In my wilder and [much] younger days, I spent two glorious years as a ski bum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado (peak elevation 10,568′, vertical drop 3668′). As a Midwestern girl, I’d learned to ski on icy artificial snow at Mount Kato (peak elevation 840′, vertical drop 240′) near Mankato, Minnesota, and Fun Valley (peak elevation […]
Mindset
Expression and What ifs?: RIP, Pat Summitt
When the headlines about Pat Summitt’s impending death read “the family is preparing for the worst,” I thought to myself Really? Death is not anywhere close to the worst thing about Alzheimer’s. The worst is the gradual disintegration of self. The gradual loss of language, of expression, of history, of relationships. The crumbling of the […]
Judge not? Judge a lot! Learn to Assess Writing Quality
While there’s something to be said for “Judge not lest ye be judged” on a personal level, if you want to quickly gain an understanding of how to improve your writing, take advantage of opportunities to play judge. When you teach a skill, you reinforce the learning for yourself. When you judge a skill, you […]
How Energy Rituals Can Help You Write: Going Beyond the Standard Butt-in-Chair Advice
Writers have long been told to create rituals around writing. Sit your butt in the chair at 9am daily and the muse will eventually show up. Commit to a specific wordcount per day, no more, no less. Before you begin to write, visualize your book on the bookstore shelf. There’s nothing wrong with that advice. […]
You don’t have to write THE book, just A book: Change your mindset so you can start
Many people who competently write articles, blogs, and marketing copy, and who claim extraordinary expertise in their field, find themselves paralyzed when they contemplate writing a book. The problem is, they think they have to write THE book. What does THE book mean? Generally, it means some variation on “It has to be perfect.” It […]