Copyright lasts 70 years past the author’s death. This idea intrigues and bedevils me. For most people, your work provides for the needs of the world today–and often the foundation upon which future work will be built. This is true of janitors and CEOs, nurses and engineers. You are part of Project Humanity. For a famous few, your work rises… Read More
Embracing the Magic of You
After last night’s Writers Club meeting: A Friend: It’s like you know a secret language we don’t. Me: I do?? I’m still not sure I entirely understand what he meant–something about having the key to getting writing done, moving forward, etc. I had told my writing group that I’d only be there if I hit my writing goal target for… Read More
MEDITATION – 1-2-3 Guide to Getting Started
MEDITATION I keep talking about it because I truly believe it’s the antidote to the unique stressors of the 21st century–the “always on” lifestyle, the pressure to always do more, the idea that constant striving is the only way to live rather than a way not to live at all. But people hesitate. Maybe they think it won’t “work” for… Read More
How Self-Publishing Empowers Female Authors
https://weheartit.com/entry/304757961ON BEING WONDER WOMEN **International Women’s Day** Kobo.com–one of the retailers I sell books through–invited me to write a post for their blog on being a SELF-PUBLISHING WONDER WOMAN! They wanted to know how self-publishing empowered female writers. Did I have something to say about that? YES I DID. Even better, once I sent in my post, they wanted to… Read More
Doing The Marketing Today
When I first started writing almost 10 years ago, I was quickly consumed by the need to write All. The. Time. It was an addiction, this putting words to page, creating characters and worlds and living in my own fully-interactive fantasy. I mean, really? How is this even legit work? Of course, my idea of what’s work and what’s play… Read More
Going into the Cave
I’ve been a Monk for some time now… not the religious kind, of course, and not truly isolated from society, steeped in contemplation–but kinda. And I’ve been easing a bit further into the cave over the last six months. I’m not done with that, apparently, because I’m going to take a bit of a social media break–or at least spend… Read More
Yes, You Can Be Smart And Read Romance
“I’m here to tell you that you can have a brain and still enjoy books with kissing in them. You can also have an economics degree from Yale and write romance novels. You can build a career on entertaining smart women and men with uplifting storytelling.” – Sarina White Bowen Oh yes you can. I’m enamored of this Kobo Writing Life… Read More
Unlocking Your Greatest Gifts (As A Writer and a Human)
Sipping tea and listening to the podcast I did with Paul Sating (a lovely human being)… I talk about meditation and writing, how we have to get out of our own way, excavate our emotional selves so we can put it on the page, and find that inner acceptance (“I am enough”) that will allow us to unlock our greatest gifts. From… Read More
Introduction to Meditation
This 10 min TED talk is given by the “Headspace Guy”… that gentle voice you hear on the app. I didn’t realize he was actually the co-founder of Headspace (ie not just voice talent hired for the job) and that he was also a monk. This 10 min video is a wonderful introduction to the concept of mindfulness and the… Read More
On getting out of the business… of giving advice, that is.
The indie publishing industry is changing. Of course, it’s always changing, but there’s a seismic shift happening in the indie publishing community right now. Many authors are pulling back from public engagement (with other authors), retreating to smaller groups for more intimate connections. The industry is maturing. The scammers are multiplying like rabbits, and there’s a turn toward more and… Read More
On Seeing Clearly
It’s amazing what you can do when you’re willing to see clearly. (This bears repeating, although my previous rendition of this had a different nuance. “The problem with clearing your mind is you see more clearly.” It’s the “willing” part that’s key to the above–seeing clearly can have an emotional toll, one most of us spending our time avoiding when… Read More
ON GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
I’m finally putting some “smart” in the data collection for my author business (some visual basic scripts to make it faster). With 35 novels and a host of short fiction across 2 pennames (each of which is a business of its own), I’ve surpassed the catalogs of some small publishers. I’m Nora-Roberts-level prolific, which means the catalog is going to… Read More
Battling the Demons
Summoning my inner shield maiden Yesterday was a visceral reminder that Daring Greatly=Vulnerability. And that before you can even step in the arena, you have to battle the Anxiety demon and his more blood-thirsty cousin, Terror, who are guarding the gates. Those guys weren’t messing around, either. My first battle weapons (frequent breaks, exercise) didn’t even make a dent. When… Read More
Self Care
“True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.” I recently had a writer’s retreat, and when I came back, my mom asked “Did you just want to stay there forever?” It was pretty cool – a getaway in the Wisconsin countryside in a… Read More
GRIT – Passion and Perseverance for Really Long-Term Goals
It’s hard to overstate how important grit is to success in life – for kids and adults. People sometimes look at me and think (or say out loud!), “Well, sure you’re successful at fill-in-the-blank. You’re smart or have a Ph.D. or work hard or fill-in-other-attribute.” Very seldom is GRIT identified as the supposed magic ingredient for my success (however you… Read More
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Just walking across my living room sometimes puts me in a state of wonder. My knee surgery was a couple years ago now, but I still have a deeply ingrained awe whenever I walk without pain. The journey between that first debilitating injury and this morning’s 30 min walk in the crisp morning air is one long seeking – of… Read More
Altered Traits
Made my doctor’s day this morning. I led with: “I’ve been meditating daily since I saw you in September.” I was a wreck then, limping around with major back pain. Today I was effusing about the change in my mind/body over three months of rigorous healing/rejuvenation, including all kinds of exercise, yoga, meditation, at-home PT, etc. She was like, “Now… Read More
Being is the Foundation for Striving
“A[n] assumption of self-actualization theory is that it very strongly requires a pluralism of individual differences…. Such a true acceptance of individual differences has several key implications that should be stated briefly… it means that we try to make a rose into a good rose, rather than seek to change roses into lilies.” –Abraham Maslow, creator of the famous hierarchy… Read More
POINT OF VIEW
As a writer, exploring POV is intrinsic to what I do – a story is first and foremost the perspective which is telling it. (Something that is also true for politics, love, and reviews of Last Jedi – I still haven’t seen it, so don’t spoiler me!) As a parent, I’m used to the dual POV (me-as-adult and me-as-child) that… Read More
What’s Your True North? (Or How To Change Your Bad Habits)
I change goals all the time – but that’s because I’ve rethought what my purpose is and then re-align my goals to follow that compass heading. As we near the end of the year, it’s natural to look back, see where we’ve been, then look forward and set a new direction. I’m in the middle of a seven-week goal… Read More
This has been the longest year of my life.
Not because of pain and misery, although there’s been plenty of those. Also joy, peace, stillness, and clarity. And grit. Lots of grit. Was it only June that Wonder Woman came out? Was it only August when my son left for college? Has it only been 8 weeks since meditation became a daily part of my life? *actual thoughts I’ve… Read More
Mindjack For Real
Amazon “The amygdala, a key node in the brain’s stress circuitry, shows dampened activity from a mere thirty or so hours of MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) practice.” —Altered Traits by Goleman and Davidson This books is a fascinating collection of all the science studies of meditation, including a historical look at how far Western understanding has come. There are… Read More
My 6th Anniversary as an Author… and Kindle Turns 10
Kindle is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Nov 1st was my 6th anniversary as an indie author. *Does Math* Yep, I’m a “veteran” in this indie publishing game. When I look back, it’s fantastic luck that I decided to become a writer when the indie game was just spooling up. If I’d been forced to go the traditional route, even if… Read More
Defining Reality Situationally
“People define reality situationally a lot of the time, and the further someone is from self-awareness and accountability, the more dramatic that can be from the outside.” – from my friend JC Andrijeski Related: this Burger King Anti-bullying ad will wreck you. This applies to people in general, to characters in books, and to writers themselves. To write is to attempt… Read More
Let’s Talk About Failure…
I do things with a high probability of failure built into them just for the learning experience. So, let’s talk about failure. I fail—all the time, in fact. I’m constantly daring, risking, and there’s a certain amount of failure that comes with that. I don’t like it, mind you. It’s painful. Monetary loss can hurt, personal pride hits are hard,… Read More
On How to Listen
A lady in a lake gave me a sword. I know its power and its secrets. My mind says, “We can unlock everything with this!” And I agree. I can see it, and my ambition is already halfway down the path. My body says, “You’re not strong enough to wield that sword.” I ask my brain, “Are we afraid? Is… Read More
That Time I Finished A Book In A Month Without Stressing Out
In June of this year, I had a crazy deadline I had to meet—a book from start-to-finish in a month, with a hard deadline in the form of an Amazon pre-order (let us not discuss the foolishness of setting up that pre-order, as I am currently repeating said foolishness). Long story short: I made the deadline. And the book was… Read More
Writing is an Exploration of Self as Much as Story
“It is impossible to become like somebody else. Your only hope is to become more fully yourself. That is the reason for practicing meditation in the first place.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living So many authors suffer from comparison-itis—I did it myself early on, especially in those first painful years when you’re still struggling to find your voice and yourself… Read More
Do The Thing You Love… Every Day
Do the thing you love. Connect with the people you love. Put these things at the top of your To Do List every day, color-coded an urgent red or sunny yellow or peaceful sea-green. This is what life is made of, and it’s more important than any “urgent” thing on your list. A day when you can’t spend an hour… Read More
Tidbits from the Emotional Craft of Fiction Workshop
Emotional Craft of Fiction – book and workshop (you can attend the next one in Irvine, CA in Jan 2018!) My back going out on me kept me from one day of the three in this workshop, but the other two were attended propped up in a wheelchair among friends and relatively pain-free with the help of modern medicine. Not… Read More
No STRESS, just FOCUS
This is my new motto. Also, read this: CLICK HERE TO GET IT “The signs of mental fatigue, such as a drop in effectiveness and a rise in distractedness and irritability, signify that the mental effort needed to sustain focus has depleted the glucose that feeds neural energy….The antidote to attention fatigue is the same as for the physical kind:… Read More
Community, Isolation, and Time Alone With One’s Thoughts
In our hyper-connected society, the art of being alone seems almost scandalous. And yet, there are studies which show people are even more isolated than ever before. Paradoxes—our world is built on them. For writers, isolation can be a serious issue. At the same time that you’re struggling with the emotional demands of writing well, the solitary nature of the… Read More
CONNECTION
An essential human need. Babies wither without it. Adults blossom with it. Just now, I witnessed the most adorable thing at the Panera. An older woman—at least 70—and a 20-something man embraced after an effusive “Good morning!” They both have Panera aprons on. All smiles, they set to work, doing the things Panera employees do. How delightful. And these two… Read More
On Reading as a Writer
The Initial Love Affair My relationship with reading is lifelong and fraught with drama. I was madly in love in my youth and early adulthood, mostly SF but also philosophical tracts. Just as I was beginning to want more from books—more romance, more emotional content, more sweeping dramas where humanity was tested at its worst and brought to its best—SF… Read More
KEYS FOR SUCCESS IN INDIE PUBLISHING*
*including bonus swears 1 – DO YOUR HOMEWORK – read my books, study the bestsellers, invest the time and money it takes to do that. To REALLY do that, not a five minute glance at the bestseller charts and assuming you know what they’re saying. Construct your own graduate-level Indie Publishing course and get a damn A in that class…. Read More
Living Every Moment: Keys To A Creative Life
“Once we realize that the boundaries between work and play are artificial, we can take matters in hand and begin the difficult task of making life more livable.”—Daniel Pink, DRIVE: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Work is play. Play can be made into work. This applies up and down the spectrum. Cleaning out the garage (as I did… Read More
The Group is Closing but the Blog/Newsletter Live On!
I’m watching everyone process the closing of the FLOM FB group… and I couldn’t be more proud of how we’re making this transition. People are sad, but grateful. They’re processing it and finding that it’s opening new opportunities to recommit to the sanctity of their own writing time, spend less time on FB, and connect in new, smaller groups dedicated… Read More
IF YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO WRITES… (advice on navigating that in the age of indie publishing)
My best advice on how to encourage and support a child writer in the age of self-publishing… THE OLYMPIC APPROACH A friend asked me this morning about hiring a promo company for her friend’s Middle Grade book (h/t to JA Belfield for looking out for her friend). After dispensing my normal advice about MG being a For Love Only field of publishing… Read More
MEDITATION AND WRITING
So, already I feel like a fraud just typing those words. Because who am I to talk about meditation? Or mindfulness? I use both in my writing – I *believe* in the power of both – but it’s not like I’m a Tibetan monk or a Mindfulness Guru. (^^the crazy that plays in my head sometimes^^) The following is my… Read More
ON MAKING MONEY
I DON’T JUDGE YOU BY HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE I feel like I need to make that very clear. We get constant (and I mean CONSTANT) messaging that money is a measure of the worth of someone (or of an activity), I feel the need to push back hard against that ethos. I met an old acquaintance at the… Read More
ON BEING YOUR OWN GENIUS
Having faith in your own potential is half the battle. I often have people who want my advice on how to indie publish. Sometimes, they offer to pay me for it, like that will be the inducement that will work (THEM: “Do you do consulting?” ME: “No.” THEM: “How about if I pay you for it?” ME: “Still no.”). I’ve… Read More
It Will Always Be Hard – The Struggle of Art
“When does it start to get easier?” the newbie author asks me. “Never. It will always be hard,” I say. I feel like the Harsh Mistress of Author Truths in that moment. But it’s better to slay that expectation in the crib than let it grow into a monster that will cripple that new author. Example: I’ve written a lot… Read More
ACHIEVING THE FLOW STATE
“A composer of music, for instance, may know that he wishes to write a song, or a flute concerto, but other than that, his goals are usually quite vague. And how does he know whether the notes he is writing down are “right” or “wrong”? The same situation holds true for the artist painting a picture, and for all activities… Read More
SELL THE EBOOK FIRST
I’ve said for a long time that everything flows from ebook sales – audiobook sales, paperback sales, foreign rights deals, agents, print-only deals – all the “markers of success” that authors often seek. If you sell enough ebooks, the rest will come (not always – a lot of the world is crazy random, especially when tradpub is involved). You’re not… Read More
FINISHED NOT PERFECT
This video focuses on art, but is just as appropriate for the author. I think of the years I spent writing but never finishing my stories because they weren’t perfect. I still struggle with this, but I’ve finally found that place where I can accept the fact that my stories will never be perfect, but at least they’re finished.
BEING OBJECTIVE ABOUT YOUR WORK
By popular request, I’m reposting this from my “Ask Me Anything” thread. Harlow Cyan Fallon had a SPECTACULAR question. Here it is along with my response. Harlow Cyan Fallon: “Is there a way to recognize whether your own writing is good or not? It seems I don’t have the capacity to discern it myself. I may write a story or a novel… Read More
RESISTANCE: How to Overcome It
I’ve just lost two days to battling Resistance. I’m telling you this to 1- let you know that this still happens to writers who have been writing for years and have many novels under their belts and who consider themselves Highly Trained Resistance Fighters (TM pending), and 2 – to give you some insight into how I do battle. KEY… Read More
DRIVE and Indie Publishing – Part 4 – OUTWARD MARKERS OF SUCCESS
DRIVE by Daniel Pink is all about internal motivation and how autonomy, mastery, and serving a higher purpose are things that fulfill us. I’ve always been very internally motivated. I’ve also always been driven. These are two separate things – you can have ambition but be motivated by external rewards, or you can have internal motivation but no ambition that’s… Read More
DRIVE and Indie Publishing, Part 3 – 10% Time
The idea of 10% time is letting your employees spend 10% of their hours (or one day a quarter – whatever) working on any project they want. The idea is to spur innovation. Now, this doesn’t naturally appear to apply to writers. I mean, we’re on 10% Time ALL THE TIME, right? Well… not really. In a global sense, yes…. Read More
DRIVE and Indie Publishing, Part 2 – Turning Work into Play and Play into Work
“Once we realize that the boundaries between work and play are artificial, we can take matters in hand and begin the difficult task of making life more livable.” – DRIVE by Daniel Pink I write full-time, which I often call “playing full-time” but in reality, I have three teen boys and a husband and home and a life, and it’s… Read More
DRIVE and Indie Publishing – Part 1 – Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose
I have many thoughts about Daniel Pink’s book DRIVE and how its theories of motivation intersect with indie publishing. MANY THOUGHTS. So many I have to break this into parts. A PRIMER DRIVE is about Motivation 3.0 – the autonomy, mastery, and purpose that drives our intrinsic motivation to work, play, live, and create. Motivation 2.0 is your typical carrots-and-sticks… Read More
“All in, all the time.”
“All in, all the time.” “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” “The only easy day was yesterday.” –Navy SEAL slogans that apply to writing and publishing We want to hedge. We want to be “smart” by playing it safe. We want to minimize the chance of failure. I’m here to tell you that if you’re not MAXIMIZING your chance of failure, you… Read More