Writing is my heroin. I am unquestionably a happier more productive human being when I write regularly. I didn’t know this about myself for a long time. I remember distinctly, having a series of very bad days. I was constantly grumpy, everything seemed to be going wrong, the world was falling apart around me, and … Read more
In Martha Stout’s book “The Sociopath Next Door“, she opens up her introduction with the following: “Imagine–if you can–not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members.” I remember reading … Read more
Editing! I’ve lost count of the number of writers who have said they loathe the editing process. I have a feeling a lot of this dislike for editing comes from our Inner Saboteur who continually ridicules us for not having perfect first drafts, convincing us that real writers don’t edit. Well, I hate to break … Read more
I am taking a break this week from my series on Finding the Joy in Writing, to talk about Self-Care. I have been reminded on more than one occassion in the last couple of weeks, of the tragedy and invisitilty that is mental health. Having depression or some other form of mental illness is common … Read more
The more we learn about the craft of writing, the more paranoid we become, worried that we are not going to get the wording just right. When we worry, we’re not enjoying the writing.’ I’ll talk about how this relates to the editing process in a later post. For today, I want to focus on the … Read more
I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying that writers love to have written, not to write. We all know people who say they are writers, talk up a good game but haven’t written anything yet, or in a long time. Many people want the life of a writer, but not to sit down and write. … Read more
Why does it feel like such a chore to sit down and actually write? It’s that sense of dread that often leads to procrastination. What if you actually enjoyed the writing process? Yes, it is possible! It starts with the love of the story you’re writing, and a love of the characters. A curiosity and … Read more
We are now well into September, and our routines are, if not settled, then nearly so. Do you still find you’re unable to take those small steps towards achieving your goals? Maybe you just don’t feel like you have the energy to get started after a long day, and need to use your weekends to … Read more
It’s that time of year again: The beginning of the school year. Even if you don’t have kids in school or are not a University student yourself, or work in the academic field, September is always the mark of a new year. Fall is in the air and day trips to the beach are numbered. … Read more
Last weekend I attended the amazing When Words Collide Festival in Calgary and it was a great reminder of the importance of networking. Most often when we think of networking it is viewed as a means to finding a job or making sales. But there are other reasons to network. Let me begin by defining … Read more