When is writing a Christmas cookie? Whenever you need it to be! Last week I was overcome by the holidays: too much shopping, too much traffic, too much angst, and way, way too much sugar. I found myself sitting at
WRITING AS HOLIDAY COOKIE
GETTING OUT OF MY OWN WAY
Last week I became an adolescent. Maybe even a two year old. I attended one of those internet book marketing seminars where they tell you that you have to blog hourly, at least six days a week, and that every
STEP AWAY to STEP FORWARD
In forty years of making my living as a freelance writer, one of the best tricks I’ve learned is to step away from what I’m writing. It might be for a moment, and hour, or a day, but coming back
Writing as Spiritual Practice
When we speak of the Zone, we use words like magical, mystical, out of time and space, completely focused in the present, clear, creative, energized, spontaneous, and joyful. These words also show up when we talk about spirituality. Being in
SELF-PUBLISHING as KITCHEN REMODEL
“I can’t believe you’re so calm about your kitchen remodel!” a friend emailed last week. My response was: “Remodeling a kitchen is just like self-publishing. You start from zero, jump in, and just keep going.” A pause, and then she
CREATIVITY ON DEMAND: Is It Really Possible?
Can we really just sit down and call up creativity whenever we want it? I believe we can. Maybe “call up” isn’t the best phrase. Maybe “relax into” is better. When we learn to relax into the Zone—that magical place