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 […]
health
The Necessity of Solitude: Refilling the Well
Women are givers. Women writers are some of the most giving people I know. We tend to have stronger relationships because of it–with babies, grown children, grandchildren, friends, and extended family. But unless you learn how to balance all this giving with replenishment found in solitude, you’ll find it nearly impossible to write. Every time […]
Beware! Burnout Ahead
“Writing is not everything,” says Lisa Shearin in Writer Magazine. “And if you want longevity in this business, play isn’t just important–it’s critical. We get so intensely focused on having achieved the dream and working so hard to keep the dream going, that we’re blind to the signs that if we keep going down that […]
Resting and Reflecting Before Re-Aligning
Since I last posted regularly, I’ve written three books (two adult mysteries and one juvenile nonfiction book), traveled, and been sick. The holidays blurred by, to be honest, because one of the book deadlines was December 20th. Two days ago I finished the second adult mystery. One good thing about being sick is all the […]
Self-Care for Writers Series
If your year has included sickness and/or a lot of deadlines, and you’re dragging yourself into the New Year, I want to point you to a series on self-care for writers. I am making self-care my “push goal” for 2016. (Michael Hyatt calls a push goal the one goal that, if you met it, would […]
The Pain of Overload
As I mentioned last time, writers need margin in their lives in order to write. However, margin has disappeared for many people. Frazzled mothers, office workers, retired grandparents, and other writers struggle to find both time and energy to write. Make no mistake: it is harder today than at any other time in history. It’s […]
Restoring Balance
Each person has his or her own set of priorities. However, remember that time is finite. It can’t be stretched, saved, or borrowed. The time devoted to things must be balanced. If we give too much in one area we neglect our duty in another important area. Restore Balance Now Here are Richard Swenson’s suggestions […]
Lions, and Tigers, and Bears…oh my!
Deadlines, and funerals, and a computer virus…oh my! It’s been one of those weeks! (Photo courtesy of http://the-english-spot.blogspot.com/2009/11/cartoon-idiom-to-be-swamped.html) A Few Days Later It’s the weekend, and I’m more tired than I’ve been in a good long while. And with the holidays coming, I’ve plotted my deadlines and weekly/daily writing “must do” lists on a giant […]
Beware! Burnout Ahead!
Published writers, beware! “Writing is not everything,” Lisa Shearin said in a 2010 Writer Magazine. “And if you want longevity in this business, play isn’t just important–it’s critical. We get so intensely focused on having achieved the dream and working so hard to keep the dream going, that we’re blind to the signs that if […]
Writing Through Physical Pain
When my kids were toddlers and in grade school, I was wired shut for eleven weeks after two jaw surgeries. I’d had some health problems over the years, but being wired shut topped them all. I couldn’t talk to my four small children or even call a friend. I was dying to talk, but couldn’t. […]