Blog
Gratitude in the Life of a Writer by Lynne Collier
I’m sitting here in my office, overlooking my gardens. The sun’s shining through the windows, offering warmth on a cool morning. Robins and chickadees serenade as I type. I feel very grateful. It’s so easy to take all the small blessings for granted on busy days. Small blessings … Are any blessings actually small? I’m… Read more »
So What? My Take on Creative Nonfiction by Pamela Mytroen
“So what?” asked a young friend of ours after he preached his first sermon. My head swivelled back to the front of the church. I thought our friend had finished his presentation. Now I was curious. Was he saying that his first tender thoughts spoken aloud were in some way trivial and meaningless? Was he… Read more »
Pressing On, Not Stressing Out by Pamela Mytroen
Olympic athletes need a strategy to gain that millisecond over their competitor. Dr. Mark Rosekind, Olympic athlete sleep specialist, says that sleep, or rest, is the edge that creates winners (Georgina Bernard, “Do Olympic Athletes Have Rest Days?” Feb2018). Rest days are precious to athletes because they are taken very rarely. There are three different… Read more »
Don’t Fear Failure by Steph Beth Nickel
As creatives, it’s important that we become resilient. Last time we talked about why we shouldn’t fear rejection. This time we’re going to talk about a related topic, the fear of failure. The two are intricately connected, but they’re not exactly the same. We must determine for ourselves how we define both failure and success…. Read more »
Don’t Fear Rejection by Steph Beth Nickel
“We regret to inform you …” None of us wants to read an email that begins this way. In the Olden Days The best rejection letter I ever received via snail mail (remember that?) was a barely legible bullet list. The final option on the page was “Because our mother told us to.” Talk about… Read more »
Where Do You Find Inspiration? Lynne Collier
As you plan a new writing project, where do you find inspiration? Do you have a fantastic title idea then sit at a blank page and wait for fantastic words to appear? Or do you get a sudden idea for a complete novel with character profiles and names and find yourself frantically searching for a… Read more »
Does Your Voice Matter by Lynne Collier
It took me a few years to get serious about writing. Like most writers, I questioned if my writing voice could possibly be important to the world. Especially today with all the self-published books on Amazon because the need for a royalty publisher is no longer necessary for publication. In the beginning, it seemed overwhelming… Read more »
Are Passion and Purpose Compatible by Steph Beth Nickel
When Direction is Needed Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t necessarily mean you should pursue it. But, conversely, that passion may be evidence of God’s call on your life. Discernment needed! I used to refer to myself as eclectically interested and eclectically involved. These are still true of me. However, I’m learning the importance… Read more »
Scheduling the SMART Way by Tracy Krauss
Last time I mentioned the importance of creating some kind of schedule if one wishes to be a productive writer. This includes creating SMART goals for various projects. More on those in a bit. I recommend blocking out time that is specifically for writing – not social media, not marketing, not checking emails… Just writing…. Read more »
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 »