Tag Archives: getting started

Less Than I Thought

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Lida Bushloper

What do you need to write? Ideas? A certain space? A block of time? Quiet? Solitude? Physical comfort? An Internet connection? A writing group? An MFA? What if you don’t have what you think is essential? Are you dead in … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, writing | Tagged advice, authors, creativity, encouragement, getting started, ideas, performance, productivity, publishing, success, the writing life, writers, writing | Leave a comment

Oh, Really?

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Lida Bushloper

I can’t work at a messy desk. I need to relax with a few games of FreeCell before I get started. This email is way overdue. Just let me throw in a load of laundry. Need to make that dentist … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, creativity, distractions, encouragement, excuses, getting started, Greg Louganis, habits, Mark Twain, performance, productivity, quotes, the writing life, writers, writing | 2 Comments

Before You Know It

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Lida Bushloper

I’m not the only one. I’m not the only writer who is struggling to write during these unusual times. I see the posts on the various writer forums I belong to. Of course, some of those folks don’t have that … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, writing | Tagged authors, creativity, encouragement, essays, getting started, personal history, productivity, the writing life, the writing process, writer's block, writers, writing | 6 Comments

The Least I Can Do

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

Writing can be overwhelming. It’s like any other huge job. Getting a college or advanced degree. Cleaning out the garage. Getting your affairs in order, for when you die. All the advice books tell you to break it all down … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, blog posts, blogging, creativity, essays, getting started, ideas, novels, productivity, short stories, the writing life, writers, writing | 6 Comments

Process: The Short Story

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

I can only speak about how it works for me. I am impelled to start a story in several ways. The first way is that a story just springs to mind, something I have to write, or perhaps a character … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged anthologies, authors, creativity, getting started, ideas, process, productivity, publishing, resources, short stories, the writing life, writers, writing, writing the first draft | 8 Comments

The Words That Kill My Writing

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

Lots of words and phrases put my writing and my writing career in grave danger. Some come from inside myself. Well, actually most of them these days come from within myself, even if they originally came from outside sources. These … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, getting started, habits, performance, the writing life, time management, writers, writing | 6 Comments

Send Is Not the End

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

We’ve all heard, and likely experienced, that getting started is the hard part. It’s certainly true for me. But now I find that ending is also hard. Last Saturday I hit “send” on a new story for a new (to … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged authors, balancing writing and life, getting started, submissions, submitting, the writer's life, writer's mindset, writers, writing | 2 Comments

Note to Self: Stop Talking

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

To myself, I mean. Or rather, more specifically, stop the mental negative self-talk that doesn’t help and only makes me miserable. Stop saying I have no ideas. Stop saying I have no time. Stop saying my work is too quirky to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, creativity, getting started, ideas, negative thoughts, performance, positive thinking, productivity, self-talk, the writing life, writers, writing | 11 Comments

Sine Qua Non

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Lida Bushloper

There was a time when, like many folks starting out in life, I was struggling. Working multiple jobs, trying to get more education, fighting to keep the first home I had bought on my own. I was determined to hang … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, blogging, creativity, encouragement, feedback, friends, getting started, performance, productivity, publishing, success, the writing life, writers, writing | 2 Comments

Morning

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Lida Bushloper

If I’m going to get any writing done, it has to be in the morning. First thing. Sort of. I say sort of, because, first I have to feed the cat. Then, for health reasons, I can’t skip breakfast. Oh, … Continue reading →