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LIFETIME MISTAKE TO CHANGE?

Have you made a lifetime mistake? Better yet, have you done it quietly so no one would notice? Good job. Now, since we’re all getting down the road with less lifetime in front than in back, in theory, you want to change, you want to fix that mistake. Good luck.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION USES GOOD MANNERS

Manners matter, good manners, if your aim is for effective communication. Steady eye contact and active listening nods and acknowledgment are part of the deal, but don’t stare unblinking like a psycho. Also, “Yup, yup, yup,” and “okay, okay, okay,” are not examples of active listening. Unless you do it ironically, but only if you’re […]

TAKE ‘THE PAUSE’ TO SHOW RESPECT

‘The Pause’ in this post is the moment a medical team takes after a patient dies. Whoever is in the bed deserves a moment of quiet for the life they led. I’m a fan of people understanding the idea of respect and how it’s shown. But why wait until the last moment?

PEOPLE UNITED BY GIVING WRITERS

Needy people? You see them all over the place? So do I. I’m one of them. Oh, and so are you. We need things we don’t have. Writers give some of those things, or at least the feeling of giving. So what?

WRITER ENCOURAGEMENT: WHY IT MATTERS

Writer encouragement works like this: “I just read a book so good I will stop writing forever.” That’s encouragement if you read between the lines. Read a book that moves you to feel something. My favorite book?

WRITER LIFE CHRISTMAS WHEN IT’S NOT ABOUT WRITING OR LIFE

Does ‘writer life’ mean writing about life, or the experience of someone who writes? Answer silently while you write about a life of writing. Writer’s Life? Mine began as a small child at my Grandma’s house. She handed me a book.

ROAD TRIP AMERICA WITH LEWIS AND CLARK AND BOOKS

The road trip for the original Corps of Discovery hit this beach in 1805. The modern Corps of Discovery pulled up in a tour bus yesterday and marched to the spot above the beach. That’s one way of doing it. There are other ways, but they all have things in common with Lewis and Clark. […]

NEEDY READERS? GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT

What do needy readers want? Tastes change, fads come and go, but the top selling book of all time is pretty clear. Across all platforms one book stands higher than all the rest. Do you need a hint? Think ‘Tale of Two Cities.’ Wait, that’s the title. Damn. The big question: Is it worthy? What […]

BASIC WRITER QUESTION: WHY BOTHER

The best writer question is the one they ask themselves before starting their daily word haul. It’s a question writers never want readers to ask, so they ask themselves: Why bother? Here’s why:

WHAT READERS DO? READERS GONNA READ, READ, READ

Real readers handle books different than than rest of us. Who is that real reader? I watched a librarian friend pick up a book and go through the process. From contents to index, then everything in between, he handled the book like a pro. He was a pro, but what about the rest of us?