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writers are insane

What Drives You to Write?

Gears with text: What Drives You to Write?

Writing can be a difficult career. Writers can be lonely, plagued by self-doubt, faced with rejections that feel personal and judgmental, and expected to be good at everything (creative and a sales/marketing person!). Yet we do it anyway. We must have our reasons…beyond sheer insanity, I mean.

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May 22, 2014

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Finding Balance: Play Hooky

Woman lying down in a meadow with text: Is It Time to Play Hooky?

When we were school-age, many of us recognized the need to blow off classes and responsibilities once in a while to play hooky. The exhilaration of “getting away with something” can recharge our burned-out batteries just as much as the trip to the shopping mall or whatever we did with […]

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March 13, 2014

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Writers: What Would the Government Uncover?

Woman looking through a magnifying glass with text: Would the Government Find You Interesting?

Writers have a long history of joking about what government agencies would find if they investigated us. We’re known for researching the bizarre and the suspicious in the pursuit of accuracy for our books. Recent news about the PRISM program and others like it across the globe have made this long-running […]

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June 20, 2013

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12 Tips for Recovering from Writing Burnout

Tire burnout mark on pavement with text: 12 Tips for Recovering from Writing Burnout

As I write this, I’m suffering from acute sleep exhaustion after pulling an all-nighter. I stayed up until 5:30 a.m. to finalize not one, but two entries for RWA’s Golden Heart contest (the big contest for non-published romance writers) before the deadline. I’m glad I completed everything on time and met […]

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January 3, 2013

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Are Your Characters Based on Real People?

"Careful, or you'll end up in my novel" mug

One of the stereotypical author interview questions is “Are any of your characters based on real people?” And I’m always struck when an author answers “Yes.” Usually, they’ll even share that so-and-so was based on such-and-such person. Sometimes they’ve based a character on a friend or family member. Sometimes they’ve […]

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September 6, 2012

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Has Writing Made Your Life…Strange?

Cadillac bursting out of a wall

We writers can be a strange lot.  We live in our heads, we talk to imaginary characters, we rejoice when we think of horrible things to do to said characters, and we plot out perfect crimes, alien invasions, and the end of the world. But even beyond all that, writing affects our […]

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May 24, 2012

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Using Google Search Terms for Fun and Education

Magnifying glass

After the last few weeks of “serious issues,” I needed a silly break, so I looked up the search terms that recently brought people to my blog.  Google didn’t disappoint, as several phrases caught my eye. Every blogger should check the search terms associated with their blog occasionally, and not […]

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March 20, 2012

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Multiple Personality Disorder? No, I’m a Writer

Stick figure drawings of crazy faces

This is an updated version of one of my favorite posts, the first of many to receive the “Jami is insane” tag.  It’s okay if you laugh with me or at me.  Either way, I’ll understand.  *smile* ***** (No disrespect to anyone—crazy, insane, loony, committed, batty, bizarre, eccentric, daft, demented, […]

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January 31, 2012

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Happy Blogiversary to Me: Contest Winners!

Runner crossing finish line

*whew*  I officially made it to the one-year mark for this blog.  I thought reaching this point would be a lot harder than it was. Life is often that way.  We put off something we dread, and then when we finally buckle down to do it, we wonder why we […]

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July 12, 2011

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Interview with a…Muse – Guest: Rachel Firasek

Picture of Rachel Firasek

I’m still at Disneyland, so I have another guest joining us today.  This is the second installment of a new feature here on my blog: Interview with a…Muse (because interviewing our characters is just too sane).  After I had so much fun with my Do You Have a Muse? post, […]

May 12, 2011

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