Hearing the Poet’s Heart
When it was Joyce’s turn to read, Kathy stood and held her friend’s right elbow, like a daughter, like a lover, stabilizing each cautious step. The Healing Muse editor Deirdre Neilen moved to Joyce’s left side, one hand on Joyce’s rounded back and the other on her left elbow. Their tenderness supported me, too.
I watched as Joyce stepped to the stage with the determination of an athlete. She carefully opened her pages on the podium and smoothed the folds. Each page was three sheets wide with black block letters two inches high marching boldly across a white expanse.
If my hearing showed up on paper, the letters would look like that. ...
The Freelance Life
Hey, freelancers! Let’s talk about this crazy, hectic life in the best way possible: Friends GIFs!
When the freelancing bug bites you, there’s no turning back. You will make a living without a boss or a time clock. You shall never answer to anyone again! ...
How to Set Writing Goals
It’s a new year, and you know what that means: resolutions.
Resolutions can be difficult to keep. Why? They are typically vague, representative of some far-off dream. To get in shape. To be nicer to people. To write a book.
Those sound like great things to accomplish, but they’re undefined. They revolve around the end result, rather than the process. To create goals you will actually accomplish, the focus must be on action.
So how do you set writing goals that will get you from where you are to where you want to be? ...
Gifts for Writers
The holidays are right around the corner. You—being the procrastinator you are—are probably wondering what to get that special writer in your life. You can’t wrap the perfect story idea so you find yourself at a loss.
Don’t worry. I’m here to help.
These gifts will make your writer smile and will keep your name out of his or her next story. Because let’s be honest—that never ends well. ...
Back It Up
Put on some Mozart and reading glasses because we’re talking about a serious topic today. Sit down, and focus all your attention on these words. Don’t fidget in your chair. Don’t think about what you’re going to watch on Netflix later. Don’t even think about your WIP.
Yeah, it’s that serious.
Ok, breathe. Focus. Listen.
Back up your writing.
It’s happened to us all. We spend hours, days, weeks, god forbid months on a project, and then poof it’s gone. The tech-fairies whisk it away as though it never existed at all, and we’re left staring at an error screen and begging time to reverse. ...
12 Tips for Protecting Your Writing Time
Writers write, right? Then why is it so hard to carve out time to follow your passion and to do what you do best? Here are 12 tips to make sure your writing time remains your writing time. ...
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