Celebrating Independent Authors
The other day a very close friend of mine asked me if I’ve heard of NaNoWriMo. In the writing circles, it’s inescapable to avoid NaNoWriMo during this time of the year. Outside of the writing circles, it’s an unknown.
I responded with a “Yep, heard of it, even did it one year. But, it’s not for me.” Continue reading “Oh No! NaNoWriMo … No Mo”
There’s a story from years ago, the truth of which may or may not be factual, that goes like this. Albert Einstein boarded a train and flopped into a seat, his wild hair unmistakable to the other passengers. A conductor worked his way down the aisle, collecting tickets while Einstein fidgeted in his seat checking pocket after pocket. He seemed a bit frantic as the conductor neared, but the ticket taker put a hand on his shoulder, leaned down and said quietly, “That’s okay. I know who you are.” Continue reading “Know Where You’re Going … Before You Get There”
Disparity — defined as the lack of agreement between internal perceptions with external behavior. So what does that have to do with writing? Simply put, what we think about our writing is always different from the public’s perception. There’s a huge gap in what we see in our writing and what others see in it.
“So what, of course there’s a huge difference.”
Sometimes that difference can be bad, as the Evil Mastermind explored in this article about Misadventures in Wordcraft. Those are just little instances – sentences, phrases, awkward misplaced modifiers. Of course, then there are the big picture instances where you don’t make your point at all. Continue reading “Do You Know How Others See Your Writing?”
Last week we discussed fear in our writing careers. After reading comments, both public and private, I decided to take things one step deeper this week. After all, it’s easy to say, “Don’t let fear get in the way of your success.”
Many of us recognize our fears. How do we overcome them? Can I tell you to just go and talk to the bookstores and you’ll conquer your fear? Hardly, it’s much more complex than that. With that in mind, here are five easy steps to help you build confidence and chase away your fears. Continue reading “Five Ways to Overcome Fear and Build Confidence”