5 right reasons, and 3 wrong ones, for writing your book

Should you or shouldn't you write that book?   3 WRONG REASONS to write a book: You think the life of a writer is enviable and glamorous. BZZZTTT. Any real writer will unfailingly tell you that writing is not glamorous. It's a lot of lonely, hard work. You figure if you can just write a best-seller,…

What writing instructors should pass on to their students

For you skimmers, here is the bulleted list right up front-- 9 principles I learned from a great writing instructor: Don’t be in a hurry to be published. Love learning; read copiously. Especially love literature. Memorize poems. Don’t take yourself or your writing too seriously. Take the acquisition of wisdom seriously--live decently, courageously, and well. Trust; you…

10 things writers are made of

If little boys are made of-- snakes; snails; puppy dog tails... Then, what are writers made of?  hope? the visible and invisible creatures that traverse the woodlands' borders? creativity? the fading spots of fawns? Maybe. But I think what writers are actually made of is: So what are writers made of?  ancestors, and atoms; events, and…

The Writing Bug: causes, transmission, and treatment

Have you been infected by the writing bug? Do you want to know how to get somewhere with it, or maybe you want to know how to get over it? And is it contagious? This overview will give you the information about the origins, the communicability and the known treatments for "The Writing Bug." Those…

10 steps to happiness, from 14th-century Italy

"We wish and command that everyone who values our good grace shall bring only cheerful news... wherever he may come from, and whatever he may hear or see." Giovanni Boccaccio, “The Decameron” (written in 1348, in Italy) When circumstances become challenging and discouraging, it sometimes helps me to take a broader perspective. History shows that…