Nearly eight years ago, I quit my full-time desk job at Duke University to become a writer. I patched together freelance writing and teaching gigs until I published Saffron Cross in fall 2013. How did I do it? Patience, perseverance, and many cheerleaders who kept me …
I’ve recently completed my fourth year as a freelance writer, teacher, and consultant. That’s 1,460 days of surviving artistic doubt and the feast-or-famine nature of contract work. So, what’s the key to freelance writing success? The answer might surprise you. In mid-April of 2011, I …
Confession: I’m breaking the golden rule of blogging and social media writing, because this post is really about me. But, for all its apparent selfishness, this is a “physician heal thyself” message. I’m addressing my current creative struggles publicly because I’m guessing that you or …
Two weeks ago this Thursday, I felt completely sorry for myself and for my writing. This self-depreciating, pitiful behavior surfaced after I began ruminating over my 2011 creative writing submissions. Of the several major submissions I had sent to magazines and editors (which, in truth, …
With nearly a few hours left in 2011, I hope we all take some time to reflect on the past twelve months. What changes did you make this year? What are you most proud of? What challenges did you encounter? 2011 was a benchmark for …
I’ve been dogging myself for neglecting this blog. I tend to be a sporadic blogger when I’d rather be Ms. Consistency. When I spoke with my writing accountability partner about this, she offered a gentle reply. She said I had had a rough year and …