Blog
Office Hours by Tracy Krauss
I love a schedule. I’m a list maker and get genuinely excited about calendars, dayplanners, and online tools. During this season of COVID, I have found that keeping a schedule is even more important for my mental health than previously. It helps me to stay focused, gives me a sense of purpose (and a reason… Read more »
Perfection Spells Paralysis by Pamela Mytroen
I’ve always had a difficult time making decisions. Once when I couldn’t decide which shoes to buy, I bought every pair I tried on for fear of missing out on the colour of one pair, the price of another, and the style of the other two. They were all great quality, and all four pair… Read more »
Pitch Perfect by Pamela Mytroen
Are you still waiting for publications to ask you for your stellar stories? Don’t wait! Whether you’re a regular writer with specific content assigned, or you haven’t broken in to the market yet, you can still pitch your own ideas. Publications appreciate potential stories, and it’s also an opportunity to write something about which you… Read more »
Lists for Writers by Steph Beth Nickel
Many of us would be lost without our To-Do list. And what about our grocery list? If you’re anything like me, a trip to the grocery store without a list usually means picking up several sale items I know we’ll use someday as well as several snacks that catch my eye. I definitely don’t trust… Read more »
Is Writing All Over Me? by Brenda J. Wood
I feel an obligation to write. Therefore, I read articles about writing. I join online teaching events. I buy books about writing. I write books about writing. I teach writing classes. I am all over writing, but is writing all over me? As a Christian, what are my writing obligations? Can I write what I… Read more »
Writing on the Ark by Brenda J Wood
Noah sits blissfully at his desk on the ark, surrounded by bleating sheep, roaring lions, and difficult relatives. He has an obligation to record the daily goings-on in his new book, Live the Life You Dreamed. His wife calls him to dinner. His kids want attention. The squirrels steal into birdcages and steal food. The… Read more »
Too Tired for the Journey by Steph Beth Nickel
Twenty-twenty-one stretches out before us. Some of us are excited by all the possibilities. Others … not so much. We get tired just thinking about the next twelve months. It’s possible that the majority of us vacillate between the two. Some days we’re optimistic and energized. Other days we want to pull the covers over… Read more »
The Writing Community by Steph Beth Nickel
Combine the solitary nature of writing plus the restrictions of 2020 and it can take the wind out of our sails. Even introverts who are thankful not to have social obligations hanging over them may find it hard to get their creative gears turning. But just because our social lives have been severely curtailed doesn’t… Read more »
Writing with Authenticity by Pamela Mytroen
Red CPR engines stormed by, just beyond the platform, shaking the window of the little dormer I stood in. My sister and I held each other and laughed at the thunder of what had become routine. The little nook of my Canadian Pacific Railway home, in which my sister and I enacted many doll-house mysteries,… Read more »
Your Audience: Who They’re Not by Steph Beth Nickel
You must niche down. Have you created an avatar? What are the demographics of those you’re seeking to reach? And … I’m ready to pack it in. I’m eclectically interested and eclectically involved. I can’t imagine writing for one specific woman who personifies my audience. Guess what. I don’t have to. Well, not really. I… Read more »