Being a writer is both demoralizing and uplifting.  Sometimes more one than the other.  When you’re feeling blue, like giving up or just simply want a pick me up - check out these 5 blogs!

1. Christine Kane Kristine is a musician not a writer but her prose can motivate and inspire the stodgiest curmudgeon.  She’s a glittery voice in a world of naysayers.  Enjoy!
2. Guide to Literary Agents Yes, believe it or not a blog on agents can be inspiring.  AND the information you’ll glean on this gem of a blog WILL make you feel more confident the next time you submit your manuscript.
3. Zen Habits Good information on just about every facet of life.
4. Amidabuddha.org Okay not a blog per say but they have a really great daily meditation you can subscribe to.  It’s great to start your day with a little mindful spirituality.
5. Lifehack This is more about productivity, however if you’re like me if you’re inspired to feel productive and provided realistic tips to get the job done then you’re half way there.

What inspirational blogs have helped you out?  Please share!

Whether you’re participating in NaNoWriMo or you simply have set for yourself a daily word count goal (a practice I strongly advise and rarely adhere to) it’s important to celebrate your success.

Now I’m not saying you have to throw a party every time you reach 1000 words - however if you want to let me send you my email address cause I could certainly enjoy a few more parties.  I’m actually talking more about those little self care type rewards that make achieving your goal all the more golden.  Here are my favorite five ways to reward myself:

1.  A hot bath and a good beer.  I know most women prefer a glass of wine or even a hefty margarita however I’m a beer girl.  Not a Budweiser girl (though if you like Bud then go for it) I prefer a Pilsner Urquell or a good local micro brew.  Fortunately I live in the heartland of microbreweries so I have a cornucopia of choice.  Note:  If your bath is too hot then save the beer for afterwards.  You wouldn’t want to fall asleep in the tub.

2.  A seriously entertaining book.  Life is too short to read bad books (and I’m sure that quote will come back to haunt me but it’s out there now)  Grab a book that makes you laugh, gets you all hot and bothered, or scares the crap out of you if that’s your thing.  Dive headfirst into the book and forget about the world for a while.  I have a stack of these delightful books on my bedside table.

3.  Watch inane television.  Okay so that may be an oxymoron and I honestly don’t watch much television but on those rare nights I will admit that I do love to sit down and watch hours of HGTV or catch up on a series like Saving Grace or even Sex and The City repeats just for the plain ol fun of it.  It’s a nice little reward.  Of course if you regularly watch television then this isn’t much of a reward so grab a movie that feels a bit decadent and enjoy the show.

4.  Grab your favorite friend or loved one and go out to eat.  There’s nothing better than enjoying a good meal and lots of laughs with your favorite person and if you can share the latest twists and turns in the book you’re writing then it’s all the more fun.

5.  Take a walk with no time limit and no direction or goal.  These little forays into nature help us appreciate life, live in the moment, and be grateful for the little things like the sound the fall leaves make when they’re skittering down the street or the smell of the first fire in the fireplace as the smoke billows out the chimneys or the look of the billowy snow clouds peeking over the tops of the mountains.

Reward yourself.  You’ve worked hard and life my dear friends is all about the little things- the small joys and personal accomplishments.

Happy writing!

It’s easy to let life take control over you rather than taking control of your life.  Kids are screaming, bills are collecting on the counter, clients want their work, the dog’s eye is infected (ick, right?), the projects you want to do are sitting on the back burner and it feels as if there’s just way too much going on.

I’ve been looming in this state of constantly catching up for the past two months or so and guess what…it’s not changing. I’m still not catching up.  Monday as I stared at my overwhelming must do task list while looking longingly at my want to do task list I snapped.

No, I didn’t flip out - I had an epiphany or rather I remembered that I control my life not the other way around.  I make the decisions.  Ultimately EVERYTHING that comes into or out of my life I can decide on.  Of course there are ramifications from those decisions, consequences, but hey that’s okay.

So…

Mantra for Success #1  Be creative not reactive!

Mantra for Success #2  We become what we think - tink happy tawts

Mantra for Success #3  Fear is limiting - acknowledge it and then shove it aside.  (I’ve dealt with a lot of fear issues this past few weeks. Fear for my life and that of a loved one.  Fear for the future of that loved one.  Fear of failure.  Fear of disappointing someone.  Fear of failure…I know I already said that one but it came up several times:-)  The cure…acknowledge it and shove it aside.  Whether you succeed or fail - you’ll grow and learn and that’s what it’s all about after all.

Mantra for Success #4  Take time for joy each and every day.  Yes it’s important to love what you do but doing it 24/7 is a sure way to burn out.  Set even your passions aside and focus on friends, family, life and love.

Mantra for Success #5  Never stop learning.  About yourself, about your business, about things that interest you and about those wonderful people you’ve surrounded yourself with.  It’s all good!

I’m blessed - I truly have wonderful clients and I’ve reached the point in my career where if I don’t want to work with someone, I don’t.  It took a little while to get there and to learn that there’s tremendous value in saying no.

That being said, sometimes trouble rears it’s ugly head when you least expect it.  Here are a few things to look for and how to handle them, or handle them better than I did:-)

#1  Incomplete Ian.  This is the client who fails to give you all the information you all the information you need to get a job done properly - even when you provide a three page questionnaire - and then yells at you.  What I did - told Incomplete Ian that we’d redo the content.  What I should have done - charged him for my time. What I will do - never work with Ian again.

#2  Late Changes Charlie.  Don’t you just love a client who two days before a project is supposed to be delivered, changes the scope of the project!  AAAAGGGHHHH!  You already have 99% of the project completed, if not the entire thing and they do a 180 on you.  What I did.  Told the client I didn’t have time for this nonsense and gave Charlie his money back less expenses.  What I should have done - exactly what I did.

#3  Are You Some Kinda Moron Mary - I admit, I have a sensitive spot for people who condescend.  And when a client criticizes the intelligence or experience of me or any one of my team member - I tend to become hostile.  What I did - I’ve actually had to handle this differently depending on the circumstances however both instances involved:

• Telling the client that we couldn’t work together unless communication was productive (now who’s being condescending) and

• Giving the client the benefit of the doubt.   I know I know, why give someone the benefit of the doubt when they’re being mean?  Well, because we all have bad days and it’s easier to give a driver in a passing car the finger than it is to deal with what’s really troubling you.  So if a client feels like giving me the finger then I’ll shake my head, scold them like a child and not let it happen again.

#4  No Experience Erica.  This is the person who has never worked with a writer before and wants you to hold their hand through the process.  This usually involves checking in daily to see how things are going, changing the project 75 times, and then looking for you to tell them how to best use the content you’ve just created.  Now I know everyone has to start somewhere and I often will do what I can to placate and educate a client however what I should do is charge by the hour for consultations and coaching.

There’s also Negotiating Ned, Know it All Nancy, and my favorite - My Budget is Tight Barry.

All that being said the problem client rarely occurs and when they do, the best course of action is to treat everyone as professionally and courteously as possible.  That doesn’t mean you need to work with them, however I’ve had some ‘problem clients’ turn into wonderful clients simply by listening, setting a few ground rules, and being the best service provider I know how to be.  There’s something to learn from everyone and every situation.

Happy Writing!

Three things I’m thankful for:

Editorial calendars - gotta get a bigger one with more space to write!

My new home office - puppy has a nice new place at my feet and I have a large sunny window to look out of.

My project manager - I have no idea what I would do without her.  Probably spend a lot of time crying and trying to ‘organize’ things!

What are you grateful for?

Yesterday was the end of the month and in typical fashion it’s a harried day.  End of the month invoices to be sent (though this is much easier now that I have a bookkeeper for AllCustomContent.com)  It also means an abundance of content deliveries, also for All Custom Content clients who prefer to receive thier content at the end of the month each month.  And then there are my own personal writing projects which need to be wrapped up at the end of the month and the forecasting for next month and paying the contractors and posting blogs for the upcoming month and following up with clients before the next month gets too far underway and…and…and…

Typically the last day of the month is spent working tirelessly until around 9 or 10 at night.  Fortunately I’ve streamlined my systems and hired out a bit of work so I was actually able to wrap it up around 4:00.

Time for a little R & R!

To reward myself for a job well done (A habit I’m strongly in favor of) I like to:

Go through all of my juicy, frivolous magazines.  I LOVE magazines and have about 10 -15 subscriptions and there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a stack of them and flipping through all the pretty pictures.  I feel the need to also point out that I read and subscribe to Kiplinger’s and I read my husband’s Wired and Climbing too and I DON’T read tabloids or entertainment magazines.  My favorites are strictly design, fashion and home, and health and fitness.

Okay so down time reward #2.  Fiction writing!  I know it’s supposed to be downtime but there’s something about indulging in a few hours of creative writing, after a day of non-fiction, that is just plain fun.

Reward #3 - Um….HGTV.  I’m not sure what the appeal is here - I don’t really have any overwhelming need or desire to redecorate or remodel and yet I can watch people do this for hours.

What do you do to reward yourself for a job well done?  How do you unwind?

I find myself censoring my email messages, notes to self, journal entries and so forth for a few phrases which feel negative and limiting. The phrases to avoid include:

• I fear or I’m afraid.  It’s okay to be afraid but writing it feels limiting.  Instead I choose to write more optimistic phrases.  Phrases with courage.
• I don’t or I can’t.  Instead I choose to write, I will or I can.  That includes writing business emails to clients.  Even if you are unable to do something there’s always a way to phrase it positively.
• You don’t or you can’t.  This is blaming, even when you don’t mean it that way that’s the way it is perceived.  Instead - tell people what they can do, what they’re capable of or re-frame the sentence.  For example, instead of “you can’t seem to”, you can say “so far we’ve been unable to.”

These three phrases are important to avoid in all your communications (the only exception may be copywriting - sales content)

Keep it positive and reap the benefits.

Happy writing

Favorite places to write.

Every writer needs a home.  A safe place to write where inspiration, creativity and a good dose of common sense flow effortlessly (yeah right) from the brain onto the paper.

A writing office should have all the favorite things a creative spirit needs, right?  Ha!  Sometimes the best places to write are, for me, the most dull.  The places which are so lacking in inspiration and creative flow that you’re forced to turn inside yourself to find it.

• A windowless office in the basement.
• An attic office where the sun peeks through the small venting slats and the dust dances with relished freedom.
• A kitchen table where the dishes pile up, the phone rings, and the refrigerator beckons.
• The living room couch where the pets circle your feet hoping for a handout.
• The picnic table outside your daughter’s low flying trapeze class.
• The car while you’re waiting to pick children up from school.
• The orthodontist’s waiting room.

Oddly enough the more a space lacks in ambiance the more productive I am.  I suppose it’s because there are fewer distractions.

What about you?  What’s your favorite place to write?  Where are you most productive?

5 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block

Writer’s block attacks for different reasons.  For me, it’s typically because I’ve been writing for days and days and days and I just need a mental break or like yesterday - my schedule is different and the normal routine I follow is absent.

Here are a few tricks I try to kick my writing brain into action:

• Outline instead of writing.  Outlining takes the pressure off and it’s still productive.  It allows you to work through your content without the pressure of actually creating something.  And it stimulates your brain to begin thinking about writing.

• Read.  I keep a file of email newsletters, blog posts, and messages in a file I’ve labeled “To Read Soon” - creative title right?!  Anyway, when I’m feeling sluggish, I’ll dive into these messages.  They’re educational, they often spur creative thought and once the wheels are turning the writing can begin.

• Change of venue.  If the kitchen table isn’t working, the home office isn’t working, and the back patio isn’t working head out of the house.  I have a mental list of about 6 coffee shops I like to visit and somehow just getting out of the “office” will stimulate creativity.

• Give it up and go for a walk.  Sometimes the most mundane activities are the best for tapping into your creative side.  I cannot tell you how often great ideas for a client’s article will come to mind while I’m folding laundry, doing the dishes or driving down the street.  Let it go and it will flow.

• Attack the project in nibbles.  If it’s a large project often times the writer’s block is based in a sense of being overwhelmed.  Rather than trying to complete the entire project, set smaller goals.  Write the introduction one day, the first chapter the next and so on.  Skip around if necessary and write whatever feels easier that day.

Writer’s block isn’t anything to stress about.  In fact, the more you try to fight it, the worse it will get.  Instead, work with your writer’s block.  Embrace it and let it go.  I

Writing Must Haves!  Here is a list of what I must have for a productive writing day:

Coffee - lots and lots of coffee.

Plain old notebook and pen - sometimes the words flow easier onto paper than they do onto keyboard.  (I also often have inspiration for other projects while I’m working on something else and having a pen and paper handy allows me to jot down my thoughts and return to the project on hand)

Sunshine - Okay this isn’t required but it sure does making focusing a whole lot easier.  Thankfully the sun is usually shining here in Colorado.

Laptop - I seem to go through laptops like children go through shoes.  Not so good for the pocketbook but being portable definitely makes it easier to follow my muse, to the coffee shop, backyard patio, kitchen table, bedroom, couch etc…wherever inspiration seems to be flowing the strongest.

That’s it.  That’s all I need.  It’s nice to have an Internet connection to verify facts and find specific and relevant data for content however blanks can be left and filled in later so an Internet connection is just a ‘nice to have’ for a productive day.  Sometimes it’s nice to not be connected because surfing, checking email and twittering can be so distracting!

So what’s on your list?  What do you need to have a productive writing day?