I’m spoiled as a writer. I’m so plugged into my technology that I never pay attention to it unless it stops working. That’s a situation I’m facing now, as the T, R, 5, and -(dash) key have all stopped working on my laptop. That probably means a $500 – $600 repair on a laptop that’s about six months from its “best by” date anyway, so I bought a rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard instead. That inspired me to take a look at … Read More »

We’ve blocked off our time and we’ve sat ourselves down and we’ve ignored the distractions of our day to get words on the page. But at some point, our enthusiasm winds down. We find ourselves grasping for the next paragraph and then the next line and then the next word, feeling as if our work is going nowhere. We’re lost. Our work has not only veered off the road of its through line, it isn’t even on the side road … Read More »

I just (figuratively) typed “The End” on the draft of a recently completed novella. It was a great experience, and I enjoyed every minute of the researching, writing, editing, and commiserating with my co-author. But it was done, and my brain needed to step away and take a well-deserved break. After the last read through (does the minor editing EVER end?), I saved the final version, closed the inspirational image on the screen that had filled in for one of … Read More »

Marking the change of one year to the next often spurs us to reflect on the recent past and consider how we might change our lives for the better. For writers, this reflection inevitably includes looking at what we have accomplished in our writing life over the past year. For some, this means adding up their published projects. For others, it’s adding up a word count on a work in progress. In 2018, will you finish a book started years … Read More »

If you love technology and gadgets, it’s rather frustrating as a writer, because there’s not much to help us do our jobs better. Photographers have apps that help with lighting issues and improving their photos. Visual artists can sketch and draw on their phones and tablets. Even musicians have apps to help them record, mix, and share their music. Meanwhile, writers have word processors and, well, more word processors. There are things to help us be writers, but not much … Read More »

It’s bound to happen, sooner or later. You’re working away, making good progress, then you skid to a halt. Your fingers pause above the keys as you will them to continue, but nothing happens. The harder you try, the worse it becomes. Don’t despair – there are a couple of things worth trying before the hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing begins. Get up and leave. I know, it sounds crazy, right? I’ve tried this and it works! I mentally “bookmark” where I … Read More »