A while ago, one of my wonderful clients mentioned that after a good writing session, she felt exhausted. Boy, could I identify with that, because I often have the same experience. After a particularly intense stint at the computer, I sometimes feel like doing nothing more than crawling away and collapsing in a quivering heap. […]
I’m just going to come right out and say it: focus drive the fear away. Yup, it does. Because when you are focused in the moment, you are connected with your work. You’re not thinking about the past, the 100th rejection you just got on your novel, or how the essay you’re working on refuses […]
Hemingway knew it and used it. I've expounded on it numerous times, including recently. (That juxtaposition of sentences makes it appear that I might be comparing myself to Hemingway, to which I say: bwahahahaha). It is the single most helpful tip for you to get words on the page, and here it is: KNOW WHERE […]
To get more writing done, you could get up earlier, or stay up later. To get more writing done you could close the door to your office and post a sign threatening death and dismemberment to anyone who enters. You could escape to the coffee shop or go on a retreat. You could run away […]
So, we've got two days until the new year, and I don't know about you, but I've been busy thinking about 2014. I have so many writing goals I want to accomplish–novels and stories to get out in the world, and classes and products to offer here on the blog. So this year I'm trying […]
What you put your attention on grows. It's that simple. So if you put your attention on how wonderful it is to write every day, that writing habit will grow. If you focus on how much fun it is to submit to agents (I'm feeling funny today), you'll do more of it. If you think […]
This has been an exciting week for me, what with the release of my debut novel, Emma Jean's Bad Behavior. I've been consciously working on staying open to receive the blessings of this event. I must admit, though, at times I've felt myself flying high, as if I'm no longer anchored to the earth. Or […]
We don't always think of fear and focus at the same time, but there's very good reason to pair them. Focus. It's what we all desire, what gets the writing done. Because the words don't go on the page without it. Fear. It's often what keeps us from focusing. The kinds of fears we writers […]
One morning last week I worked on social media: answering blog comments, and scheduling tweets. (I collect quotes and love to tweet them–if you have any to share, let me know.) But I was feeling, to put it mildly, unfocused. I couldn't concentrate on one thing for long. I'd check Twitter, then answer a blog […]
