Deadline. The word itself has an ominous, unsettling feel: the point beyond which you must not pass. According to Merriam-Webster, the word originated in an actual line beyond which straying prisoners would be shot. Ouch. Deadlines feel like impending doom if you’re not prepared. Ask any college student in the days before midterm papers are due. Yet the word […]
Hacking the Negativity Bias When Writing
The more success you have with your writing, the more opinions you’ll hear, both good and bad. Even mildly negative criticism and setbacks can pack a punch, including: Bad online reviews Negative comments on a blog post Email unsubscribes (which always, of course, happen right after you send an email) Book returns The stray comment from an acquaintance, like […]
Writing and the Imposter Syndrome
“I’m not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people. I wish I were.” If you have ever had these thoughts, you’re in good company. These words appear in the journals of John Steinbeck. Yes, that Steinbeck – the one who won a Nobel Prize for literature. He wrote this journal entry in late summer of 1938, while he […]
Writing in the 21st Century
This is a challenging time to be a writer. To paraphrase A Tale of Two Cities, it is the best of times, and the worst of times. (Why refer to Charles Dickens? He was successful in his own lifetime, and his works have stood the test of time. As a bonus, he published his first works as serial […]
What Singing Taught Me About Writing
Have you ever learned lessons in one area of your life, only to find that they apply quite well to another domain? I’ve had that experience, with singing and writing. As a quick background, I sing classical choral and solo works. All through college I performed in musical theater, recitals, and chorus concerts. Although I was […]
The True Costs of Self-Publishing
Quick quiz: What does it cost to self-publish a book? a) $1000 b) $10,000 c) $100,000 d) None of the above People will claim each of these numbers. (I’ve seen a proposal for north of $100,000.) The answer is D, because the other responses are in the wrong currency. At the very least, they are incomplete. […]