Megan DiMaria

Last Tuesday I discussing writer's block and strategies to get your productivity back on track. Writer's block doesn’t have to paralyze your writing progress. I gave you the first few suggestions, last week. Here are five more methods to get your fingers flying over the keyboard: 1. Work on another project for a while If you can, switch gears to another project you have in the works or make notes on a subsequent project you’ve been thinking about. You may return to your “bloc

I know that I can’t be the only one . . . Perhaps you've also found yourself scrambling to meet your goals, pushing yourself to do more, but failing to see the results you'd hoped for. Lately, I’ve found myself working with such diligence and trying so, so hard. My efforts went toward accomplishing tasks, meeting deadlines, and reaching goals. Some days have been grueling. Let me back up—I hadn’t snatched my dreams and goals out of thin air. I formulated them after much praye

Consider yourself the luckiest writer in the universe if you’ve never experienced a moment of writer’s block. Consider yourself fortunate if you've never experienced a moment of, "where do I go now?" Consider yourself blessed if you've never thought, "How can I tie up this loose end?" The most important thing to consider when faced with the dreaded writer’s block is to realize that that this is probably not the last time you’ll be stuck. Personally, I think it’s part of the w

When faced with a challenge, do you give up or persist? See that photo? It's of a hiking trial in Maroon Bells outside of Aspen, Colorado. I walked that trail a few years ago. It wasn't all that difficult—most of the time. But this particular stretch was interesting. Steep. I found myself stumbling over rocks when I was already weary. But it was doable. I think of the writing journey in much the same way. It's exhilarating. Difficult. Interesting. Uphill. Occasionally you m

Happy is the person who dreams dreams and is willing to take the steps to make them come true. Don't be afraid to start climbing, and I'll see you at the top! ~ Zig Ziglar I’ve been thinking about perspective lately. So much of life’s experiences depend on perspective, especially for writers. We commit ourselves to long periods of solitary work and then endure the difficult process of publication. Even after publication, it's not a walk in the park. But whether you succeed in

If you're a writer, do you spend time reading tips from pros and other writers in the trenches? You should. I have a few favorite writing websites that I subscribe to and some I visit regularly to keep myself current on market trends as well as tips on craft and grammar help. Doesn’t everyone need grammar help? Some sites that I visit frequently are: Novel Rocket: Authors helping authors launch. A great site for fiction writers with tips for writing, marketing, and encouragem

Do you have an unfulfilled dream? Go for it! No one will drop your life's dream into your lap. You've got to work for it. Since I was a little girl, I wanted be a published author. I was too afraid to tell anyone my dream, so when the time came to go to college, I took the safe path and studied communications instead of creative writing. It served me well, I worked in broadcasting, journalism, and marketing most of my adult life. If I hadn't made that decision, my lif