by Lynn Blackburn @LYNNHBLACKBURN When I was pursuing publication, there were many days when I stared at my computer in despair. I longed for the days when the steep learning curve was over. I dreamed of sitting down at my computer and pounding out words with confidence and clarity. Oh, I…

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea When people say you should dress for the life you want, my inner self tells me to put on jammies. I think my inner self is a little tired. I’ve also considered the possibility that my inner self is at least a little bit cat. Naps. Glorious,…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Summer is in our rearview mirror, but the overwhelmed writer syndrome lingers like triple digits—hot, unbearable, with a longing to step into the cool breezes of overcoming the stress and doubts of managing the writerly life. What’s a writer to do? Acknowledge the overwhelmed emotions. The…

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII Life’s greatest opportunities don’t always come wrapped in a big box with a giant bow on top. Sometimes a life-changing situation first appears as a black cloud full of bad news. When those moments arrive, you can curl into a ball and cry for all eternity.…

by Blythe Daniel @BlytheDaniel How many times have you thought, “I can’t write that book. That’s for someone else to write.” But deep down, you and I know that the best books often come out of a person’s pain. Fiction and non-fiction books can produce a well of emotions that…

by Maggie Wallem Rowe Have you ever been given a new opportunity to write or speak only to realize with dismay that you were not fully prepared to do your best?  It’s been several decades ago now, but I clearly recall how excited I was to be offered a position…