One of the things I love best about myself is the idea-generator in my head. I’m taking a walk or doing chores, and something just comes to me: the thread of a children’s story; the idea for a self-improvement book; a way I can write in the theme of an upcoming writing contest. The other night I woke […]
Writing
The First Sentence Always Sucks
The first sentence sucks. Sometimes you find one that’s brilliant, and you write it down with excitement… but then you realize you have no idea what comes next. (Many a blog post has been abandoned for that reason.) More often, you have an idea for a piece and maybe a rough thesis statement, but you don’t […]
I’m Not Ready To Write A Memoir Yet
About a month ago, I started working on some ideas for a short piece that I’d planned to write during my spring break from teaching. I wanted to submit an entry for a contest run by Writer’s Digest (check it out, fellow writers!). The word limit is on the low side; I struggle with keeping fiction short, […]
The Secret Reason Why You Need A Niche
When you start looking into marketing your writing, whether it’s selling a book, a blog or an article, you’ll frequently come across this advice: “Find your niche. Decide what you’re going to focus on, what you’d like to be known for. Write your way into that niche and stay there.” But do you really need […]
10 Ways Journaling Can Make Your Life Better
We’ve talked about how journaling can help you through a tough time, but have you ever considered some of the other benefits of chronicling your life? 1. You can always find out when something happened. Memory is fallible, and everyone remembers the same event differently. If there’s a family disagreement about something in the past (did […]
How To Write Your First Journal Entry (Or Blog Post)
Thinking about starting a journal or a personal blog, which is essentially a journal that other people can read? Here’s everything you need to get started on your first entry: Step 1. Find your tools and your writing space. Not everyone writes best with a paper and pen or with a computer. Writing is like […]