What Is A Commonplace Book? Lately, I've been seeing many posts about commonplace books. Once I discovered what commonplace books were, I was surprised I hadn't kept one before. Then I realized that I have kept commonplace books, only I called them quote journals. Maybe you have too. Commonplace books can act as second brains … Continue reading Unleash Your Creativity: Why You Need a Commonplace Book
Inspiration
Advice For Young Writers: How To Get Published
I Was a Guest Speaker at Writers' Block I was invited to speak at Writers' Block, a group of young people studying the craft of writing. When I asked what the group wanted to learn about, the answer came back overwhelmingly that they wanted to learn more about the publishing side of writing. As I … Continue reading Advice For Young Writers: How To Get Published
One Tip To Keep Writing (Even When It’s Hard)
Writing Can Be Hard No matter how much I love to write, sometimes it's just hard. I don't mean having writer's block, although sometimes that's an issue too. It can be a challenge to find the motivation, or it can be a challenge to find the time. I've been a professional writer for more than … Continue reading One Tip To Keep Writing (Even When It’s Hard)
What Is Authentic Writing?
Remembering Why We Became Writers As I'm working on my second nonfiction book about writing, one of the themes I keep returning to is authentic writing. As a writer, editor, and publisher, I feel as if authentic writing has been pushed aside in favor of writing as quickly as possible, publishing as quickly as possible, … Continue reading What Is Authentic Writing?
More Simple Joys of Journaling: Art Journaling For Writers
Art Journaling is Another Way To Express Creativity Last week I shared some ideas for journaling for writers. I've had a lot of great feedback from that post, so this week I'd like to share a little bit about art journaling, another kind of journaling that helps to get my creative juices flowing A page … Continue reading More Simple Joys of Journaling: Art Journaling For Writers
The Simple Joys of Journaling: Journaling For Writers
Journaling Is a Good Habit For Creatives Many writers keep a journal in one form or another. If you're like me, you probably have several journals going at once. I don't write in each of my journals every day; I write in them as needed. I have a personal journal where I jot down observations … Continue reading The Simple Joys of Journaling: Journaling For Writers
Character Inspiration: Discovering Sarah Alexander and Elizabeth Wentworth
Where Do Character Ideas Come From? Fans of the Loving Husband Series are familiar with Elizabeth Jones, the greatest love of James Wentworth’s life. She is the woman he sees across the dining room table in Salem Village in 1691, and her beauty and warmth capture his heart forever. But where did the idea for … Continue reading Character Inspiration: Discovering Sarah Alexander and Elizabeth Wentworth
Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing
Photo by Jonas Leupe from Unsplash Seeking a Simpler Life As I've been embracing a simpler writer's life, one of the things I keep hitting against like a brick wall is the pressure I put on myself to create a miles-long to-do list. There are so many things I want to write and edit and … Continue reading Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing
What Can Coloring Books Teach You About Writing?
This is definitely one of my better pieces, maybe because I love peacocks. I've Always Loved Coloring Books I loved coloring when I was a kid, and as it happens I still love to color. I consider myself a wannabe crafter. I used to dabble in painting with acrylics, and while coloring in a coloring … Continue reading What Can Coloring Books Teach You About Writing?
Living the Writing Life: Being Honest About What You Need
Photo by Mark Paton from Unsplash Productivity Can Be Over-Rated We’ve all become so geared toward doing more, achieving more, producing more that we forget to be honest with ourselves about what we really need, especially if what we need has changed. It wasn’t that long ago that productivity was all the rage. Everyone declared … Continue reading Living the Writing Life: Being Honest About What You Need