Today, I’m going to show you the little “British touches” in my cottage that I love and will miss back in Texas: the architecture (crooked beams above the windows and slabs of stone above the fireplace and door), the skeleton key lock and letter box (the “plop” of the village magazine landing on the mat […]
recovery
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 […]
How the Chunky Method Saved My Life
A couple of months ago, after being sick and traveling and meeting two book deadlines, I stalled when given some unwelcome health news which required tests and more tests. I got really, really behind on an adult mystery, and for hours I would struggle to write, only to throw it all out at the end […]
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 […]
The Writing Life: Stopping "Unintentional Acceleration Syndrome"
Have you ever had the experience of driving a car which suddenly–and for no apparent reason–accelerates? Applying the brakes has no effect. It sometimes happens with certain defects in cars, and while the driver can see the accident about to happen, he is powerless to do anything about it. Symptoms of Acceleration Syndrome Many writers […]
The Necessity of Solitude
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, friends, and extended family. But unless you learn how to balance all this giving with replenishment, you’ll find it nearly impossible to write. Gift from the Sea It has […]
Saying YES to the Writer Inside You
Maya Angelou said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” I don’t know about that. I’ve had some bigger agonies in my life than that. HOWEVER, after several years of burying an untold story inside me, I’ve decided to take some concentrated time to get the story on paper. Halting […]
Let's All Say "Ahhhhhhhh…" and Retreat!
Even when life is going well, the writing pressures, the marketing, the waiting, and the deadlines can make you dream of taking a writing retreat. Add in too many volunteer activities, caring for a baby, taking elderly parents to all their doctors’ appointments, and some days you want to run away. Last week I mentioned […]
Writers: Practice What You Preach
I got home late last night from the Highlights Foundation’s “Sharing Our Hope” workshop, where I did a lot of preaching about the importance of self-care for writers and how absolutely critical it is to our writing lives. We had a marvelous time together and forged new friendships. Even so, after “giving out” for several […]
Pacifiers or Catalysts: Your Choice
What if you’re tired of your non-writing rut, but you can’t seem to crawl out of it either? 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 […]