We watched Spider-Man: Homecoming this weekend for family movie night. It was a re-watch for us, but I loved Peter Parker’s earnestness all over again. He’s hungry to help people, to be useful, to use his unique talents for good. While waiting for a possible call from Tony Stark (aka, Iron Man) he monitors hisContinue reading “Creativity is Your Super Power”
Tag Archives: Writing Community
Happy New Year! My 2024 Word
Happy New Year, writers and friends! I hope you had a lovely holiday. I spent the last two weeks snuggled with family and enjoying time with friends. I gave myself permission to let go of the pressure of what I should be doing and took time to simply be present. It was a much neededContinue reading “Happy New Year! My 2024 Word”
Twas the Night Before Writing
It’s officially that weird week where, if you are like me, you’re trying to hold down regular routines while your to-do list of non-work tasks continues to grow and the clock is ticking and it makes you feel like nothing is actually getting accomplished. So first, I want to offer you all permission to handleContinue reading “Twas the Night Before Writing”
Fail to Succeed to Advance Your Writing Career
A friend posted this Michael Jordan quote on her LinkedIn profile recently: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why IContinue reading “Fail to Succeed to Advance Your Writing Career”
Finding the Writing Routine that Works for YOUR Work
Writing is about perseverance. You have to keep going. The work only gets done if you keep writing. The revision only gets done by revising. The querying is only successful if you keep sending them out. This week, I posted a quote from Neil Gaiman over on Instagram: “This is how you do it: youContinue reading “Finding the Writing Routine that Works for YOUR Work”
My Craft Book Recommendations for the Holidays or Any Writing Day
Writing is an iterative process. Each draft improves the more we work on it. Each new manuscript improves the more we learn. And as writers, there are a myriad ways to learn every day. We learn every time we notice the light through the trees, taste something new, experience an unlikely emotion in a mundaneContinue reading “My Craft Book Recommendations for the Holidays or Any Writing Day”
When Receiving Feedback Be Curious, Not Judgmental
Receiving feedback is often just as hard as a rejection. We send off our work to a friend, critique partner, beta reader, editor, and while we do these things for the constructive feedback these readers can impart, there is a large part of ourselves hoping for a gold star. “I found nothing wrong, it’s perfect!Continue reading “When Receiving Feedback Be Curious, Not Judgmental”
The Key to Querying: Do Your Research
When I worked in public relations, I spent a ton of time in my entry-level years building media lists. And while the drudgery of culling through the giant Bacon’s Media Directories back in the dark ages of media research was mind-numbing, I learned a lot. I learned how to find the right match for theContinue reading “The Key to Querying: Do Your Research”
Finding New Story Ideas
Are you the kind of writer brimming with new ideas? Do you have journals full of starts or slips of ideas in your phone’s notes app? Do you have a stack of post-its with interesting what ifs? When it’s time to start writing is it just a matter of picking one of these ideas andContinue reading “Finding New Story Ideas”
Who is Your Ideal Reader?
During my time working in public relations, one thing was paramount: the target audience. Whether it was a health message, a consumer message, or a public affairs message, I needed to know exactly who the target of the campaign was to help craft the message and determine the best means of delivery. The options wereContinue reading “Who is Your Ideal Reader?”