Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Time

Is It Necessary to Write EVERY day?

December 3, 2019

Is It Necessary to Write EVERY day?

December 3, 2019

Some time ago I was asked by Writers Digest to participate in a feature with nine other writing teachers. We’d each take a position on a well-known writing “rule.” Then another expert…

Hacking NaNoWriMo: How to Reach the Finish Line

November 5, 2019

Hacking NaNoWriMo: How to Reach the Finish Line

November 5, 2019

It’s NaNoWriMo season, so I’m reposting my top 5 tips that will help you bust through any block or hiccup so you reach your 50K. These tips have worked for…

Writerly Procrastination: Why It Happens & How To Break Free of It

October 1, 2019

Writerly Procrastination: Why It Happens & How To Break Free of It

October 1, 2019

I don’t mean to brag, but procrastination is my superpower, one that I’ve honed through years of dedicated training. In the course of writing this post, I’ve come up with…

Writers, Remember: The Wand Chooses The Wizard

August 15, 2019

Writers, Remember: The Wand Chooses The Wizard

August 15, 2019

When we choose a writing career, naturally we want to find our footing quickly. But this can cause us to pay too much attention to what other authors are doing…

How To Stop Self-Doubt From Holding You Back From Writing

July 18, 2019

How To Stop Self-Doubt From Holding You Back From Writing

July 18, 2019

Self-doubt can be a crippling weight, especially for writers. Today we have writing mentor Leigh Shulman with us, and she has some terrific, actionable ways to use prompts to turn…

5 Innovative Strategies That Could Help You Win a Writing Contest

July 11, 2019

5 Innovative Strategies That Could Help You Win a Writing Contest

July 11, 2019

If you’ve ever participated in a writing contest, you’ll know that it’s one of the most exhilarating, motivating, and overall craft-stimulating experiences you can have as a writer. Indeed, what…

5 Writing Life Lessons from an Empty Nester Author

June 13, 2019

5 Writing Life Lessons from an Empty Nester Author

June 13, 2019

Recently, I entered a new life stage: the Empty Nester parent. My oldest son, following his younger brother’s lead, moved out a few weeks ago while my husband and I…

Gameify Your Writing Life

May 23, 2019

Gameify Your Writing Life

May 23, 2019

As creatives, we all have a million ideas. But if we’re going to turn any of tthem into reality, we have to have a plan, and that’s where the wheels…

The One Thing Writers Miss When Trying to Improve

April 18, 2019

The One Thing Writers Miss When Trying to Improve

April 18, 2019

Writers do something rather unusual on a frequent basis: they ask to learn more about their weaknesses. Whether submitting a story to a writer’s group, editor, or contest, writers frequently…

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

I’m a psychologist, so I like to believe there are a set of characteristics that can predict author success. Sure, like any subset of the population—and I’m going to define…