Breath Prayers for Writers

by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

You’d think, as writers, that we would have all the words.

But, as writers, we know better than anyone that sometimes words are hard. 

We might struggle to find the words for any number of reasons. 

We don’t live life in a vacuum, so the impact of family dynamics, busy schedules, illness, fatigue, work challenges…even the weather can twist us into knots and make it difficult to settle our brain so we can create. 

And let’s not forget all the things that can stress us out about our writing. Deadlines, revisions, submissions, reviews…on any given day, our mind can run off the rails and into a spiral of anxiety and fear that can cripple our creative spirit. 

Information Authors Need To Be Prepared for the Best Media Interviews

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

In teaching about media interviews at conferences, many authors have questions. As a former TV host and a guest on more than 100 shows and repeat guest on favorite TV shows, let me share some answers to questions asked when I teach at conferences.

Dos and Don'ts Every Writer Needs to Know

by Crystal Bowman

Through the course of my writing years, I have kept a list of helpful tips I’ve gleaned from other writers, editors, and mentors. Though some of these tips are pretty basic, they are good reminders and I read through the list every now and then just to brush up. No matter where we are on our writing journey, it’s always good to review the dos and don’ts.

Writing an Un-Put-Downable Character (Part 5 of 10): Interests

by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author

When you make a connection with another person in life, what do you do? I'm not sure how it works for you, but when I'm trying to get to know someone, I ask about their hobbies. 

Would you believe it works the same way for fictional people too?

The Stepping Stones of Our Writing

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Clunk, clunk, clunk. 

I hopped to each stepping stone and landed with a thud. This would be fun if I were five years old. The stones I had spaced were so far apart that crossing the yard felt awkward. Sometimes I had to leap. How unnatural. What was I thinking?

What’s Holding You Back?

So often, when I tell people I’m a writer, they’ll look at me, sigh and tell me how they want to write . . . if only.

By now I've heard just about every excuse in the book—and truth be told—used a lot of them myself. 

The truth of the matter is that everybody has an excuse NOT to follow their dream. We're all busy. We're all dealing with crazy family issues of one type or another. None of us have enough money to make it easy to do it. The list goes on and on.

But really, the important point is why you SHOULD follow your dream. Life's too short and too precious to waste time doing things we're NOT passionate about. Okay, very few have the luxury of ONLY doing what they're passionate about, but even that is just another excuse.