I’m writing this blog post on Saturday, the day I planned to reorganize all my bathroom cabinets. I woke up this morning and decided I don’t feel up to it. Rather than beat myself up for a bad case of …
Productivity
Carrot or Stick?
This month being the famous NaNoWriMo month, I thought it would be fun to explore our motivation for writing. Motivation and inspiration are closely linked but actually very different. Inspiration is often soul deep while motivation may be very visceral. …
Steady On
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
A few years ago I accompanied Julie Klassen, one of my authors, on a week-long book tour. One of the best things about spending time in bookstores is that, among all the readers there to get autographs, …
Herding Cats
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
A Susan Branch calendar had a quote I love: “I’m trying to arrange my life so I don’t even have to be present.”
Bingo! That’s what I keep aiming for. I’m looking for the auto-pilot method of …
How Do You Recharge?
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Normally I talk about the things I know or I try to give solid writing and publishing advice. Today I’m turning the tables. I’d like you to give advice. When you’ve come home from a long trip …
Handling Stress
Blogger: Rachel Kent
Last night I was reading with my daughter and she picked the book When Sophie Gets Angry–Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang. It’s a Caldecott Honor Book about a little girl, Sophie, whose sister takes her toy …
Don’t Breach Your Publishing Contract by Mistake!
Blogger: Rachel Kent
When you get a publishing contract to sign, it’s important to read it because it’s a legal, binding document between you and the publisher. Even if your agent has already read the contract and thinks it looks …
Perspective and Your Writing Career
Blogger: Mary Keeley
It was inevitable that the word author would evolve to authorpreneur as your publishing responsibilities have doubled in this industry. You can view this development as either a cross to bear or an opportunity for added control …
In Honor of Mothers
Blogger: Mary Keeley
In anticipation of Mother’s Day this weekend, I’ve been thinking about all kinds of mothers and those who may not be mothers officially but who are filling that role in some way. Today’s post is in honor …
How to Get the Most from Your Beta Readers
Blogger: Mary Keeley
I highly recommend participating in a critique group. You can improve your own craft as you critique your partners’ work often as much as you can by receiving their feedback on your work. But this can’t replace …