After blogging just once per week for five months, I’ve decided that this frequency isn’t often enough to share what I want to share. I plan to go back to blogging here twice a week. On Tuesdays I will discuss some “first aid help for writers” topic. On Fridays I plan to give you resources […]
Kristi Holl
Creativity: Inside or Outside the Box?
If trying to be creative feels like slogging through mud lately, you may be trying too hard. If so, I’ve got good news for you! Several articles I’ve read lately disputed the idea that “thinking outside the box” is the way to be more creative. It’s given me hope, as I don’t tend to be […]
It's My Company Policy
About every two years, I get a wake-up call when some form of exhaustion sets in. Without noticing, I have fudged on bedtimes, let boundaries be way too flexible, or simply taken on more than I should have. Time to Re-Group Then I have to sit down and play the game called “Where’d My Time […]
Help is Just a Click Away
Have you collected quotes and free ebooks and downloads from the Internet? Do you remember to document the source of your information (the URL)? I nearly always forget. Copying and pasting the information and a long URL was a headache. Until now. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the Quote Below is a quote […]
Motivation or Committment? [Part Two]
Last week I talked about motivation and commitment, and we discussed the differences and definitions. [Read “Motivation or Commitment? Only ONE is Necessary” first.] Motivation can be fleeting, but real commitment is here to stay. The WHY Behind Committment Commitments come in different sizes. I am committed to big things (my marriage, children, and […]
Measuring Success: Changing Times, Changing Goals
Before reading a great article last week, I secretly feared I had lost my drive to write. Not my “want to.” Just my drive. For thirty years I’ve set goals, worked hard toward meeting them (some called me “driven”), achieved most of them, then set more. I happily set one-year goals, five-year goals, and ten-year […]
Creative Juices
Nothing comes from nothing. If you’re having trouble with creative OUTput, it could well be because you have little creative INput. I know–because that’s been my problem the past few months. I’ve been trying to fish from an empty pond. I’ve been trying to draw a drink of cool water from an empty well. The […]
Writing Dreams Fulfilled
Will 2012 be the year your writing dreams come true? This is the big weekend for putting up Christmas lights and (if you have the stamina) hitting the malls to start your Christmas shopping. Before you do that–while there is still a bit of sand left in the hour glass–let me suggest that you do […]
Critiqued? Cry and Throw Things
Your novel is done–or as “done” as you can make it–and you’re ready for it to be read. It’s both exciting and fearsome to turn it over to a fellow writer for a critique. You have high hopes. You want an honest critique so that it helps you along the path to publication. On the […]
Pacifiers or Catalysts: Your Choice
I’ve noticed one amazing thing about myself and other writers who claim to want to write more than anything else. Something odd takes over, and we fill the free time of our lives with all kinds of non-writing activities. We reach for things that make us feel good, that quell any anxiety we might be feeling, […]