Writing is a solitary business.
How many times have we heard that phrase or something similar?  It’s true.  But it’s not.  If we don’t have a writing partner (and the majority of us don’t), creating the books we create is something we do all by ourselves.  Hours at the computer, typing and plotting and editing and polishing.  That book’s done…and we do it again.
But there’s a hidden treasure in our solitary profession.  Other writers.  Last week was the RWA National Conference 2010 in Orlando, FL.  Other writers willingly shared their knowledge …

A few years back I ran into an old high school friend.  She owned her own advertising agency and she had worked with many recognizable names. When she asked me what I’d been doing with myself, I didn’t know how to answer. Needless to say, I wanted to look good, so how could I explain to her that I was between jobs that I didn’t really care about, I was raising my three kids and I’d been working on my first novel for two years already?  I hesitated for a …

Three of my published author friends don’t want to be writers anymore. I realise I sound like a five year old talking about her playmates… and you know, I kind of feel like one, too.

I’m having a rough week. I’m dealing with a very personal issue that has derailed my work, and I’m struggling just to get through the days (yeah, some weeks are like that).
I woke this morning at 4 a.m., hurting inside. I needed comfort, but I didn’t want to wake my sweetly sleeping husband. After an hour of watching the clock change, I had a brilliant inspiration. I got up, went to my computer, and wrote myself a love note.
Dear Katrina, (I wrote)
I know you are going through a difficult time …

Since Jeannie’s been talking about branding the last few weeks, I’m chiming in with a post about branding for the multi-genre writer.  She mentioned this briefly in her blog at RomanceUniversity.org but I thought I would expand on this particular aspect of the branding discussion just a little further.
So, are you the kind of writer that doesn’t want to be pegged down to a particular trope? Do you like to try one thing and then switch the next book on its ear and do something completely different?
If you’re a new …

Overly dramatic? Me? No. Surely not! Has anyone seen my brown paper bag? I’ve been hyperventilating for about a month now. Why? My debut novel releases Friday. Technically, it’s been available for order in paperback for about two weeks. The ebook edition goes “live” on Friday. As of my typing this, I haven’t received my copies of the paperback. I’m stalking my postman and I fear he’s getting a little skittish. [EDIT: I HAVE MY HOT LITTLE HANDS ON MY HOT LITTLE BOOK! *pets my preciousssss* My friends, family, and …

Years ago, I battled a bout of insomnia. I’d wake in the middle of the night and simply be unable to sleep, and then I’d drag myself through the next day in a fog of fatigue.
Eventually I changed the stressful situation that was causing my brain to race, and the insomnia went away. But I still follow one piece of advice because it was so incredibly important:
Don’t do anything in your bed except sleep.*
Seriously. Don’t watch television, play games, eat, or read books. When you do nothing in bed but …

Sorry I’m late. Things have not quieted down here since my last post and it occurred to me, sometimes life just won’t play nice.
When I say I’ve done nothing “writing related” since my last entry, I’m not kidding. Not one critique, one revision, or edits of any kind. To say I’m feeling a bit anxious is an understatement.
Right now, I feel like I’m at a stand-still. My business is picking up, which is great considering the tough time we’re all having right now, but my career isn’t getting the attention …

You have an idea. You want to write it down. You have to write it down. So, what do you do?

If you abandon your cup of tea mid-sip, switch off the music and sit down at your desk to do the writing, ask yourself why. Why the desk and not the bed? Why switch off the music? Why not take the cup of tea with you to sip as you ponder?

You might discover that those did not make those choices consciously: you just followed a pattern of learnt behaviour. At school, they told us that to study we needed a quiet area away from all distractions, a neat desk, a firm chair and plenty of light. And yet, the latest research tells us that sitting at a desk can place too much strain on the coccyx, and that bright light can lead to burnout.

I don’t seem to struggle with traditional writer’s block. I could write for ten years without ever coming up with a new idea.
But sometimes I do lose steam. This is such a solitary life, and there’s no external prod, at least not until you’re agented. Nor are there external rewards, at least not until after you’ve invested an enormous amount of work. Sometimes my self-motivation just putters out.
A few weeks ago, I got up one Thursday morning, sat at my computer, and realized I’d lost interest in writing. Completely lost the …