I couldn’t have been more surprised when I won my first writing award seven years ago. I didn’t even know I was competing until I heard my name called.
Blog Reinvention Gets Messier Each Time
Up until 2014, my site had free hosting on WordPress.com. When I bought my domain, we essentially cloned the site and rebuilt it on WordPress.org. The old version on WordPress.com was still there, but invisible to the public because of a domain redirect we set up. Based on my needs and available options, I chose to return to WordPress.com.
Find Support to Protect Your Mental Health
When you have to cope with things throughout the workday that can affect your mental health, it’s important to get familiar with your usual triggers. Maybe, with a few adjustments, you can avoid some stressors altogether. But if you can’t avoid them, there’s one thing to do. Figure out the support system that works best for you and ensure you have easy access to it.
How You Can Give Back As a Writer
There are many ways to give back and put some good into the world. From volunteering to giving money to charity, you don’t have to look hard to find a cause you can believe in.
Is Your Writing Ritual in Need of a Refresh?
Some days, you can do everything to set the right mood, but the magic still doesn’t happen. The words are still stuck. So what’s the problem?
Freelancer Availability: Why Less is Better Than More
When you work as a freelancer or own a small business, sometimes it feels like you can’t stop working. You set your own availability, so why shouldn’t you always have time to work? With some slight adjustments, you can have a profitable, fulfilling freelance career without feeling like a commodity.
How Brand Reputation Will Make or Break Your Business
Much of your marketing efforts go toward increasing your reach and growing a loyal audience. How your audience feels about you depends on more than offering a quality product or service. As you grow your business, whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or work with others, your brand reputation can make or break your brand.
Don’t Let the Void Destroy Success and Other Good Feels
For those who wonder how my actual writing is going, it’s awesome. Really. I might even start talking about it again in between posts on digital marketing. But the important thing is that things are happening. And I’m excited. Even if The Void is being loud.
Develop Without Distraction: 3 Ways to Beat Blogger Procrastination
When you find yourself being distracted by the littlest thing, it stops you from doing something you really want to do. Next thing you know, it’s the end of the day and you’re nowhere near meeting your goal. We all get distracted from time to time. These tips will help you beat distraction and keep it from becoming procrastination.
Remember the Time I Thought I Ruined my Writing Career?
Once upon a time, I took some short stories I wrote for class and thought it would be a great idea to publish them as ebooks. And it didn’t go very well.
I Nearly Lost my Only Complete Manuscript Draft
I needed to open an older draft of Thieves to look for a scene I wanted to rework into the new version. This file was totally fine last week when I had it open to pull a different scene. But not today. No, today it was corrupted. And entirely unopenable.
Why I’m Happy I Deleted the Facebook App
Taking Facebook off your phone almost sounds like a crazy thing to do. Bonus crazy points when you factor in how much of my career depends on being active on social media. But I didn’t get rid of my account. I just deleted the Facebook app. And I’m much happier because of it. In the two weeks since I deleted the app, my phone has been blissfully quieter. Not only that, but I’ve been spending less time on my phone.
5 Easy Ideas to Boost Your Mental Wellness
Improving your mental wellness is a great personal goal. What works best for you may take some trial and error; there’s no one-size-fits-all method. To get started on boosting your mental wellness, consider any of these five ideas.
Lessons From a Day with Dr. Kristen Iversen
When the day of Dr. Kristen Iversen’s visit arrived, I woke up terribly sick. Between my fever and the number of antihistamines I took, I went through most of the day in a sweaty, lethargic, dizzy haze. While the smell of cherry cough drops rekindles a few memories, most of what I remember about that day comes from the notes I took. At least some part of me was clear-headed enough to make sure I could remember what stood out about getting to know Dr. Iversen for a day.
6 Ways to Take a Break When You Work From Home
One of the dangers of working from home is skipping break time. These 6 tips on being mindful can help sustain your energy throughout the day and ensure sure you’re working efficiently, not constantly.
