Be like the bird that, Pausing in her flight Awhile on boughs too slight, Feels them give way beneath her, And yet sings, Knowing she hath wings. – Victor Hugo What creative leap have you been thinking about? Starting a new piece of writing? Going public with your writing in a blog or querying a … More Take a Creative Leap – You Have Wings!
Are you starving the Golden Goose? As I wrote in Around the Writer’s Block, “Your creative genius is the goose that lays the golden eggs. If you, like the shortsighted farmer in the fable, don’t care for the goose, you’ll never see another golden egg…” To make your writing practice sustainable, you must care for … More Is Your Writing Practice Sustainable?
Which of these illustrations best reflects productive writing time? Answer: All of them. There is much more to writing than having your fingers on the keyboard. That’s why I call it Product Time, not writing time. Note: This is the second in a three-part sneak peek summary of the Three Recommended Habits: Process, Product Time … More Is Your Writing Time Productive?
Happy Holidays! My gift to you is a three-part sneak peek at summaries of the Three Recommended Habits: Process, Product Time and Self-care. This information is usually available only to my students and coaching clients on a password-protected page. You can find Success Stories from writers who applied the habits and the brain science behind … More Why Writers Need Creative Play aka Process
1,666 words a day. That’s all that matters if you’re doing NaNoWriMo. 2,000 words a day is the target if you’re Steven King. Challenging yourself to write a certain number of words a day can give you the incentive to break through resistance and get your butt in the chair. But word counts can work … More When Word Counts Don’t Count
Stephen King declares in On Writing, “If you don’t want to work your ass off, you have no business trying to write well… (p. 144).” Most writers I know are willing to work hard, to show up, put in the effort and challenge themselves to make the writing the best it can be. For my … More If You Want Your Writing to Work, You Must Play
[Note: We’ll return to the Feedback series after this short break.] Can’t get the words on the page? Try putting pictures there first. As I mentioned in a previous post, Edwidge Danticat creates collages to find her way into a novel. She says “I like the tactile process. There’s something old-fashioned about it, but what … More Collage Your Way Out of Resistance and Into Writing
Thanks Ellen King-Rodgers for the opportunity to share my passion about how brain science can solve writer’s resistance on the Tellin’ Ellen show on Yellowstone Public Radio! Here’s the link: http://ypr-pc.streamguys.net/podcast/130318tellinellen.mp3
Writers must be creative; it’s create or die (at least inside). In your pursuit of creativity, your brain is your most important asset. How well do you maintain it? Take this Self-care Assessment to find out. Downtime: The brain requires rest to retain what it learns. Dr. Loren Frank, assistant professor of physiology at the … More Keeping Your Writer’s Brain at Creative Optimum
When I recommend exercise as one of the five forms of Self-care that keep your brain creative, I’m frequently met with resistance. “I know I should exercise, but I don’t have time,” people tell me. If they’re really honest, they admit “I know exercise would be good for me, but I just hate it.” I … More Radical Solution to Resistance
Bane of Your Resistance 