By Ronda Simmons So, I’m in my office staring at a blank screen. I can’t figure out what’s wrong. My dog is sleeping at my feet, a hot cup of tea sits next to my keyboard, and the house is quiet. Why can’t I write? I’m not hungry, or itchy, or tired. I am notContinue reading “The Weird And Wonderful Habits We Love”
Category Archives: Advice
The Highs And Lows of Writing
By David E. Sharp When I naively embarked on a quest to write and publish my first novel, I felt like I was climbing a mountain. Every step took me closer to the summit. Sometimes it seemed within reach. Other times I couldn’t see it, and I questioned whether it was really up there. ButContinue reading “The Highs And Lows of Writing”
I Am A Literary Hypochondriac
By Eleanor Shelton I come by it, naturally. My aunt was always dying of something horrible (she actually did die of something terrible). My grandmother was convinced she had cancer (she never had cancer). If I have a headache, an ache, a pain, I’m sure I have COVID, an autoimmune disease, or malignant tumors. JustContinue reading “I Am A Literary Hypochondriac”
Imposter Syndrome
By David E. Sharp I recently served on a panel for the Greeley Creative District with several other “area creatives” gifted in art, music, writing, and various other ventures. The topic centered around a familiar issue: Imposter Syndrome. What is it? How do we cope? And when have we accomplished enough that we can stopContinue reading “Imposter Syndrome”
Talk Nerdy to Me
By Miranda Brit Bored of being at home? Tired of playing the same old games over and over again? How about some Dungeons & Dragons (D&D for short)? It’s fun for the whole family, and it’s an excellent writing aid to boot. What does D&D have to do with writing, you ask? More than you’dContinue reading “Talk Nerdy to Me”
Confessions of A NaNoWriMo Failure
By Ronda Simmons Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write an entire first draft, fifty thousand words, during November. If things go well, you’ll have a manuscript at the end of the thirty days of the eleventh month.
Five Books I’m Glad I Read in School
By Brian Kaufman I asked a writer friend if he’d ever read a particular classic novel. His face puckered up as he admitted, “Yes, I had to read that for school.” There’s not enough time for all the great books. My friend, author Pat Stoltey, recently told me, “My worst moment when I was aContinue reading “Five Books I’m Glad I Read in School”
The Perfect Antidote
By Eleanor Shelton The sun is shining brightly over the mountains, there are hiking trails, time galore to do what you want, wine, good food, naps, reading. It sounds like the perfect vacation, right? Except, it’s a writing retreat. So, where’s the writing? Where’s the inspiration when you have the ideal time for it? WhatContinue reading “The Perfect Antidote”
We Need Dependable, Not Inspirational
By Miranda Birt Who here has heard habit trumps motivation? I’ve mostly heard this phrase at conferences, in interviews, on YouTube, and anywhere else a person can listen to writing advice. They all say the same thing: “if you want to be successful, you need to make writing a habit.” I think it makes totalContinue reading “We Need Dependable, Not Inspirational”
Getting Off of The Struggle Bus
By Ronda Simmons The pandemic has passed the six-month mark, and I’ve been riding the struggle bus. Michael Christensen defines the struggle bus as “an imaginary bus representing a state of perpetual struggles or difficulties. A metaphor that relates physically riding a bus with going through hardships. Used with the same terminology of riding anContinue reading “Getting Off of The Struggle Bus”
