Life Lessons—Silence the Voices in Your Head Once and For All

by Edie Melson

As writers we all hear voices. Often times they’re the characters who inhabit the worlds we create. But almost as often, they’re the voices of naysayers, reminding us how horribly we’re going to fail. I call these the You Can’t Voices.

And even worse than the You Can’t Voices, are the voices that try to remind us of all the good things we’re neglecting when we self-indulgently steal time to write. I call these the You Shouldn’t Voices.

Today I’m going to share some thoughts about those last two categories and how to silence the voices in your head.

Ten Things I Learned about Writing From Captain Jack Sparrow, Savvy?

by Edie Melson

I love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. And my favorite character, hands down, is Captain Jack Sparrow. 

I'm always searching for new ways to improve my writing and keep moving forward with my career. True gems I've found, come from some of the unlikeliest places.

Today I’d like to share some of those gems from Captain Jack Sparrow himself. 

So here are Ten Things I learned about writing from Jack Sparrow, Savvy? 

Dollars & Sense for Writers—Guidelines on Where & When to Spend Your Money—Part Six

by Edie Melson

This is an ongoing series designed to give writers guidelines on where & when to spend your money. 


If you missed the first five posts in the series you can find them here:

Part One: What Organizations Should I Join and Why? 

Part Two: Which Books Should I Own and Which Should I Get atthe Library—and What About Magazines, are They Still Relevant? 

Part Three: How to Evaluate Writing Workshops & Classes 

Part Four: When & How to Hire a Freelance Editor 

Part Five: Writing Conferences—When Am I Ready for One & Which OneShould I choose

Today we're going to talk about websites.

Indie Tuesday—Help! My Book and I Are Failures

by Charity Tinnin @CharityTinnin

I considered titling this post “How to Manage Your Expectations.” But, let’s be honest, that sounds too clinical. When sales aren’t meeting your goals, you and I are anything but clinical. “Help! My Book and I Are Failures” captures the panic a little better, don’t you think?

Let’s say, hypothetically, that you had a stellar release week for your indie debut. Ever since, however, you’re averaging one to four sales a week, and doubt creeps in. What if those sales dry up too? What if you don’t recoup your initial investment before book two? In fact, should you even bother with book two at this rate? 

At this point, you will be tempted to take advantage of the immediacy indie publishing allows. You can lower your pricing and change your Amazon or Barnes & Noble categories in less than five minutes. You can set up a Goodreads giveaway or buy a BookBub ad. Flood your Twitter or Facebook feed with ads. Maybe all of the above in the same weekend. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Social Media Monday—How, and Why, to Backup Your Blog

by Edie Melson

I hope by now everyone knows the importance of backing up your work. If you’ve spent any time at all working on a computer you know all too well that gut-wrenching feeling when you’ve lost something you’ve written.

Not a pleasant thing.

Well, I hate to break it to you, but the same thing can happen with your blog. It doesn’t matter where it’s hosted, things can go wrong. And since backing up your blog is so simple, there’s really NOT an excuse not to do it.

So today I’m going to share how—and why—to backup your blog.

Social Media Image—Christ is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter to you all! 

This will be my only post this weekend. I hope you all enjoy the holiday and never forget what we're truly celebrating.

...just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we too
might walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4

Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

I also invite you to use this image any way you like online. Post it to your blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, anywhere you'd like. All I ask is that you keep it intact, with my website watermark visible.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Writer Fuel—Tips to Help You Keep Going When You Don’t Feel Like It

by Edie Melson

As writers, most of us start our writing journey from a love of writing. It’s the way we process life. It’s an emotional driven process. But we can’t survive long on something that depends on how we feel. So we morph into serious writers and begin to write when we don’t necessarily feel like it. That’s when we all arrive at a crossroads of sort.

Am I going to choose to keep going when I don’t feel like it, or am I throwing in the towel?

I assume the majority of you reading this have passed through this intersection and are choosing to forge ahead. The decision to keep going is only part of the equation. Now you need the fuel to help you stay on track. These are a miscellaneous list of  environmental things, time management tips, even attitude adjustment hacks.