Wed, 06/10/2015 - 09:19

Respect Is the Writer's Bedrock
In this world swimming with scandal, corruption, injustice, and flat-out lies, it can be a little disheartening to exist at times, at least for those who've refused to get swept up in this churning river of mud. Even if you're not having to fight for your basic civil rights, you've no doubt felt the sting of disrespect, mistrust, or that little pinch of doubt as you signed on the dotted line of contract X or shook the hand of person Y, at some point in your life.

Mon, 06/08/2015 - 10:49

If you do nothing else in Silicon Valley, you can keep busy every day of the week hopping from one conference, meetup, panel, or event to another. Star speakers intermix with rising stars, food and drinks are plentiful if not always ultra-healthy, and especially for those who can put on a good social face, networking opportunities abound.

Mon, 04/13/2015 - 14:33

Have you ever had to make an unexpected U-turn?

About a year ago, I was driving to a meeting at Hidden Villa, a local organic ranch where I was supposed to do a children's program on chocolate. At a traffic light, I could feel my heart swell and pound out a few heavy heart beats that didn't feel all that regular.  My left arm tingled a bit, although that could have been because I was resting it wrong on the car door.

Sun, 04/12/2015 - 21:53

I wrote this post originally in November 2013 (wow, that's a century ago) for The Write Practice.  People loved it (one writer even tried to emulate it on his own blog). And so, as with any popular blog one writes, it deserves another go.

Sun, 04/12/2015 - 20:41

Note: The original version of this post was first published on The Write Practice on September 1, 2013.

Rhetorical question: do you listen to music? What are the songs you keep coming back to savor, over and over again, no matter how “dated” they may be? Whatever your musical taste, there’s a reason to plug in those headphones—or turn on that hot new stereo system you just bought: music enriches your writing.

Mon, 03/02/2015 - 22:31

January 31. March 2. March 15. April 15. July 31. December 31. Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and fiscal YE whenever that "year end" is for you.

Tue, 02/03/2015 - 16:29

What do you think of when you hear the name Gabriel García Márquez? Magical realism, most likely.  Maya Angelou? Inspirational verse, no doubt. Robert Ludlum? Ah, my hero, Jason Bourne.

Choose a genre, get good in it, stick to it, create a lasting reputation, say the experts, the blogs, the "how to for authors" articles. That's how you become known as an author. That's how you make the big bucks. Whatever you do, don't go skipping from one genre or one form to another!

Thu, 10/02/2014 - 16:50

How do you dramatize non fiction? Isn’t real life already wild and crazy enough? And isn’t that why we have fiction in the first place, so that we can be superheroes and E.S.C.A.P.E. our dull routine realities?

Tue, 06/10/2014 - 22:29

This guest post is by Lorraine Jericevic in the UK.

 

Travelling in Peru with my husband, I meet a wonderful Hopi Native American, full of wonder, full of stories, songs, and chants. He carries a treasured bag of blue corn so that he can honor Mother Earth wherever he goes, wherever She is. It's a well-travelled bag of ceremony and healing, of symbols, of scents and sacred energies woven into the fabric of its heart.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 22:22

This past weekend, I walked down to the elevator in our building with my little one, to recycle paper from my office.  You see, I'm on a determined weight loss plan: I aim to lose 80% of the paper in my office by year's end. Scanned and shredded if it's important, not scanned if it's not. Recycled in both cases.

Weighed down with 4 bags, and my toddler holding another, we stood there while the elevator made the usual functional noises behind the walls.

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