Tag Archives: success

Is Confidence Necessary?

I am at an age where I look back on my younger self with great tenderness. I wonder what happened so early in my childhood that my confidence was completely wiped out. There are of course institutions and people to … Continue reading

Posted in comfort, Comparison, creativity, critique, emotion, failure, fantasy, privacy, Self-worth, silence, Society, survival, Telling our stories, Uncategorized, Visibilty, Wounds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Defining Self

Because I had difficulty absorbing the information given in school, and because I failed tests, I believed that I was stupid. Because I believed that I was stupid, I believed that I was inferior. Because I believed I was inferior, … Continue reading

Posted in Community; Genorosity, Comparison, Competition, creativity, economics, education, Elitism, emotion, Energy, failure, fiction, Gratitude, home, intuition, Philosophy, research, Self-worth, success, survival, The market, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Timidity and Standing Fierce

As a child I was timid. I learned early on that my opinions did not matter. If they were heard at all, they were argued with or denied. I did not excel in school. I kept to myself mostly. I … Continue reading

Posted in creativity, Day by day, editors, Energy, fiction, Gratitude, Journaling, Self-worth, silence, Strength, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On Becoming a Writer

Once I’d made my mind up to it, becoming a writer was fairly simple. I committed myself to it. I studied it. I read a lot of books. I attended a lot of readings. I attended as many workshops as … Continue reading

Posted in comfort, Comparison, Competition, Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, Decisions, editors, emotion, failure, fiction, marketing, Play, privacy, Publishing, Self-worth, Starting a new work, Starting over, success, The market, Uncategorized, what artists need, Writing career | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Market

People often ask me how to read the market. What should they do? What’s the next new trend? How did I know to write what I wrote when I wrote it? Look at me, I want to say. Do I … Continue reading

Posted in creativity, Decisions, economics, emotion, Energy, failure, fiction, History, marketing, Passion, posterity, Process, Starting a new work, Starting over, success, The market, Uncategorized, Visibilty, what artists need | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What are you working on now?

What are you working on now? There is no escaping this question once you are a published author, but the answer is complicated. For me anyway, which is one reason I don’t like to talk about works in progress. In … Continue reading

Posted in Book tour, comfort, Comparison, Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, Drafts, emotion, Energy, fiction, privacy, Process, Publishing, Self-worth, silence, Story, success, Uncategorized, what artists need | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Failure

Dear Abby and Karen, Today for some reason, I am thinking about failure. The failure of a book to sell well. The failure of a book to be published. The failure to complete a book. The failure to even write … Continue reading

Posted in Completing a novel, creativity, Drafts, economics, failure, fiction, fun with what we do, positivity; grace; light, Starting a new work, Starting over, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Value of Play

Dear Nancy Your pre-writing walks along the river sound glorious, and so does your description of your childhood “moodling” time in the woods.  As a child, I also walked in the woods.  It was a great solace to me, and … Continue reading

Posted in Competition, Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, fantasy, fiction, fun with what we do, Gratitude, happiness, Journaling, marketing, Play, posterity, Process, Self-worth, The Writer's Life, violence, Visibilty, Writing career | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Harder Than You Think is a Beautiful Thing”

Dear Karen, I love your last letter. I love the idea of an “oversoul,” a term I have never heard before, and I agree wholeheartedly that we must be grateful for our own creative work and the creative work of … Continue reading

Posted in Community; Genorosity, Comparison, Competition, creativity, Day by day, Decisions, Energy, fun with what we do, Gratitude, Magic, Process, Publishing, Self-worth, spaciousness, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writing career | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Jigsaw Puzzle

Dear Karen, After a week off work, with no schedule and plenty of walks along the river, writing, good times with family and at home, reading, working jigsaw puzzles, dancing to The Staple Singers, and watching movies with Ben, I … Continue reading

Posted in Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, emotion, fun with what we do, Process, Self-worth, spaciousness, Starting a new work, Story, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment