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 »

It’s that most wonderful time of the year. Anticipation is high. For many writers, there’s feasting to prepare and consume and various celebrations to attend. Increased shopping. Increased cleaning. Increased family time. And a couple of extra days off your day job for the winter holidays means increased writing time. Yay! Right? It always seems like fitting in more writing time during the holidays is feasible, but is it? For most of us, time to write is sparing at best. … Read More »

When writing is something we make time for, the phenomena known as “writer’s block” can be frustrating. Writer’s block is when we sit down to write, look at the white space following the last line we wrote and blank out. Having an outline or synopsis or idea of where we’re going with the work is no guarantee against writer’s block. We all hit that moment when our brains and fingers simply stop and we can’t find the next word or … Read More »

Work, caring for a home, kids of any age, setting boundaries to give ourselves time to write—where does exercise fit in? Who has time for that? Writing is a sedentary activity and it’s important to read if we want to write, but that’s also a sedentary activity. The writing life is filled with coffee or tea and a lot of sitting around! But our doctor and spouse and kids aren’t going to accept that excuse for our extra weight, high-blood … Read More »

We all eavesdrop a little, but for the most part Americans in general are told to mind their own business. As writers, we teach ourselves to block out distraction and my spouse swears that I, for one, can write through most commotion that doesn’t involve gunshots or open fractures. But when not actively writing, I eavesdrop everywhere. Eavesdropping can give you unique or catchy character names (Belson Garcia), occupations you hadn’t considered for the funny little character you don’t have … Read More »