Mastodon
Close

self-doubt

When Does Disagreement Become Bullying?

Two men arguing on a couch with text: Can We Disagree without Being a Bully?

Several situations related to the line between disagreeing and bullying have been swirling through Publishing Land recently, so I want to address the subject while it’s relevant. That said, I’m sharing my opinion in this post, and you might have a different opinion. That’s okay.

Pin It

August 29, 2017

Read More

Do You Meet the Prerequisites to Be a Writer?

Second story door missing stairs down with text: Writing Prerequisites: Are We Missing a Step?

Are there prerequisites to call ourselves a writer? No. If you write, you’re a writer. Period. But when we pay attention to other writers, every writer—no matter how successful—could find something to feel inadequate about if we let our self-doubt get a hold of us.

Pin It

July 13, 2017

Read More

Reconnecting with Our Passions: Storytelling

A pencil tied in a knot with text: Lost Your Passion for Writing?

In my last post, we talked about struggling to write when suffering from burnout. Maintaining a connection with our passions can help us endure the problems of life, and remembering how and why we have passion for writing might help us recover from burnout.

June 29, 2017

Read More

Chronic Problems: Writing and Burnout

Burned Match with text: Writing Burnout: When Life Takes Too Much

Most writers struggle with writing burnout at some point. For me, health issues have drained my energy and caused oodles of frustration, neither of which is good for my creative side—which leads to writing frustration. Chronic issues often lead to major, long-term burnout. What can we do?

Pin It

June 27, 2017

Read More

The Hero’s Arc: What’s Your Journey?

Silhouette of a woman with sword with text: What's *Your* Hero's Journey?

In storytelling, we often talk about the arc of our hero—the path of change and improvement they follow while trying to reach their goals and satisfy their desires. Like our characters, we have an arc, and we can take lessons from the hero’s journey of our characters and apply it to our life.

June 20, 2017

Read More

Should We Follow the Advice to Write Every Day?

Apple on a white background with text: Writing Every Day Keeps Failure Away?

If we know other writers at all, chances are good that we’ve heard a lot of advice. One of the most common pieces of advice? According to dozens of multi-published, bestselling authors, it’s “write every day.” Do they know better than us what it takes to be a writer? Is that a must-listen rule?

Pin It

June 6, 2017

Read More

Self Publishing? Where Should We Start?

Stick figure at a chalkboard with text: What's Your Next Step?

My series about Indie Publishing Paths at Fiction University has highlighted some of the choices we have to make as self-published authors, and now it’s time to summarize everything we’ve learned in a step-by-step plan.

Pin It

June 1, 2017

Read More

Diversity Issues: The Importance of “Own Voices”

Person passionately expressing themselves with text: Finding the Truth in Every Voice

While all diverse stories are important, the stories that should be most encouraged are those from authors who can provide an authentic perspective. Today, Wendy Sparrow shares her insights on what “own voices” means and how others can improve their non-own-voices stories.

Pin It

May 18, 2017

Read More