When life gets very busy and we fall into habits of distraction and reaction, it’s important to approach flightiness and unfocused energy with deliberate and kind attention. Why? Because we become what we do. And we lose our perspective — that part of us that imagines and executes brilliant things — when we simply react […]
You haven’t heard from me in awhile because, truthfully, it’s been challenging to type. I fractured my shoulder six weeks ago, while ice skating with my daughter. My injury is healing well, but wow… it did hurt. A word about the ice skating… Seems that I found a true, new passion a few months ago. […]
I recently welcomed a vibrant, ambitious writer to my practice. During her complimentary “Get Acquainted” Call with me, she mentioned she’d been following me for a few years online – reading my blog, etc. “What took you so long to get in touch, then?” I asked her. She replied, “I really didn’t think I needed […]
It’s a warm spring day here in Northern California, with wild poppies, purple lupine and cultivated daffodils blanketing hillsides and yards and roadside medians with pops of gorgeous color. After months underground, the flowers are everywhere – unapologetically vibrant. Unapologetically alive! Today, I invite you to consider your writing life in this fresh light […]
Even smart people believe stuff that’s not actually true. Take, for example, our culture’s love affair with striving. If you’ve ever worked hard to do life “right,” then you know what I mean. You may have worked hard, long hours, and then faulted yourself when your body rebelled against the stress. You may have baked the cookies, […]
Perhaps the years have brought you a “life-quake” or two – an experience that dramatically ruptured the plot of life as you once knew it. Suddenly, your world is peppered with daunting new characters, settings or conflicts. Suddenly, you’re required to become something different or new, in order to survive and thrive. My version of […]
With all the challenges of writing, sometimes we overlook just how magical and amazing it is to be a writer. But thankfulness and gratitude, as Faulkner reminds us, is essential: “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” ― William Faulkner […]
Imagine, for a moment. Just 3 months have passed, and today it’s January 3, 2018. You are sitting at your writing desk, which is tidy and organized. You are feeling good – more energized, on-point and happy with your writing career than you’ve felt in years. Why do you feel so amazing? The answer is sitting […]
On the outside, Jess’s freelance writing seems to be going great: she has a steady stream of assignments, her editors and clients like working with her, and she’s making the money she needs every month. So why is Jess so unhappy? If you ask our writer why she’s so unhappy these days, Jess will say […]
Today, a story about a freelance writer I’ll call “Rebecca.” Rebecca, a freelance journalist and content marketer, has a stable, successful writing career. After a few focused years of freelancing, she’s got a full assignment load, a good writing income and a couple of bylines she’s really proud of. Like any good independent business owner, […]
Were you lucky enough to see the solar eclipse yesterday? Here in California, we experienced a partial (78%) solar eclipse, and much of the U.S experienced much more. Perhaps you were lucky enough to be in the path of totality! If so, I envy you. To honor the event, yesterday morning, just as the eclipse […]
Is there something wrong with you? I’m amazed at how many writers secretly ask themselves this very question. By all conventional markers of success, these ambitious, smart men and women are on the right track: They’ve received accolades and maybe even a few awards from work well done. Maybe they’re known for hitting all their […]
Oooh! I love it when this happens. After years away from her book, my client just told me she’s thrilled. She is writing consistently and productively again – almost daily! Using my powerful productivity system, Write a Book that Matters, this writer set a super-meaningful, (so-big-it’s-almost-daunting) 8-week writing goal she can’t WAIT to achieve. And […]
If you’re learning from a mentor or editor, there WILL come a time when you hear negative feedback about your work. How will you respond? Here are some tips for you, gleaned from many years coaching writers just like you: Enjoy and let me know what you think over on my Facebook page. With love […]
If you’re a successful freelancer, first off — hot damn and congratulations! It’s no small accomplishment to make a living from pitching and producing your ideas. As a successful freelancer, you’re balancing assignments, editors or clients, research and writing. Don’t forget invoicing, follow-ups and professional development. You’re a Jane of all trades. And I’m guessing […]
