Reading time: About 3 minutes If your writing ever makes you feel helpless, it’s time for you to use learned hopefulness to inspire and support your writing… If the COVID epidemic has taught us anything, it’s schooled us in the concept of what psychologists call “learned helplessness.” Basically, this theory holds that when faced […]
How you can use learned HOPEFULNESS for your writing Read More »
Reading time: Just over 4 minutes If you’ve ever wanted to be a happier writer, my new book will give you encouraging, practical support…. At last, it’s sales day. My latest book Your Happy First Draft is available today. Finally! Even if you’re not interested in buying, I hope you’ll take 60 seconds to watch the book’s
Your Happy First Draft is here! Read More »
Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you tend to set big fat writing goals for yourself? Today’s column describes what the Japanese can teach you about writing…. When my family and I moved out of our house for a major renovation 10 years ago, we wore our paper shredder to oblivion getting rid of old
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you ever ponder the writing rituals of famous authors? Pondering is okay, but don’t use their habits as a model for your own behaviour…. Did you know that Sylvia Plath (pictured above) and Benjamin Franklin started their writing days at 4 am and 5 am, respectively? Oliver Sacks was
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Are you still editing WHILE you write? This broken writing process is only slowing you down, as a clever little app can help demonstrate to you…. I spend a good chunk of my life trying to persuade people to stop editing while they write. I do this because I
Do you have a broken writing process? Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes Most of us know it’s a good idea to show compassion to others but how often do we consider showing ourselves some simple self-compassion? Writers are prone to self-criticism. We tend to embrace directives such as, “Our children can achieve great things when we set high expectations for them.” (Jeb
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes If you’re a defensive pessimist, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to learn how to prepare for rejection… I tend to see myself as confident rather than anxious. I know what I’m good at. I work hard. I have faith in my abilities. That
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Reading time: Less than 3 minutes Do you ever suffer from literary envy? If so, today’s column is for you. I’ve been lucky enough to be born with little envy for other writers. I think this is because I’ve never identified primarily as a writer. My thing? Editing. I was born with a natural talent for
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Reading time: Less than 4 minutes Some people think meditation should be reserved for monks and hippies. I disagree. Many business people are starting to meditate and I’m a big believer in meditation for writers. Many years ago, when my kids were young, I took a course in meditation. Each Monday night I headed out
Why and how to meditate — even if you think it’s crazy Read More »
Reading time: Just over 3 minutes You may hate being predictable but did you know there are typical sticking points for writers? And my guess is that you’re facing more than one of them… I’ve spent years trying to get my financial books to my bookkeeper earlier than January 31. Mostly, I haven’t succeeded. Last week,
Six sticking points for writers and how to fix them Read More »
