Back in January many of you joined me in the “31 Minutes for 31 Days Challenge.” That jump started many of us for the new year. In February I did my first 28-Day Challenge with two writing friends, and March began our second 28-day Challenge. (The Challenge has been to write at least 30 minutes […]
Kristi Holl
Direction, not Intention
All of our actions have results, or consequences. That’s not news to anyone. And yet, do we act like we believe that? Not all that often. Good Intentions Too many writers (myself included sometimes) believe that if we work our hardest and try our best and keep a good attitude, we’ll end up successfully published. […]
Hatch or Go Rotten!
Sometimes we just need to get moving toward our writing dreams. “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an […]
Finding Energy to Pursue Goals
We hear a lot about setting writing goals. Do any of you have secret thoughts like these? Setting goals is great, but I don’t have the energy to pursue them or I’m already so exhausted that I can’t add one more thing to my life—even something I love. Is that you? Then you’ve come to the […]
Self-Care Secrets to Creating More Time
Do you feel as if you’re forever running to catch up and keep up? Is finding any time at all to write a challenge for you? Over my thirty years of writing, that has been an ongoing challenge. Often the problem was my lack of boundaries in many areas of my life. (The problem is so prevalent […]
How to Recover Your Writing Energy–All Day Long!
You don’t want to be a sprinter in the writing life. You want to be a marathon writer. To do so requires “ebb and flow” throughout your day. The tide goes out all day (energy spent writing and doing writing-related activities), but the tide must come back in (energy renewal). How Much Is Enough? I […]
How to Take Charge of Your Writing Life
Welcome! I’m glad to see that you found me at my new “home.” As promised, starting today I’m giving away a free e-book for frustrated writers. Rx for Writers: Managing Your Writing Space and Your Writing Time is short, but it contains solid advice for three of a writer’s biggest problems: 1. following through on our […]
Three Reasons Your Writing Life Isn't Working–and What To Do
What’s wrong with me? you wonder. Why doesn’t this writing advice work? A third worrisome thought nibbles at the back of your brain: Maybe I’m not a writer after all. Not to worry. I’ve identified three of the most common reasons why writers don’t get their writing done. And I’ve put together an overall solution […]
What's Hindering You?
Are you dragging around excess baggage? Is there “stuff” taking up space that you need to dump overboard so you can pick up some speed? Chasing Dreams I’ve been struggling with this issue lately, and it reminded me of a period in our country’s history. Each spring from 1841-1861 Independence, Missouri, was crowded with thousands […]
Habits: Anchors for the Writer's Life
“Habits are the little anchors that keep us from straying very far from the lifestyle to which we’ve become accustomed, whether that lifestyle makes us happy or miserable.” ~~from Karen Scalf Linamen’s book Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight. Habits: Help or Hindrance? We all have habits that either support or hinder our writing lives. [NOTE: I’m […]