Writers’ Habits

Just Write by Tracy Krauss

Just write. This was the phrase I chose one year as my inspiration. I often choose a word or a phrase each year as a motivational tool to help keep me on track. Looking back, ‘just write’ is one of the simplest and most straight forward, yet it has had, perhaps, the most lasting impact…. Read more »

In the Dark About Dark Times by Tracy Krauss

This month’s prompt asked, “How do dark times enhance our writing?” I’m sure I blinked, not quite sure I understood the question. I felt stumped. I felt stymied. I felt ill equipped to write on this topic.

Celebration by Brenda J Wood

Ah yes, celebrations. Don’t we love them? Confetti, balloons, music and dancing, eating and drinking, all because we met a deadline or finished a manuscript. Maybe we even got the final edit over with and the actual book is delivered to our front door. Ah, yes; celebration indeed. Hold your horses. Before we enjoy that… Read more »

Writing While on Vacation by Pamela Mytroen

I have noticed that I do more creative writing in the summer than at any other time of the year. By looking at the reasons, maybe I can learn from my motivations and apply them to the winter months to increase my writing.

12 Ways to Make the Write Resolutions by Steph Beth Nickel

The New Year is rapidly approaching and many of us will soon be setting our goals (aka resolutions) for 2016. Where is writing on your list? If you are reading this post, it’s likely close to the top. Here are a dozen writing and writing-related goals you may want to include and tips on how… 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 »

Back in the Saddle by Janice L. Dick

I grew up riding horses. The rule was, if you fell off, you had to get back on again or you’d spoil the horse. Practical reasoning, uncomfortable application. And yet, to this day I love horses. This summer has been filled to the brim with family visits from England, British Columbia, and Japan, as well… 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 »

Does Absence Make the Pen Grow Stronger? by Pamela Mytroen

Ever thought about a long distance writing relationship? Like the old adage, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I wonder if some major distance from writing would make the pen grow stronger? According to a study in the Journal of Communication, (August 8, 2013, Molly Vorweck, USA Today, usatoday.com) long distance relationships were found to… Read more »

The Rest of the Story by Pamela Mytroen

Does a writer’s waking time impact their creativity? This is a question worth asking, as the amount and quality of sleep have obvious effects upon our alertness and ability to concentrate, two skills that we all need. Sleep Patterns Examined Maria Popova, a Bulgarian writer, blogger, and critic from New York, asked this same question…. Read more »