing, I was smitten. I asked if she would let me share her story with you here. Happily she agreed. Although we all have our own individual paths that led us to writing, there is a common bond that we all share-passion, wild determination and a quiet knowing that this is the right career. You’ll find it all in her message…
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Tweet It’s not forests, vast fields of sunflowers or grand mountaintops that does it for some writers. You may be surprised by how easily inspiration can be garnered. In my latest article for The Writer magazine, I investigated where a handful of writers found their source of inspiration. It was not the answer I expected. But one I completely agree with. You can read the article here.
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Tweet I’m sure you’ve read enough posts, articles and books to make you feel insignificant and insecure as writer. While most advice is given with good intention and can provide necessary tutelage for the beginning writer, over a period of time they can make you feel like you’re doing everything wrong and incapable of doing anything right. Just for one day, why not let loose ends lay? Instead of worrying, defending, cowering in the shadow of another un-dotted i and crossed t, give yourself a break. For Valentine’s Day, instead of roses, balloons and a box of mystery chocolates, give…
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Tweet Do you write because it’s your secret platform for venting and free expression? Do you write because it’s the one thing you’re good at? Do you write because you can’t imagine not writing? Or is it simply your career? Your main source of income. Your livelihood. The reason why I ask is that remembering why we write is important. When we’re in the trenches, when writing feels like walking in slowly sinking sand, it’s easy to want to give up. But the one rescue line, the key to pulling us out of desperation and dismay is to remember why…
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Tweet One of my favorite blogs Young House Love wrote an honest and helpful post on Dealing With Criticism the other day. While I’m one of their long time loyal fans, I found this last one so inspiring simply because of how applicable their post was to not just blogging, or even writing, but life itself. How often do you crumble to the ground when you receive negative feedback? Being a writer takes guts. It takes courage to write your thoughts on paper and then an extraordinary amount of resilience to brace yourself when the crap comes. Because it will.…
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Tweet When I was frantic last week, a few fiction writers graciously helped me out. And so did an article I picked up today. As I side note: Did you ever notice that answers come when you ask the right questions? The surprising source was one of my favorite home decor magazines, Coastal Living. In their November 2011 issue, Million Dollar Decorators star Kathryn Ireland answers a few decorator question. I skimmed through them until I stopped at this: If you can’t make it out, it says: What are your rules for hanging art so that it looks pleasing and…
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Tweet I’m venturing into an unfamiliar territory. Fiction. Ack! Talk about anxiety. Fellow fiction writers I welcome your input on this one. Anyway, I let my husband read passages from it every once in awhile. And while I wait, I try to appear calm, but I’m really scrutinizing every eye movement, every shift in his position. What I got from him this time scared the bejeezus out of me. “It’s good. But I’m worried about one thing.” “What?” I asked. At this point, my mind went to horrible, bad plot, unbelievable characters, amateur storytelling. What he said was, “I’m worried…