Encouragement
Writing When Life Gets Crazy by Pamela Mytroen
When isn’t life crazy? Job, family responsibilities, and news events crash against us like the wind batting and shaking our homes. If that’s not enough, then the media whispers ceaselessly around the cracks of our windows, letting us know that we are not beautiful, wealthy, or powerful enough. And yet we must take time to… Read more »
Nothing is Wasted by Violet Nesdoly
For most of us writers, working demands a certain amount of predictability and solitude. But life doesn’t always deliver that. Sometimes it gets crazy. Then the question becomes this: Do we continue to write or do we drop the pen and surrender to circumstances? To begin to answer these questions, let’s look at some of… Read more »
Colour Me Gracious by Brenda J. Wood
Writers’ groups and their goals are as varied as the words on a page. They range from the tender and all-forgiving to the meanest criticism in the world. I’ve been a member of both types of groups and I definitely prefer the kinder kind. Unfortunately, some people thrive on shredding your work to pieces because… Read more »
‘S Fhada Bho Nach Fhaca Mi Sibh by Steph Beth Nickel
A bheil Gàdhlig agaibh? (Do you speak Scottish Gaelic?) I don’t imagine I’ll even be able to honestly answer, “Tha, beagan” (yes, a little), though when this post goes live, I will have just returned from two weeks across the Pond, where my son will have been married on the shores of Loch Earn, north… Read more »
Sit on It by Brenda J. Wood
“Back in the saddle” refers to a cowboy who returned to work after recovering from an injury. Gene Autry’s song made it a household phrase. Unfortunately, it also means the back part of a chicken, the part nearest its tail. Now I’m not saying that writer’s block turns us into chicken-livered, yellow-belly, word avoiders, but… Read more »
A Sabbatical, Not an Excuse by Tracy Krauss
The book of Ecclesiastics tells us that there is a season to every activity. We are all familiar with the “list,” but nowhere does it say, “A time to write and a time to refrain from writing.” Still, God Himself provides us with a cyclical example by resting on the seventh day. It is reasonable… Read more »
Writing for Therapy by Jack Popjes
The complete title of this piece is “Writing for Therapy, Not for Publication: A Testimonial.” During the summer months I like to take a break from writing for publication, even from weekly blogging. Instead, I like to focus on reading widely, checking out books by authors new to me, stretching my mind with new ideas,… Read more »
Vacation without Guilt by Violet Nesdoly
I’ve just returned from a three-week vacation. Therefore, I’m as in-touch with being in holiday mode as I’ve ever been. I spend much of each workday on writing and writing-related activities so it was from these thing I wanted a holiday. I was ready for a break by the middle of June! I decided this… Read more »
10 Excuses I Hear Most Often
Thanks to Brenda Wood for sharing Lucy V. Hay’s post. 1. “I wish . . .” Stop it. Just stop it. You want to write? Do it. You want to try your hand at another type of writing? Do it. You want to change genres? Do it. DO IT! You get the gist. Life is… Read more »
Take Charge of Your Writing Life by Tracy Krauss
For most of the writers I know, finding ideas to write about is not an issue. Finding the time to craft these ideas into something worthy of sharing is another thing altogether. It takes effort. It takes discipline. It takes a certain amount of dogged determination.