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…
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Tweet I first heard about Paulette Perhach through her popular book Welcome to the Writer’s Life. It was one of those writer books that I couldn’t stop talking about on Twitter and Instagram. Filled with writerly tips for writers at every stage, it was also surprisingly fun to read. Every ounce of her book oozes with personality, which is how Perhach writes-like you know her, like you’re one of her bestfriends. This is why I was ecstatic when she agreed to be interviewed, I knew it would be helpful and loads of fun! In your Yoga Journal article, “How I Became a…
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Tweet All the rejections from articles, essays, and poems lay in a heavy heap over my heart. They are evidence of one thing that I have to keep learning repeatedly. Success doesn’t come from replicating successful writers. This I have to tell myself after yet another agent/teacher recommends I read a bestselling book in hopes their innovative ideas, voice or style rubs off on me. This after my insecurity makes me succumb to Oprah’s often told lesson of trying to imitate Barbara Walters. But she learned, “I can be a better Oprah Winfrey than a pretend Barbara Walters.” But no matter how…
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Tweet Having a full-time freelance writing career can wreak havoc on your soul, not to mention your wallet. Why? Well the latter is obvious. But for many people who are not in it, us creative artistic types tend to sway towards low self-esteem. It’s a given since most of us are born sensitive and tend to grow up in families who are less than enthusiastic about our dream of being an artist for a living. But if you want to have a long-term career in an artistic field, you need to get beyond the ups and downs of your creative…
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Tweet Don’t judge me, but I’m a big fan of reality TV. Just like I love a good memoir and an autobiography, I get a high from watching real life people do crazy ass things. To me, it’s just inspires me to do something crazy myself. One of my favorite shows is, “Shark Tank.” It seems antithetical to my very nature to be a shark when it comes to making money. But maybe that’s why watching it thrills me so. It’s also observing the inventors, creators and designers who work up the courage to give their 5-minute shpeal on what…
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Tweet 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…
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Tweet I don’t know if this is a girl thing. But my hair is my best friend and my worst enemy. I have a lot of hair! As a kid, I bemoaned the day I forgot to bring a rubber band. In swimming class, my hair floated around me. I was a body of hair with a tiny body attached. And it gave the boys extra ammunition to tease me that day and call me, “Medusa.” Boy was that hard to shake off! As an adult, my hair still gets in my way. When I’m working out it falls forward…
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Tweet As a new writer, you get to indulge in the idiosyncrasies of being green. I, for example, learned not once but twice, the reasons why you MUST get a contract before you send off your manuscript. I also learned that while I want to make a living writing, I also don’t want to take any and every job that comes my way. So here it is, a bunch of tools to get you writing successfully by doing the opposite from what I did. Keep reading if you want to avoid hitting your head over and over on your desk…
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Tweet Photo by: Wit Freelance writing is kind of like fishing. There’s a lot of waiting involved. You throw out the bait, wait for a bite and then get ready for the fight. However, instead of thumb twiddling or going to the opposite extreme and getting unnecessarily busy (online shopping or applying for jobs like crazy, for example), this may be a good time to get yourself organized and prepared for the next bite. Here are a few productive things to do while you’re waiting for your next big project: