I’m too old, I’m too tired, I can’t write for hours anymore… But something won’t let me quit writing! Is there a solution? Through a lot of trial and error, I found the solution for me: the 5-Minute Life. It didn’t just revolutionize my writing. You can also break a bad habit, or start a […]
Kristi Holl
Want a 40% Increase in Your Writing Energy NOW?
Lately, I’ve been short on energy, even when I had enough time to write. Like most “modern” writers, I take short (unproductive, but frequent) breaks to check email or social media posts. In a word, I multitask. Multitasking: the Energy Drain Yes, I’d heard that multitasking was bad, but I figured I must be the […]
Who Should You Trust?
If you have experienced betrayal as an adult, or abuse as a child, trust is a big, scary deal. You are a rare person if, in today’s world, you don’t have trust issues. Who can you trust? Who shouldn’t you trust? What are the signs? If someone is sorry for betrayal, does that make them […]
Cure Procrastination with Post-It Notes
When I hit a slump, or my mind is ruminating on a problem, or maybe I just don’t feel like writing anymore, I pause. I breathe. Then I peruse the colored Post-It notes scattered around my desk. Truth in a Nutshell Some are quotes from books I’ve read. Others are catchy sayings from a podcast […]
Mind the Gap!
I love the ringing sound of “Mind the Gap!” when British train doors slide open at a station platform. “Mind the Gap!” is an audible (or visual) warning. It’s issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the space between the train door and the station platform. “Mind the Gap!” The phrase was first […]
Your Unique Writing Gift
If you lack confidence in your writing ability… If you doubt that you have anything unique to say to a reader… If you think it doesn’t matter if you share your writing with the world, you’ll want to read this. Your Writing is Unique Last week when in Waco, TX, I visited the beautiful Homestead […]
Mastering Mood-Dependent Writing Stages
Several days this week I was tired and headache-y, yet I needed to get some writing done. I don’t know about you, but I find writing a grueling challenge on the rare days I feel rotten. That’s why I found one particular chapter in The Write Type by Karen E. Peterson very encouraging. The author […]
Getting Unstuck after 2020
After losing two family members in the pandemic, I had a month-long severe reaction this spring to my second Covid shot. When I resurfaced, feeling practically comatose, I was behind on one Christmas mystery book deadline and a novel (set in 1850s England.) None of my decades-old “get started” techniques worked, which induced a near […]
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results from Atomic Habits
A new book was released officially today that I hope every one of you will buy. A couple of weeks ago, I received and listened to an early audio recording of Atomic Habits by James Clear. And I’m eager to read it when my hard copy arrives today. James Clear’s work has been covered by dozens […]
Focus Shift: Photoshop Your Moods!
In addition to a Covid family death, I lost two friends in December, plus my last (and favorite) uncle. The focus was on grieving, plus a severe autoimmune flare-up it caused. With Christmas around the corner, I found it difficult to feel the joy of the season. And writing? That felt out of the question, […]