Author Archives: Steph Nickel

Love Your Readers Passionately or Don’t Bother Writing by Jack Popjes

My wife and I occasionally have a cooking date. Instead of going to a movie or having dinner out, we spend our date in the kitchen, making a fabulous appetizer, preparing a fancy dessert, or cooking a meal so complicated and work intensive my wife would never cook it for the family on her own…. Read more »

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Fall in Love with Writing Again by Pamela Mytroen

Do you ever feel as though you have “fallen out of love” with your writing projects? Like writing has become the drudgery of laundry and dishes instead of the heart-pounding flutter it used to be? Would you like those feelings back?

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Digging Deeper by Carolyn R. Wilker

In a recent class I taught on finding the stories that matter, my retired adult students named people they’d like to write about and more importantly, people in their lives who meant a great deal to them. The students’ stories, in this case, often came from childhood memories.

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Get Busy and Get It Done by Janice L. Dick

The Christmas season has come and gone and the New Year is upon us. My non-literary life has been busy, but I can’t come up with any more reasonable excuses to take time off from the hard work of writing, so I’ve been crafting guest blogs for various sites I’ve committed to. I thought I’d… Read more »

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Willing to Move by Brenda J. Wood

I told myself I’d earned a rest from the drudgery of real life. What would a few days matter anyway? Presents were purchased, wrapped, and delivered. Cookies and pies lined the freezer walls. Those with nowhere to go had been invited to share our turkey dinner. Why, I’d even cleaned long neglected corners. What else… Read more »

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Writers Must Read by Steph Beth Nickel

Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

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Happy New Year

It’s here . . . a brand new year with brand new writing opportunities. Here are twelve suggestions to make this your best year yet:

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Christmas Greetings

From the team (Janice Dick, Pamela Mytroen, Steph Nickel, Jack Popjes, Carolyn Wilker, Brenda Wood) . . .

Greetings Permalink

From Desperation to a Treasured Tradition by Jack Popjes

“I’m the cookie baker,” my wife, Jo, said, looking up from her flour covered kitchen counter, “and you’re the problem solver, so solve this one and do something to make this place look festive and Christmassy. And, hon,” she added with a rueful smile, “no cookie tree this time.”

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Three Basics of Productive Writing by Pamela Mytroen

Pandemonium in an English Language Arts classroom reminded me just how important three vital elements are when it comes to productive writing. Once these missing elements were in place, the students began cranking out assignment after assignment. These disciplines should help all writers become productive.

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