The other day, when we were having one of those “Why is the sky blue?” discussions, I admitted to my daughter that I didn’t know the answer to a lot of her questions, that I would probably never know the answer to those questions, and she shouldn’t try to stump me before I’ve had my…
Month: May 2009
A short interlude
I ordinarily post something substantial here Monday through Friday and a short light-hearted piece on Saturdays. But today I spent the entire day from approximately just after dawn until 3:30 pm at the car shop getting the writer-mobile repaired. My sidekick (daughter Jessica) was with me, so the day wasn’t a total loss, and we…
How to: Solve an editor’s problem
Yesterday I was talking about how “not finding your thing” can make it harder to achieve success as a writer. Today I’m going to talk a bit about another problem (related to the first) that some writers have that holds them back: They focus on what they want, not what the editor or market…
How to: Find your own thing
We often look to successful writers to show us how to be successful, too. We read the books they write, pick their brains when we can, try to emulate what works for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, obviously. But we can make an error in judgment when we assume that what makes someone else…
How to: Keeping the beginner’s mind
On the theme of Open the Office Door, an excerpt from my book Dojo Wisdom for Writers on a concept I love: Lesson #8: Keep the Beginner’s Mind Martial artists respect the beginner’s mind because it’s open to new experiences and isn’t as critical as it later becomes. Someone who is just beginning…
How to: Take time off
I usually post to this blog six times a week because I find it easier to keep to routines that don’t vary a lot. But sometimes you just have to know when to take a day off, and today is that day. For those of you enjoying the Memorial Day holiday, I’m right with you! …