Writer’s Life

There comes a time in every writer’s life when the current book—the one that’s contracted, written, revised and at least partially edited—becomes the single most hated thing in the world. All I really need to say about this is: That’s normal. Almost every author I’ve worked with has told me at some point that they…

One of the things I often discuss with my clients is their writing and publishing schedule—making sure their manuscript due dates are spread out enough so they can meet their deadlines. This requires honesty and self-awareness from each writer, because they have to be able to realistically predict how long it will take them to…

A couple times recently I’ve asked you questions that encourage you to decide why you’re writing. (See If You Had to Choose, and What is Success?) I’ve been asking you to identify the goal at the heart of your writing journey—are you seeking to reach a wide audience with your words, or is it more…

I used to be one of those people who says things like, “Oh, I only get about five hours of sleep a night. That’s all I need.” Or, “I just don’t have the luxury of going to the gym. I’m way too busy.” But over the last few years, I’ve come to the realization that…

Never take a person’s dignity; it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you. ~Frank Barron I’ve been reading a terrific book, The Power of a Positive No. It’s by William Ury, one of the world’s most talented negotiators and author of several books including the negotiator’s bible, Getting to Yes. One of the…

Over the last week or so, three clients have said to me, in completely unrelated conversations, “I want to be in this for the long haul.” It’s given me the opportunity to have some great discussions about what helps a writer accomplish this goal – and what can sabotage their efforts. It’s an important topic…

Recently I visited the U.S. Olympic Training Center here in Colorado, one of only three in the nation, where elite athletes live and train full time. It’s like a college campus, but instead of classrooms there are different kinds of gyms for everything from martial arts to volleyball, gymnastics and weightlifting. In order to qualify…

I was wondering… if I go on vacation for almost two whole weeks and I never Tweet or post to Facebook about it, did it really happen? If I travel through six states, put 3500 miles on the SUV, and never mention it on my blog… was I ever really gone? And if I go…

One of the frequent complaints I hear from writers is that there are so many bad books out there. If you want my opinion on that, read my post “All Those Awful Books.” Today let’s put a positive spin on those books you don’t think are well-written. Instead of whining about it, why not try…

We’ve been talking about contradictory messages all week, so for our last day, I wanted to address a topic that is integral to the life of anyone trying to create something artistic – and then sell it. There’s a constant tension between art and commerce, isn’t there? How do you balance the amount of time…

I often hear from moms with kids still at home who are working toward becoming published authors. No question, it’s a difficult season of life in which to find the time (and the focus) for a writing career. There are the usual frustrations of trying to find balance (whatever that means) like so many of…

Over the last couple weeks, the blog discussion has turned to whether writing is a lifestyle or a mindset or a calling. We’ve talked about how we fit it into the margins of our lives, or make it a priority. We’ve hovered around the edges of the question: What do we give up in order…

Awhile back I met with a writer who has a family and a great career, and has written a novel “on the side.” It’s been sitting in the drawer, but he’s decided he finally wants to figure out how to get that darn thing published. In the course of our conversation I realized, as I…