Like it or not, virtual panels are here to stay. And while authors used to merely have to throw on something nice to make appearances at signings and live events, now everyone needs to learn how to behave in front of a camera.
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I recently had a fellow writer ask me to do an entry about negative reviews and how I handle them. At the time I was like, ehhh, I don’t want to talk about that this week, but I’ll put it on the list. I can’t remember exactly why I didn’t want to talk about it, but probably I had just received a negative review. This week I feel ready! So let’s dive in!
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In case the term is new to you, body doubling refers to being on a call (usually a video call) with someone else in a different location where both of you are doing a task. I’ve tried body doubling with other writers, and it works! I’ll break down what I’ve found most effective.
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I am writing the advice I would have liked to give my past self. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly nuanced because this is a barometer I do believe you have to develop through experience. My younger self would have really enjoyed a roadmap though. She would have liked bullet points and a direction. So I will try to give you a rough one.
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Am I excited? Yes. (Am I exhausted? Also yes.) I’m proud of myself, I’m super happy that Ghost Tamer is out in the world, and I’m thrilled to be able to call myself a published author. But honestly the best part of this week has been having you all cheering me on. Thank you
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If you practice any art long enough, you’ll eventually have to fight through a period of time where you feel creatively tapped out. You’ll wonder, “Is that it? Maybe I blew my wad and it’ll never come back. Never be fun again.” Don’t worry, it’s not, you didn’t, and it will.
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Writers conferences can be fantastic fun and wonderful learning experiences. They can also be stressful and draining. Here are my five favorite tips for surviving conference season. Enjoy!
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It’s a common misconception that introverts are shrinking violets who cannot bear a conversation with strangers and extroverts are loud mouths who must be the center of attention. Obviously this isn’t the case or no one would be able to handle being around anyone. We all know we’re on a spectrum, but it has less to do with how you interact with people and more to do with how you recharge afterward.
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When should you force yourself to write when you’re not feeling like it and when are you doing more harm than good?
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If you’ve interacted with me in any way, shape, or form more than once, you’ll know that I have cats. Here are five things I’ve learned about writing from my cats, largely through no fault of their own.
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As a former competitive fighter, (and stage combatant) I’ll admit to being more judgmental than the average person when it comes to reading fight scenes. However, any reader can be ‘taken out’ of the narrative by a clunky fight scene. And there are a few things you can do to satisfy even picky former fighters who like to read fighty-fantasy.
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There are a couple of statistical phrases that I think about often. You know the ones: You read an article or a study somewhere, a while ago, and don’t remember anything about it other than this one takeaway. You don’t even remember the exact percentages or where the numbers came from, but this one thing sticks with you.
The five people you spend the most time with are solid indicators of your socio-economic status, interests, etc..
If you want to know what’s truly important to you, look at what you spend your money on.
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I was recently asked who motivates me when I am having a tough time putting one foot in front of the other, or have an overwhelming about of choices on my to do list. The short answer, is that I think it’s largely still me. But I’ll elaborate.
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I think it’s important to just keep showing up. Even though the outcome of showing up cannot be controlled. The one thing I can continue to do is my best. Even on the days when my best feels like a big fat failure, it’s what I can give. So I’ll keep on giving it. And I hope you will too.
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Do you ever wonder if your writer friends actually write you into their stories? What about your writer enemies? :-)
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There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but does one have a distinct leg up overall? And does it really matter if at the end, you get your work done?
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At the beginning of November, I posted an entry detailing my decision to participate in my first NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a writing ‘contest’ held every November. It’s free and the goal is to get to 50,000 words by the end of the month. Now that it’s over, here are my takeaways.
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Asking for help can be intimidating. There are three things I believe to be true:
The first ‘yes’ generates confidence and makes it easier to go after the next one.
People, as a rule, want to help where they can.
When you get those yeses, reciprocate. There’s always something you can give back.
This year a writing group that I’m a part of decided to enter NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) as a group. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time for me.
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In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time. - From Wikipedia
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