By Sarah Hamaker I rushed along, hurrying through my errands and worrying about my ever-lengthening to-do list. I had things to do, places to go, people to see, and it all had to be done right this very minute. This scenario wasn’t uncommon in my life a few years ago. Like many of us, I packed as much into one …
Go For a Walk
by Judythe Morgan Walking is a great, easy form of exercise. No additional athletic skill, no training, or special equipment required. Well, you do need a good pair of walking shoes, but then you need good shoes anyway. I walk because I enjoy placing one foot in front of the other and taking in the sights around me. I love …
I Miss Writing
By Bruce Hennigan I miss writing. I miss that free flowing, wild abandon “banging out the story on a blank page” feeling – when all the creative juices are flowing and I am IN the story side by side with the characters. That kind of writing. This is what I live for as an author. However, published authors have to …
Finding the Ideas
By Katherine Reay I’m at the beginning of a new story. I handed in my latest manuscript last week and, while I wait for the first round of edits, “the little grey cells” are busy seeking new characters, new emotions and new questions. It’s a fun time, but it’s also a daunting time. A blank computer screen is intimidating. You …
What’s Your Excuse?
By Martha Rogers We make so many excuses for not submitting our writing. I don’t have enough time to finish a manuscript. I’m too young. I’m too old. I’ve got too many rejections. I don’t have an agent, or I’m not good enough. Any sound familiar? Time: We all have the same amount. We can find even fifteen minutes in …
Three Questions Every Author Must Answer
By Suzanne Kuhn In one of our early coaching sessions, we ask our authors to answer three questions about themselves and their book(s); so what, who cares and why you? Many authors fail to take this self-evaluative journey. As we lead them towards answering these questions, they find their audience, purpose and direction in the marketing of their books. So …
The Purpose of Fictional Sidekicks
By Lisa Jordan Lone Ranger & Tonto. LaVerne & Shirley. Lucy & Ethel. Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. Batman & Robin. Shaggy & Scooby. Frodo & Samwise. Lorelei & Sookie. These names may sound familiar, but what do they have in common? They’re all fictional main characters with their sidekicks, or close companions. Just as real people have sidekicks-friendships with …
Don’t Forget the Old Goals in the New 2015
By Casey Herringshaw Happy New Year! It’s filling all the corners of the internet. Greetings from friends and people you bump into at the grocery store. It’s clogging our social media and reminding us that this is truly a new year. I can’t believe how fast 2014 has gone. Those who said that the older you get the faster time …
Different Points of View
by Carolyne Aarsen In my latest book, Her Cowboy Hero, it’s wintertime. In one scene, my hero and heroine pull a little girl on a sled through the snow. It was a fun scene to write because snow and sledding have been a huge part of my childhood and my children’s. Many good memories have been made on the hill …
A New Perspective on Goal Setting
By Susan May Warren I woke up this morning to a layer of fresh grace on the evergreens, sparkling in the rising sun, Lamentations 2:23 in my mind. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Phew. Because with the relatives gone, the Christmas tree down, the ornaments packed away for next season, I’m sitting on my sofa …