I hate it when things aren’t working right. Last week was a doozy. First, it was the microphone I use to record podcasts. (Yes, RMFW, the microphone you purchased to help start the podcasts– all $50 worth. It worked for two years & 77 podcasts and then pfffft.) It looked the same as always. Nothing…
Tag: the writing life
Spring Cleaning: Give Your Writing Space a Makeover
I have several writing spaces, including the couch, the library, and (weather permitting) the patio. But when I really need to focus, I have a designated, distraction-free place I can retreat to. I call it my “cave,” but it’s more like a hobbit hole: cozy, comfortable, and colorful. Here’s how I did it—complete with photos!—and…
Magic-Wand Words
Remember the Disney production of Cinderella, when the good witches waved their magic wands of blue, red and green? Their glitter flowed like Fourth of July sparklers, creating magic. That’s what my blog is about this month—the magic that happens with words. In an entire novel, only a few or at most several dozen of…
Lessons Learned from My First Writing Retreat
A few weeks ago I attended my first-ever writing retreat, organized by my friend and fellow writer Natasha Watts (of RMFW’s Writer’s Rehab). I spent a weekend in a cabin in the Rockies with five other writers, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my writing life. Here’s what I learned, and…
Lazy Writer’s Syndrome
Strategies to keep your story hot and productive There’s nothing worse than Lazy Writer’s Syndrome. There are no symptoms in its early stages. It only becomes apparent when we look up from our busy lives and realize we haven’t been writing for—oh, ten days, ten weeks–ten months. We have an ongoing accountability system in my critique group….